There’s no bigger waste than investing resources working on the wrong thing. Lean start-up methodology, a development approach that requires articulating and testing assumptions, favors rapid experimentation over elaborate planning, relies on audience feedback over intuition, and encourages iterative design, has taken the business world by storm as a way of ensuring that you’re investing in the right thing. This micro-course will teach you to apply this technique in the social innovation sphere, helping you to move from idea to solution and create and test your first prototype.
Student Learning Objectives:
1. Students will learn, be able to articulate, and use the key principles behind lean startup methodology
2. Students will learn the differences between the various type of business planning canvases so they can choose the most appropriate one for their social innovation idea
3. Students will complete the appropriate business planning canvas for their social innovation idea
4. Students will create a prototype of their social innovation idea, identify an audience, choose at least one test to run, and identify at least one metric to measure
Your Teacher: Elizabeth Weaver Engel, M.A., CAE
Elizabeth is CEO and Chief Strategist at Spark Consulting LLC. For more than twenty years, Elizabeth has helped nonprofits grow in membership, marketing, communications, public presence, and revenue, which is what Spark is all about. She speaks and writes frequently on a variety of topics in nonprofit management. When she’s not helping nonprofits grow, Elizabeth loves to dance, listen to live music, cook, and garden.
Class Contact Information:
Micro-courses are not led by faculty. Each instance has a Course Facilitator who is available to answer questions, offer additional assistance and assess the final projects for credit. (specific course facilitator to be assigned soon and we will add contact information here)
Module 1 – Introduction to Lean Startup
- Innovate the Lean Way – Introduction to Lean Startup – Video
- Innovate the Lean Way – Introduction to Lean Startup – Reading
- Innovate the Lean Way – Introduction to Lean Startup – Online Resources
- Innovate the Lean Way – Introduction to Lean Startup – Quiz
- Innovate the Lean Way – Introduction to Lean Startup – Reflection Task
- Group Discussion: Share your Opinion/Experience (1 of 3)
Module 2 – A tale of two projects
Module 3 – Origins of Lean Startup
- Innovate the Lean Way – Origins of Lean Startup – Video
- Innovate the Lean Way – Origins of Lean Startup – Video
- Innovate the Lean Way – Origins of Lean Startup – Reading
- Innovate the Lean Way – Origins of Lean Startup – Online Resources
- Innovate the Lean Way – Origins of Lean Startup – Quiz
- Innovate the Lean Way – Origins of Lean Startup – Reflection Task
Module 4 – Intro to Lean Startup Key Elements
- Innovate the lean way – Intro to Lean Startup Key Elements – Video
- Innovate the lean way – Intro to Lean Startup Key Elements – Reading
- Innovate the lean way – Intro to Lean Startup Key Elements – Online Resources
- Innovate the Lean Way – Intro to Lean Startup Key Elements – Quiz
- Innovate the lean way – Intro to Lean Startup Key Elements – Reflection Task
Module 5 – Build
Module 6 – MVP/MAP
Module 7 – Measure
Module 8 – Learn
Module 9 – The Pivot
Module 10 – The Business Model Canvas
Module 11 – Why the Social Lean Canvas?
- Innovate the Lean Way – Why the Social Lean Canvas? – Video
- Innovate the Lean Way – Why the Social Lean Canvas? – Reading
- Innovate the Lean Way – Why the Social Lean Canvas? – Online Resources
- Innovate the Lean Way – Why the Social Lean Canvas? – Quiz
- Innovate the Lean Way – Why the Social Lean Canvas? – Reflection Task