Launching Tech Ventures
Gain proven frameworks to build a viable, valuable tech venture that can profitably scale and attract venture capital.
Introduction to Launching Tech Ventures
Who Will Benefit
It’s an eye-opening course that enlightens the path for future founders, joiners, or investors.
Roman Ignatenko; Launching Tech Ventures Participant
What You'll Earn
Certificate of Completion
Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online
Earn by: completing this course
Certificate of Specialization
Prove your mastery of entrepreneurship and innovation
Earn by: completing any three courses within this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization
Course Syllabus
5 Modules, 25-30 Hours
Designing the Tech Startup Business Model
Evaluate the quality of startup business models and understand the importance of aligning models’ different components.
Daniel Choi, Plastiq Co-Founder & Former Head of Product
Zach Sims, Codecademy Co-Founder and CEO - Launching Tech Ventures
Concepts
Welcome to Launching Tech Ventures
Business Model Exploration
Business Model Evaluation
Business Model Alignment
Featured Exercises
Perform a business model quality assessment
Characterize the different types of business models that exist in Startupland
Experiments to Achieve Product-Market Fit
Explore the discovery phase of tech startup development that occurs before achieving product-market fit. Assess different go-to-market strategies and determine which is best for your venture.
Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant, Squire Co-Founders
Paris Wallace, Ovia Health Co-Founder & former CEO
Concepts
Experiments that Lead to Product-Market Fit
Profit Formula Implications
Squire’s Unit Economics
Experimentation at Ovia Health
Featured Exercises
Practice the key steps of the lean startup methodology
Identify and calculate the key metrics for determining if you’ve achieved product-market fit
Venture Capital and Startup Financing
Learn how venture capital firms and the fundraising process operate and how to approach a VC and negotiate and structure an investment.
Risks of Premature Scaling
Responding to Biased Questions
Concepts
The Venture Capital Industry
The Financing Process
Term Sheets and Exits
Featured Exercises
Determine whether VC funding is right for your startup
Assess your network’s strength and brainstorm ways to get connected to a VC
Quiz yourself on the key steps of the financing process
Practice interpreting the provisions on a term sheet
Scaling Post Product-Market Fit
Articulate how the competitive context can influence early startup decisions and determine when to apply and leverage a product-led growth strategy.
Ravish Naresh, Khatabook Founder - Launching Tech Ventures
Sarah Tavel, Benchmark General Partner
Concepts
Khatabook
Retaining the Users You Acquire
Scaling Decisions
Featured Exercises
Describe the marketing funnel
Apply startup playbooks under different scenarios and market conditions
Ecosystem and Ethics
Understand the unconscious and systemic biases in the startup ecosystem and assess a business model’s impact on society.
Bailey Richardson, former Instagram Community Team Member (2012-2014)
Concepts
Gender Bias in Startupland
Racial Bias in Startupland
Ethical Considerations in Startupland
Featured Exercises
Classify VC questions and craft responses to minimize the effect of gender biases
Create an impact statement summarizing how you hope to impact the startup ecosystem
Led by World-Renowned HBS Faculty
Jeffrey J. Bussgang
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Experience
Immersive Learning
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes.
HBS Online courses allow you to immerse yourself in a
dynamic, interactive learning experience. You’ll engage in a new activity every
three to five minutes and apply your knowledge through polls, quizzes, and
problem-solving exercises designed to accelerate and reinforce your learning.
Real-World Connections
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
See how the HBS Online course platform engages you in social learning. You exchange ideas, offer input, and seek out viewpoints from a community of learners gathered from around the globe. In the process, you learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, and leave the program with a broader outlook on the world.
Real-World Cases
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Chief, Codecademy, Ovia Health, Khatabook, Plastiq, and Flybridge Capital.
Our courses allow you to apply your learning through
real-world examples and experience Harvard Business School’s signature case
method. Business leaders will share challenges they’ve faced. As the story
unfolds, you’ll leverage course concepts, vital tools and frameworks, and the
diversity of your peers’ perspectives to analyze the problem and determine a
path forward.
HBS Online courses allow you to immerse yourself in a
dynamic, interactive learning experience. You’ll engage in a new activity every
three to five minutes and apply your knowledge through polls, quizzes, and
problem-solving exercises designed to accelerate and reinforce your learning.
Real-World Outcomes
I started taking HBS Online classes at a time when I really needed to gain my confidence back. I'm so proud I decided to invest in myself. I've been able to teach so many people with the learnings I've acquired.
Priscilla FletcherFounder, Latinos in Success and Fletcher Consulting Services
Launching Tech Ventures FAQs
Free E-Book
So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur: How to Get Started
In this guide, you’ll learn about what characterizes a successful entrepreneur, how to decide if entrepreneurship is right for you, and what skills you need to thrive.
