CSCI 4830/7000: 
Startup Essentials for Software Entrepreneurship

Spring 2013

Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado at Boulder

 

See the Moodle class Web page at http://moodle.cs.colorado.edu
This is the revised syllabus with a more up-to-date timeline.  The original syllabus is here

Purpose:  In this class, you will learn basic principles about software entrepreneurship and acquire skills to aid you in starting up a software company.  You will go through the process of building your own software IT startup, beginning with the creation of the core idea/vision behind your startup, followed by team formation, identifying the business model hypotheses behind your startup, validating these hypotheses, identifying the essential features in your minimum viable product, building your software prototype, and all the while obtaining feedback from customers and iterating and pivoting based on that feedback.  You will pitch your final startup conception and be evaluated on product/market fit.

Schedule & Location: Mon, Wed, Fri 3-3:50 pm, ATLAS 104
Course number: CSCI 4830/7000
.  See also the registrar's Web site.
Prerequisites:
Basic Computer Science programming and/or consent of the instructor.
Instructors:
Professor Rick Han, http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~rhan, and Zach Nies, CTO Rally.
Office (Prof. Han): ECCR 1B05F
Office Hours (Prof. Han): Tuesdays 2-3 pm and Wednesdays 4-5 pm either
in ECCR 1B09 (next door to my office) or in my office (knock on the door to systems lab or call Prof. Han's number below).  Additional appointments as needed.
Email: rhan@cs.colorado.edu, zachary.nies@colorado.edu
Phone: 303-492-0914
Textbook

Other very useful references: 

class Web site:
See the Moodle class Web page at http://moodle.cs.colorado.edu.  Assignments, lecture slides, and announcements can be found there.  The moodle has a variety of useful features, including a forum for posting questions.  Each student should establish an account on the moodle and then subscribe to our class on the moodle using the special enrollment key given out in class.

Approximate Timeline
see moodle for revised up-to-date timeline




Grading

60% Demos in class
30% Final presentation on team venture's status and progress
10% Class participation

You will form teams based around your team's startup idea/vision and iterate through the various stages of customer development involved in startup formation, demo'ing along the way, and culminating in a final presentation to the class describing the progress made in forming your startup.

Plagiarism policy.



Additional Policies:

Disability Policy

Religious Observances Policy

Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy

Classroom Behavior Policy