We’re excited to announce our partnership with the folks over at Startup Weekend that is going into super drive! Together with Steve Blank, Startup America Partnership, and Techstars, we’ll be supporting a new model in entrepreneurship training that will blend online and face-to-face education.
The innovative program aims to inspire, educate, and empower some 30,000 entrepreneurs from 10,000 early-stage startups in over 350 cities worldwide. In a four-week class, founders will learn “how to build a successful startup,” using the basics of Business Model Design from Alexander Osterwalder and Customer Development from Steve Blank, delivered via Udacity’s online classes and coached in live sessions by seasoned startup veterans.
Udacity’s online course will be delivered in a flipped classroom model by Startup Weekend, the global non-profit that’s hosted more than 800 such events worldwide. Steve Blank provided the course content; his Lean LaunchPad class has already been taken by more than 50,000 entrepreneurs online here at Udacity! Startup America Partnership will leverage its network of 30 Startup Regions to engage entrepreneurial leaders throughout the country. TechStars will provide experienced startup mentors to coach the entrepreneurs.
Pilot tested in major cities from Athens to San Francisco, the program combines Startup Weekend’s experiential approach with the best of mentor and cohort-based accelerators. Startup Weekend’s Next program turns Blank’s online class into an experiential hands-on class with face-to-face feedback, discussion and coaching from seasoned entrepreneurs. Upon graduation, participants will have a common startup “language” and understand the process needed to jump-start their startup ideas and turn them into successful, sustainable businesses.
The first four-week Startup Weekend Next teams start work on Nov. 28, in more than 25 cities worldwide. Visit swnext.org for more details!
