The journey to becoming a startup own begins the moment aspirants decide they want to establish a business. What brings them closer to the end goal to take the next step towards business ownership. The tricky part is that this phase varies depending on the entrepreneur.
For many, this means going straight to the planning stage, while others may need to look for partners. Complete beginners might need to learn more about startups. They can start with the following resources and courses:
1 – Startup School
https://www.startupschool.org/
Startup School is one of the best platforms for beginners. It is a free online offering by Y Combinator, an accelerator program that provides small funding for early-stage startups. It is designed to bring startup knowledge to global learners.
It offers courses for various participants. Those who are affiliated with a company can enroll in the Startup course, while those who want to set up their own businesses can go with the Aspiring Founders course. Those looking for a co-founder will benefit from the Co-Founder Matching platform.
This website has a comprehensive curriculum combined with a startup progress tracker. Going through Startup School courses increases the chances of being accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator program.
2 – Entrepreneurship for Computer Science Course
https://web2.qatar.cmu.edu/~mhhammou/15390-s20/syllabus.html
Startups are considered disruptors, and they tend to rely on technology and innovation to find repeatable and scalable business models. These organizations take advantage of applications and websites, and other things that can be achieved through computer science.
Those in the computer science field wanting to enter startup entrepreneurship should take a look at what this course has to offer. It seeks to equip information technology and systems professionals with the right tools to help them start their business ventures.
This course is offered by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar known for its innovative and challenging approach to teaching and learning.
3 – Reactor Education Starting Up course
https://courses.reaktor.education/en/courses/startingup/overview/
Reactor Education offers a Starting Up course which helps individuals think like an entrepreneur. This free course seeks to help learners find viable solutions to real problems through creativity and innovation.
It is composed of several chapters tackling the introductory information about entrepreneurship, diving into startups, identifying problems and solutions, planning, assembling a team, establishing a company, finding funds, and growing the company.
Reactor Education specializes in technology courses as seen in its very first course called Elements of AI. Today, it is an inclusive organization that makes learning accessible to everyone.
4 – VC4A Startup Academy
VC4A is an organization that seeks to enrich the startup scene by creating a network composed of entrepreneurs, mentors, partners, and funders. To this end, it offers various solutions such as resources tackling new startups, investors, opportunities, mentorship programs, and courses.
Its Startup Academy makes related courses available to aspiring entrepreneurs. Some of the options include courses about starting, growing, and financing your business. Other options include discovering various concepts that can help enrich entrepreneurs’ minds.
Its courses are held by the VC4A team, as well as its partners such as Butterfly Works and Lefil Consulting.
5 – Udacity School of Business
https://www.udacity.com/school-of-business
Udacity is one of the leading educational platforms in the world. It aims to reach global students who are looking to elevate their knowledge and enable transformation in their respective fields and communities.
This platform makes startup learning accessible through its School of Business, which specializes in everything about entrepreneurship. It aims to equip learners with research, design, distribution, analytical, and strategic skills to help them succeed.
It offers a range of programs that teaches agile software development, data science for business leaders, data product management, SQL, and many more. Courses are scheduled, so it is important to check upcoming offerings.
6 – Startup Class
https://startupclass.samaltman.com/
Startup Class is a series of lectures in video form accessible for free. These classes were given at Stanford, making it a highly desirable course. Each video is taught by one or two speakers, while others are participated by a panel.
Speakers come from various organizations and are considered experts in their field. This includes Sam Altman and Paul Graham of Y Combinator, Dustin Moskovitz of Facebook, Adora Cheung of Home joy, Peter Thiel of Paypal, and many more.
7 – ASU Startup School
https://courses.cpe.asu.edu/courses/startup-school-1
Offered by Arizona State University, this Startup School provides self-paced learning for all. It is free and can be pursued anytime and anywhere. It teaches an in-depth and tested framework that can help entrepreneurs enter the startup scene more successfully.
The course is composed of workshops with facilitators to provide valuable lessons and insights on sustainability, social responsibility, technology, innovation, and communities.
Other important takeaways from this course include knowledge on handling new situations, servicing end-users, analyzing risks and opportunities, leadership, building relationships, problem-solving, and many more.
8 – Startup Nation
https://startupnation.com/startupnation-experts/
Startup Nation is a resource and learning platform for startup owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. It is run by experts who dedicated time and knowledge to create a comprehensive network of content including podcasts, blogs, webinars, interactive guides, and more.
Aspirants can learn a lot just by browsing the website or by joining webinars. It also has content for books, case studies, coaching, content, e-books, and events, making it a one-stop-shop for all kinds of startup knowledge.
9 – Coursera Startup Courses
https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=startup
Coursera is another learning platform that definitely contains a lot of offerings tackling businesses and startups. Courses include Entrepreneurship, Startup Entrepreneurship, Business Model Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Finance: Strategy and Innovation, just to name a few.
Reputable educational institutions participate in Coursera’s endeavor. These institutions include the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Michigan State University.
Some courses are free to take, but payment may be needed to receive a digital certificate for finishing the course.
The Bottom Line
Entering startup entrepreneurship is not an easy task. Aspirants, especially beginners, need to make sure that they are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to get a chance to succeed. These platforms can help them get started.
References:
[1] https://www.startupschool.org/
[2] https://web2.qatar.cmu.edu/~mhhammou/15390-s20/syllabus.html
[3] https://courses.reaktor.education/en/courses/startingup/overview/
[5] https://www.udacity.com/school-of-business
[6] https://startupclass.samaltman.com/
[7] https://courses.cpe.asu.edu/courses/startup-school-1
[8] https://startupnation.com/startupnation-experts/
[9] https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=startup
