This document summarizes a class syllabus for Business 101.1, a class on business and entrepreneurship offered at NYU ITP in Fall 2016. The syllabus outlines the topics that will be covered over the course of the semester, including forming teams, developing business models, customer development, determining value propositions, and creating minimum viable products. It provides guidance on final project requirements, including delivering a pitch and lessons learned presentation, and suggests storytelling frameworks for communicating the vision and motivation behind students' business concepts to potential investors and partners.

1. Business 101.1
A class in business. And entrepreneurship.
Fall 2016
NYU ITP
November 28, 2016
Josh Knowles
Jen van der Meer
Extra love from Tom Igoe
And the Leslie E-Lab

2. Syllabus Map
START +
Form
Teams
Business
Models
Customer
Development
How to
Interview
Value
+ The Purpose
of Business
Values
Motivation
Team
Customer
Relationships
+ Channels
Analytics
Key Resources
Activities
Partners
Biggest Vision
Analyze Test
The Money
Plan MVP
Turning
Insights Into
Features
More MVP
How small,
How big?
Launch MVP
Lessons
Learned
Go/No Go?
Sketch
Paper
Prototype
Oz Test
Smallest MVP
Tech
Architecture

3. Final Prep

4. 4
FOR THE FINAL
• Pitch + Lessons Learned
• Lessons Learned: 7-10 minutes
• Where did you start, where did you go, how did you make
decisions along the way?
• Beginning Canvas, end of semester canvas
• Go/No Go? Continue?
• Pitch: 5-7 minutes See slide 21 for “long form pitch:
• Pitch as if you were asking for money from a benevolent angel
investor

6. Storytelling

7. 7
Stories are how we think. They are how we make
meaning in life. Stories are how we make things work,
how we make decisions, how we persuade others, how
we understand our place in the world, create identities,
and define and teach social values.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge

8. 8
TELLING THE STORY
OF YOUR COMPANY

9. 9
STORIES + MEDIUMS
• Self intro - at an event. Hi my name is ___________ and I
________________
• Self intro to a person you know you need to meet = elevator pitch
• Email intro to find customers
• Email to intro find partners / experts
• Email to intro to find investors
• Follow up email and ask for plus one
• Video demo
• Kickstarter / indiegogo video + demo
• Investor meeting
• Pitch day / demo day
9

10. 10
TWO GOALS TODAY:
• Self intro - at an event. Hi my
name is ___________ and I
________________
• Investor pitch

11. 11
WHICH STORY ARE YOU
TELLING?
: http://www.openculture.com/2014/02/kurt-vonnegut-masters-thesis-rejected-by-u-chicago.html

12. 12
WHY DO WE HAVE A STORYLINE?
Most investors and backers believe, consciously
or subconsciously, that a founder’s motivation is
the primary driving force behind a high impact,
high growth, super successful story.

13. SAID INVESTORS, EVERYWHERE.
I invest in TEAM
It’s all
about the
founders
It’s
motivation,
baby

15. YOU’RE ENROLLING ALL KINDS OF BACKERS
Is going to recommend
your CTO co founder
Knows an investor
you should meet
Wants to buy, now
and feature on his 6
MM #insta
Wants to
feature
you on
Fast Co

16. QUICK INDIVIDUAL STORY.
HI I’M ________.
I’M WORKING ON
______________.
TRY TO CONNECT
SOMETHING ABOUT
YOURSELF TO YOUR
COMPANY CONCEPT.

17. SHOULD YOU
BE TOUGH OR
VULNERABLE?

18. Pitching

19. 19
2 DECKS
1 / Intro - teaser.
2 / Longer form - with more
proof points

20. INVEST PROCESS: X 50-100
Intro email +
Teaser deck
Response - would like
to know more
Follow up long
form deck
In person
“pitch”
In or out then
negotiation

21. LONG FORM - ORDER UP TO YOU…
• Pain (problem you are solving)
• Solution (demo, screenshots, workflow, rendering)
• Secret sauce (why you and only you and your technology
/ intellectual property)
• Market size (current potential, or targeted micro market)
• Competition (how you’re different)
• You: (why you / your team)
• Team: (who else you’ve roped in)
• Business Model: (show your theory for how you’ll make
money, even if the answer is none at the start)
• Financials/ Key metrics: (show off how you are making
money, or the metrics you’ll use to validate your path
• Timeline and use of funds: (show off how you’ve been
using your money wisely, and how you will achieve great
things with additional funds)
21

22. SHORT FORM:
• Pain (problem you are solving)
• Solution (demo, screenshots, workflow, rendering
• Secret sauce (why you and only you and your
technology / intellectual property)
• Market size (current potential, or targeted micro
market)
• Team: (why you / your team)
• Business Model: (show your theory for how you’ll
make money, even if the answer is none at the
start) 22

23. Next Week

24. LESSONS LEARNED + PITCH
• Lessons Learned: 7 Minutes
• Where did you start?
• Where did you go?
• What decisions did you make?
• Then, pitch (long form, 7 minutes)
24