Venture Ideas Creativity Exercise

Session Overview:

When we poll entrepreneurship classes about why students have not already started a venture (or why they are in the classroom instead of being out there getting that new venture going), the most common answer we get is “I don’t have a good idea.”. (The second most common answer is “I don’t have any money.”, and the third is “I am afraid of failing.”) This session is designed to help entrepreneurship students or students in a starting new ventures class generate startup ideas.The underlying approach is to place some constraints on the students, to enable them to focus on a particular area instead of being overwhelmed by the sea of possible potential opportunities, and see how easy it is to come up with good ideas.

The session does not require any case or preparation on the part of the students. It is scaleable in terms of time by adding topics and extending the discussion, but this teaching note provides timing for a 90-minute session.

Venture Ideas Creativity Exercise Student Instructions (.ppt)

Venture Ideas Creativity Exercise Teaching Note (.doc)

Venture Ideas Creativity Exercise Teaching Note (.pdf)

Articles to Distribute to Students - 

Article - Babies

Article - Sixth

Article - Quantum

Article - Water

Article - Surf

Article - Fusion

Article - Candy