The Lean Startup

Module overview

This module aims to introduce you to the theory and practice of the Lean Startup methodology, a hypothesis driven experimental model of entrepreneurship. Unlike other entrepreneurship modules, this module requires that you evaluate a provided idea, rather than developing one yourself. You will be introduced to the Lean Startup methodology in a series of lectures and seminars, including a number of practical methods and tools which you can apply in a project. In teams, you will seek to obtain customer feedback on a provided product or service prototype. You will then propose design changes based on that feedback. Your individual assessment will evaluate your team’s application of the Lean Startup method, and critically evaluate the method itself.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

communicate ideas and arguments fluently and effectively in a variety of written and spoken formats;
use library and other resources effectively, and apply bibliographical skills.
work effectively in groups and recognise problems associated with group working;
collect and critically evaluate qualitative and quantitative information;

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

apply the Lean Startup methodology;
critically reflect on the value, suitability and limits of the Lean Startup methodology.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

the scientific method.
the Lean Startup methodology;

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, seminars, group discussions, and self-directed learning. The lean startup method and its foundations (lean manufacturing, the scientific method) will be introduced in a series of lectures, directed reading, videos and class discussion. Seminars will allow students to discuss their experiences of applying the Lean Startup methods and their experiences of teamwork. Guest speakers will be invited to share their experiences with using the Lean Startup method in practice. An individual report will require students to carry out independent research into the effectiveness of the Lean Startup method in a range of settings, and to critically assess their own group project.

Study time
Type	Hours
Lecture	24
Completion of assessment task	40
Seminar	10
Independent Study	50
Preparation for scheduled sessions	26
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Journal Articles

Shepherd, D. A. & Gruber, M (2020). The lean startup framework: Closing the academic–practitioner divide. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.

Bocken, N., & Snihur, Y (2020). Lean Startup and the business model: Experimenting for novelty and impact. , 53(4), pp. 101953.

Blank, S (2013). Why the lean start-up changes everything. Harvard business review, 91(5), pp. 63-72.

Yang, X., Sun, S. L., & Zhao, X. (2019). Search and execution: examining the entrepreneurial cognitions behind the lean startup model. Small Business Economics, 52(3), pp. 667-679.

Ghezzi, A., & Cavallo, A. (2020). Agile business model innovation in digital entrepreneurship: Lean startup approaches. Journal of business research, 110, pp. 519-537.

Mansoori, Y., Karlsson, T., & Lundqvist, M. (2019). The influence of the lean startup methodology on entrepreneur-coach relationships in the context of a startup accelerator. Technovation, 84, pp. 37-47.

Grimes, M. G (2018). The pivot: How founders respond to feedback through idea and identity work. Academy of Management Journal, 61, pp. 1692-1717.

Bortolini, R.F., Cortimiglia M.N., Ferreira Danilevicz M.N., Ghezzi, A. (2018). Lean Startup: a comprehensive historical review. Management Decision.

Harms, R., & Schwery, M (2020). Lean startup: Operationalizing lean startup capability and testing its performance implications. Journal of small business management, 58(1), pp. 200-223.

Textbooks

Gruber, M. & Tal, S (2017). Where to play: 3 steps for discovering your most valuable market opportunities. Pearson.

Blank, S (2007). The four steps to the epiphany: Successful strategies for products that win. John Wiley & Sons.

Ries, Eric (2011). “The lean startup: how today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses. Crown Publishing.

Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y (2010). Business model generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. John Wiley & Sons.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Group presentation	30%
Report	70%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Report	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Report	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External