This module provides students with a comprehensive overview of the entrepreneurial process. It covers essential concepts and skills required to start, manage, and grow a new business, including opportunity identification, business model development, market analysis, prototyping, resource acquisition, and pitching. Students engage in hands-on projects, case studies, and practical exercises to develop entrepreneurial thinking and applied skills. The course aims to deepen understanding of the startup ecosystem and build analytical and strategic competencies for launching and scaling new ventures.
- Explore the startup ecosystem and the role of different market participants
- Ideate and assess the quality of business opportunities using state-of-the-art tools and frameworks
- Develop a business model
- Explain and adopt the startup build-measure-learn cycle
- Calculate unit economics such as customer lifetime value and payback using cohort analysis
- Evaluate the benefits and costs of different financing options for a startup using cost-of-capital analysis and cap table calculations
- Develop a growth strategy for your business
- Develop a compelling pitch to startup investors
This course is part of the prestigious part-time Goethe MBA Digital Transformation | Data Science | Sustainability program, conducted in English on Fridays and Saturdays on Campus Westend. It offers a valuable opportunity to network and gain expertise without committing to a full degree program. Upon completion, participants receive a Certificate of Participation. This course may be credited towards the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Digital Transformation Management when completed together with the other required courses within one academic year. If you're a GBS or Goethe University alum, explore our attractive alumni discount options
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Dr. Christopher Oster
Dr. Christopher Oster is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with 15 years of experience building and scaling companies. He currently leads the Germany business of Openbank, Santander’s digital bank, and previously founded CLARK, which he led as CEO until 2024. Under his leadership, CLARK became a leading online insurance distributor and one of Europe’s few insuretech unicorns. Earlier, he worked as COO at Wimdu and as a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from EBS University and a PhD from WHU.
Candidates with an undergraduate degree (i.e., bachelor or equivalent) of 180 credit points (CP) based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) can apply for our Open Programs. The allocation of credit points for work experience will appear on the Academic Transcript of Records and be titled ‘Prior Learning Assessment’.
Open Program applicants must submit a recent proof of English language proficiency at the higher B2 level per the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The GBS Office of Admissions will accept test results of the following tests, taken no longer than two years ago upon the date of submission:
- TOEFL iBT®
- TOEFL iBT® Home Edition
- IELTS
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
- English Language Level Test (ELLT) - Oxford International Digital Institute
Applicants may request a waiver of proof of proficiency in English in case one of the following conditions applies. The applicant
- is a native speaker of English;
- has graduated from an international baccalaureate program
- has completed their undergraduate or master-level studies in a program taught entirely in English;
- has worked in an English-speaking country for at least one year.
If the applicant has not taken any of the above tests when submitting the application, the applicant can upload a confirmation of the test registration to the online admissions portal.
Applicants who submit a language certificate older than two years but without an expiry date will be invited for an additional interview with a native speaker of English.
Proof of relevant post-undergraduate work experience of at least one year is to be submitted, e.g., a performance review, reference letter, or written confirmation from your employer.