Bahçeşehir University · MBA · Fall 2026
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management
Course curriculum and syllabus · Fall 2026 · Dr. Özgür Zan
- Schedule
- Thursday 19:00–22:00
- Delivery
- Remote via Microsoft Teams
- Duration
- 12 weeks · Sep 24 – December 10, 2026
- Finals
- Dec 21 – December 27, 2026
- Office hours
- No regular office hours
- Contact
- ozgzan@gmail.com
Fall 2026 runs 12 weeks instead of the course’s usual 14: the guest-speaker session and the autopsy presentations are not scheduled this term.
Course purpose
This course helps students move from an uncertain opportunity to an evidence-based venture and a concise investor pitch. Teams progressively develop the same venture across customer discovery, market selection, product definition, business and revenue logic, experimentation, financial modeling, go-to-market planning and investor readiness.
The course is practice-led. Each assignment becomes an input to the final four-minute investor pitch, while the final exam assesses each student’s individual understanding of the concepts and decisions developed during the course.
Learning outcomes
- 01Frame an opportunity under uncertainty and distinguish assumptions from evidence.
- 02Conduct primary market research and translate customer evidence into an opportunity hypothesis.
- 03Select a beachhead market, estimate TAM and explain the assumptions behind the calculation.
- 04Develop a persona, customer journey, decision-making unit and quantified value proposition.
- 05Define a product, its core, potential moats, competitive position and relevant IP considerations.
- 06Choose a business model, revenue model and pricing logic that fit the customer and market.
- 07Design an MVP and experiment, assess product-market fit indicators and calculate early unit economics.
- 08Build and interpret a basic financial model covering assumptions, P&L, cash flow, runway and scenarios.
- 09Create a go-to-market and founder-led sales plan, including channels, funnel, conversion and CAC assumptions.
- 10Prepare and deliver a four-minute investor pitch supported by a deck, financial model and evidence.
Course format
Classes are delivered live through Microsoft Teams. Teaching combines short lectures, worked examples, discussion, workshops, student deliveries and team project development. At the beginning of each teaching week, one student will summarize the previous week in no more than five minutes.
Key dates
Everything with a deadline, in order. Written work is due in the week shown; the submission window closes the following Sunday at 23:59.
Oct 1
Week 2
Oct 8
Week 3
Oct 22
Week 5
Nov 5
Week 6
Nov 12
Week 7
Nov 26
Week 9
Dec 3
Week 10
Dec 10
Week 11
Finals period, 21–27 Dec
Week 12
Twelve-week schedule
What we cover each week, what is handed out, and what you deliver or do in class.
Week 1
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Uncertainty
Week 2
Opportunity Discovery, Design Thinking and Effectuation
- Team introduction and Why
Week 3
Primary Market Research and Customer Discovery
- Customer interview workshop
- Startup Autopsy presentations
No new assignment.
Week 4
Market Segmentation, Beachhead Market and Market Size
#5 · Beachhead Market and TAMDue Week 6 · Nov 5Assigned this week
Week 5
Persona, Customer Journey, DMU and Quantified Value
- Submit Opportunity Hypothesis
#6 · Customer SystemDue Week 7 · Nov 12Assigned this week
No session — 29 October, Republic Day (public holiday)
Week 6
Product Definition, Core, IP and Competitive Positioning
- Submit Beachhead Market and TAM
#7 · Product and Competitive PositionDue Week 7 · Nov 12Assigned this week
Week 7
Business Model, Business Plan, Revenue Model and Pricing
- Submit Customer System and Product and Competitive Position
#8 · Business and Revenue LogicDue Week 9 · Nov 26Assigned this week
Week 8
MVP, Experimentation, Product-Market Fit, Early Unit Economics and Financial Modeling
#9 · MVP Experiment and Financial ModelDue Week 10 · Dec 3Assigned this week
Week 9
Go-to-Market, Customer Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Sales
- Submit Business and Revenue Logic
#10 · Go to Market and Sales PlanDue Week 10 · Dec 3Assigned this week
Week 10
Funding Strategy, Investor Readiness and Investor Pitch
- Submit Assignments #9 and #10
Week 11
Student Investor Pitch Presentations
- Four-minute investor pitch; submit deck PDF, financial model Excel and supporting evidence
No new assignment.
Week 12
Final Exam
- Individual final exam
Date and room as published in the BAU exam schedule.
The instructor may adjust the sequence or timing to fit class progress while preserving the overall learning outcomes and assessment logic.
Assignments
The ten assignments form a cumulative venture-development chain. Teams should retain each submission and revise it as new evidence becomes available, because the final investor pitch integrates the full body of work.
- Assignment 1Due Week 2 · Oct 1
Team Formation
Given Week 1 · Sep 24
- Form a team of two or three students
- Agree on a team name and assign founder roles such as CEO, CMO, CSO, CTO or CFO
Deliverable · Verbal delivery in class: team name, members and roles.
- Assignment 2Due Week 2 · Oct 1
Discover Your Why
Given Week 1 · Sep 24
- If you want to become an entrepreneur, explain why
- If you do not, explain what you want to learn from the course
Deliverable · Individual verbal delivery in class, in one to three sentences.
- Assignment 3Due Week 3 · Oct 8
Startup Autopsy
Given Week 2 · Oct 1
- Read the assigned startup case
- Prepare a concise diagnosis of what failed, why it failed and what could have been done differently
Deliverable · Short in-class case presentation.
- Assignment 4Due Week 5 · Oct 22
Opportunity Hypothesis
Given Week 2 · Oct 1
- Identify a potential customer
- Describe the suspected problem
- Identify current alternatives
- State what the team knows, whom it knows and what it can do
Deliverable · Word document.
