ENT4070 ¨C Entrepreneurial Opportunity Evaluation

Course content

This course provides a general introduction into assessing the attractiveness of unformed business ideas and more developed business opportunities within the technology space. The perspective taken is that of an external observer. You will practice by evaluating externally generated live cases. To do so you will work in groups and must build a network, collect relevant information from valid sources, and analyse the results to accurately assess the potential.

Learning outcome

After taking this course, you will:

• Have solid understanding about the different elements of a business opportunity including customer value proposition, market potential, industry dynamics, competitive- and eco-nomic sustainability, technology and team strength
• Have advanced knowledge about different types of commercial and technological uncertainties influencing the viability of new ventures and how to manage and mitigate those uncertainties.
• Have detailed knowledge about different methods to test and validate the overall attractiveness of a business idea or a business opportunity.
• Be able to gather, analyse and evaluate information in order to assess the attractiveness of technologies, customers, markets and industries.
• Be able to run experiments in order to assess the attractiveness of a product, a service or technology. This includes developing problem hypotheses and to test these hypothesis on customers.
• Be able to write a complete viability study balancing all of the different factors affecting the overall attractiveness of a business idea or a business opportunity.
• Have developed your intuition in recognizing attractive business opportunities from a pool of business propositions and business ideas within different industries.

Admission to the course

The course is available only for students admitted to the study programme Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (master).

Teaching

Weekly classes throughout the semester that include lectures, group exercises, and in-class activities. In addition, readings and group/individual assignments between classes.

Due to the significant amount of group work and in-class activities in this course, 80% attendance of the lectures is mandatory. Completion of mandatory attendance is required in order to pass the course.

Examination

The course grade is based on the following assessments:

• A final group assignment including an oral group presentation accounting for in total 50% of the overall score. Students in each group are given the same score. Group members who do not fulfill their obligations can be scored individually from the group.
• Individual assignments/quizzes given during the semester accounting for in total 50% of the overall score.

Failing a graded assignment does still allow participation in the remaining exams. All exams and assignments must be taken during the same semester.

Completion of mandatory attendance is required in order to pass the course.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester. Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass the original examination.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.