Course Description and Methodology
This course is a practicum to teach the process of new venture creation through a mix of academic content and hands-on experience. Content is structured around the process of starting a new venture and is delivered through a mix of lectures, speakers and outside events. Students are drawn from and work in cross-functional teams from the graduate schools of business, engineering, law and natural sciences. These teams work directly with early stage startup companies in Austin for the duration of the semester. Upon completion, the teams deliver an overall business assessment on topics ranging from market validation to investment pitch preparation and company specific projects.
The student taking this course for the first time, Texas Venture Labs Practicum I, needs to go through an interview process to enroll in the class. The interview process is mandatory and instructor permission is required to take this course. This is a full semester course that can only be taken for a grade. Startup companies undergo an application process to become a part of the program, and are chosen in part for their potential for commercialization and funding.
Students will be grouped into teams roughly consisting of 2x MBA’s, 1x Law Student, 1x Graduate Engineering student and 1x Graduate Natural Sciences student. This cross-disciplinary approach is to ensure that each team possesses a broad and varied skill set while no one individual member is expected to be an expert in his/her field.
For more information or questions email: rex.morrow@mccombs.utexas.edu