- Assignment 5Due Week 6 · Nov 5
Beachhead Market and TAM
Given Week 4 · Oct 15
- Create potential market segments
- Select one beachhead market and explain the selection
- Estimate TAM
- State sources and assumptions
Deliverable · Word document.
- Assignment 6Due Week 7 · Nov 12
Customer System
Given Week 5 · Oct 22
- Create an end-user profile and persona
- Map the customer journey
- Identify the DMU
- Quantify the value created for the customer
Deliverable · Word document.
- Assignment 7Due Week 7 · Nov 12
Product and Competitive Position
Given Week 6 · Nov 5
- Prepare a high-level product specification
- Define the potential core
- Identify potential moats
- Map direct competitors, indirect competitors and substitutes
- Explain the intended competitive position
- Identify relevant IP considerations
Deliverable · Word document.
- Assignment 8Due Week 9 · Nov 26
Business and Revenue Logic
Given Week 7 · Nov 12
- Define how the venture creates, delivers and captures value
- Select a revenue model
- Propose a pricing structure and pricing basis
- Explain why the model fits the customer and market
Deliverable · Word document.
- Assignment 9Due Week 10 · Dec 3
MVP Experiment and Financial Model
Given Week 8 · Nov 19
- Define the riskiest assumptions
- Design an MVP and experiment
- Define success and failure criteria
- Select PMF indicators
- Calculate early unit economics
- Complete the financial-model template
- Prepare Base, Downside and Upside assumptions
Deliverable · Word document and Excel financial model.
- Assignment 10Due Week 10 · Dec 3
Go to Market and Sales Plan
Given Week 9 · Nov 26
- Select initial acquisition channels
- Define the sales or adoption motion
- Map the acquisition funnel
- Estimate conversion assumptions and CAC
- Explain the founder-led sales process
- Prepare a concise elevator pitch
Deliverable · Word document.
Team project — Build Your Investor Deck and Present It
Assigned in Week 10 and presented in Week 11. Each team will prepare and deliver a four-minute investor pitch that integrates the venture work developed throughout the course.
Required pitch content
- 1Problem and customer evidence
- 2Beachhead market and TAM
- 3Product and MVP
- 4Quantified value
- 5Business model and pricing
- 6Competitive positioning, core and potential moat
- 7Go-to-market and customer acquisition
- 8Unit economics and financial model
- 9Team
- 10Funding ask and use of funds
Project deliverables
- Four-minute live presentation in Week 11
- Investor deck in PDF format
- Financial model in Excel format
- Supporting appendix or evidence
Project grading condition
The live presentation represents 80% of the project grade. Teams that submit the files but do not present in class can receive no more than 20 out of 100 for the project. After presenting, teams must submit the deck, model and supporting documents as instructed.
Course grading
| Component | Mode | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Investor Pitch | Team project | 30% |
| Final Exam | Individual | 30% |
| 10 Assignments | Primarily team based | 30% |
| Participation and Active Involvement | Individual | 10% |
| Total | 100% | |
Participation requires active involvement in class activities and discussions. Because the course is remote and interactive, cameras should normally be on.
Submission and late work policy
- Assignments are due in the week stated in the schedule. Unless a task specifically requires an in-class verbal delivery or presentation, the final submission window closes on Sunday at 23:59 following the stated due week.
- Submissions received by Sunday 23:59 are graded out of 100.
- Submissions received after Sunday are graded with a maximum attainable score of 80 out of 100.
- In-class verbal deliveries and presentations must be completed in the scheduled session unless an exception is approved.
- For the Investor Pitch, presenting in class represents 80% of the project grade. If a team submits files but does not present, the maximum attainable project score is 20 out of 100.
Rules of engagement for online classes
Keep your camera on and be visibly present.
Keep your microphone muted unless it is your turn to speak.
Focus on the class; check phones, WhatsApp and email after class unless there is an emergency.
Use the virtual hand to ask a question.
Speak when your turn comes and contribute respectfully.
Books
Required
Disciplined Entrepreneurship
Bill Aulet
Structured venture-development process, beachhead market, persona, quantified value, DMU and related tools.
Recommended
The Lean Startup
Eric Ries
MVP, experimentation and validated learning
Business Model Generation
Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
Business models and Business Model Canvas
Value Proposition Design
Alexander Osterwalder et al.
Customer jobs, pains, gains and value proposition fit
The Startup Owner’s Manual
Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
Customer development and go-to-market execution
Crossing the Chasm
Geoffrey A. Moore
Technology adoption, beachhead strategy and market expansion
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Peter Drucker
Systematic innovation as a tool for entrepreneurship
Testing Business Ideas
David J. Bland and Alexander Osterwalder
Experiment design and assumption testing
Venture Deals
Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
Funding terms, investor process and negotiation
Indispensable Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
Özgür Zan
Course-wide foundation, with particular use for finance and venture-building fundamentals.
Additional articles, cases, templates and excerpts may be assigned through Microsoft Teams. Only the specific materials announced for a class are required preparation.
Academic and professional expectations
- Use credible sources and disclose assumptions, estimates and uncertainty.
- Distinguish customer evidence from the team’s beliefs or projections.
- Acknowledge external sources, data, images and frameworks used in submissions.
- Contribute fairly to team work and communicate promptly when a team issue arises.
- Submit original work and comply with university academic integrity requirements.
- Use generative AI, if permitted, as a support tool rather than a substitute for evidence, judgment or the team’s own work; disclose material use when requested.
Communication
Course announcements, materials, assignment instructions and online sessions are managed through Microsoft Teams. Students are responsible for checking Teams regularly and following any clarifications announced there. Course questions may be sent to ozgzan@gmail.com.