What is StartMIT?
For students who are interested in exploring entrepreneurship while here in school and are looking for an entry point, StartMIT is a 2-½ week course held every January during Independent Activities Period (IAP). We call the course “your on-ramp to the entrepreneurial world at MIT.”

Who is StartMIT for?
If you are someone who has been looking to get started on an idea that’s been ruminating, explore the commercialization of a technology that you’ve been working on in the lab, or simply better understand what forming a new venture looks and feels like, StartMIT is right for you.

The course is open to any student on campus (including post-docs) who is looking to gain more exposure to entrepreneurship in a peer environment. The main activities of StartMIT are:

Networking with your peers
Listening to our guest entrepreneur speakers
Doing independent exercises to apply what you’ve learned
Working with small groups on your entrepreneurial ideas
1:1 support with MIT Entrepreneurs in Residence

StartMIT Daily Themes
Day 1 – “Welcome to StartMIT”
Day 2 – “Ideation”
Day 3 – “Creating your initial team”
Day 4 – “Customer”
Day 5 – “Product”
Day 6 – “Go to market”
Day 7 – “Financials”
Day 8 – “Entrepreneurial life”
Day 9 – Trip to New York City
Day 10 – Holiday – no class
Day 11 – “Pitching”
Day 12 – “The innovator’s journey”
Last Day – “MIT entrepreneurial ecosystem / Final presentations / Networking”

More Information
https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/startmit-iap/

Timeline
Applications Open:  end of October
Application Deadline: week before Thanksgiving break
Info Sessions: late October
Acceptance Status: the week after Thanksgiving
Participation Confirmation: a few days following acceptance status sent out
Start Dates: first Tuesday of January
Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday
End Dates: third Thursday of January

Note:  Exact dates posted here as get closer to the deadline
https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/startmit-iap/

Testimonials

“StartMIT is a great opportunity to get rid of the inertia that holds you back from starting a start-up!”

“StartMIT gave me a holistic view on entrepreneurship and made me think about potential business ideas. Every speaker and organizer was down to earth and enthusiastic about entrepreneurship. It was really nice to see such people and interact with them closely.”

“A fantastic crash-course on real-world entrepreneurship led by a multitude of diverse entrepreneurial experts and practitioners.”

“A rapid fire how-to introduction to entrepreneurship.”

FAQ

Who is eligible to participate in StartMIT?
Any current student who is curious about entrepreneurship and is looking for an introduction to the skill set and spirit it requires. This is inclusive of undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-docs.

Can I apply if I am not currently enrolled at MIT?
Yes. We will consider non-MIT students if space permits.

Do I have to have a startup idea to participate?
Absolutely not!

StartMIT is meant for anyone that is curious to learn more about entrepreneurship in general. Whether you are just curious or have an idea and are ready to go, this course will allow further exploration. Whether you wish to utilize an entrepreneurial skill set to be a founder, work in a lab, invest, pursue a side project, or dive into the corporate world, we believe this course will be beneficial in each of those pursuits and welcome you all!

What are the logistics of StartMIT?
StartMIT is a two-and-a-half-week course that takes place on weekdays during IAP every January.
The day begins at 9:00 am, typically includes talks and workshops, a one-hour break for lunch, and concludes by 4:00 pm.
StartMIT will be held in person on campus (room TBA)
What can I expect to learn and who can I expect to hear from?
We will give you a crash course in entrepreneurship, including an introduction to the skill set and spirit it requires. We hope that by the end of the course you’ll have a better understanding of your desired entrepreneurial path, and also the resources available to support you in that journey at MIT and beyond.

You’ll hear from a large number of both faculty and practitioners from the Boston ecosystem and beyond. 

Can I take this course for credit?
Yes, but it is not required.

What is my mentor for?
All full-time participants will be eligible to be matched with a mentor based on your industry or field of interest. A mentor’s role is to guide you through the course: to answer questions that arise during your time in StartMIT, and provide feedback on any entrepreneurial idea you want to pursue. Mentors will make themselves available up to three times throughout the course of the program (either in person or remotely).

What is the application deadline?  
See above for the calendar. The deadline will be announced in the fall, but is usually the week before Thanksgiving break.

When will I know if I’m accepted into the program?
We aim to inform students of their acceptance status no later than the end of the week after Thanksgiving break.

StartMIT sounds awesome!  Where can I apply?
Applications will open in late October on our Orbit platform.

I have more questions.  Who can I contact?
Email us at startmit@mit.edu

What is StartMIT?
For students who are interested in exploring entrepreneurship while here in school and are looking for an entry point, StartMIT is a 2-½ week course held every January during Independent Activities Period (IAP). We call the course “your on-ramp to the entrepreneurial world at MIT.”

Who is StartMIT for?
If you are someone who has been looking to get started on an idea that’s been ruminating, explore the commercialization of a technology that you’ve been working on in the lab, or simply better understand what forming a new venture looks and feels like, StartMIT is right for you.

The course is open to any student on campus (including post-docs) who is looking to gain more exposure to entrepreneurship in a peer environment. The main activities of StartMIT are:

Networking with your peers
Listening to our guest entrepreneur speakers
Doing independent exercises to apply what you’ve learned
Working with small groups on your entrepreneurial ideas
1:1 support with MIT Entrepreneurs in Residence

StartMIT Daily Themes
Day 1 – “Welcome to StartMIT”
Day 2 – “Ideation”
Day 3 – “Creating your initial team”
Day 4 – “Customer”
Day 5 – “Product”
Day 6 – “Go to market”
Day 7 – “Financials”
Day 8 – “Entrepreneurial life”
Day 9 – Trip to New York City
Day 10 – Holiday – no class
Day 11 – “Pitching”
Day 12 – “The innovator’s journey”
Last Day – “MIT entrepreneurial ecosystem / Final presentations / Networking”

More Information
https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/startmit-iap/

Timeline
Applications Open:  end of October
Application Deadline: week before Thanksgiving break
Info Sessions: late October
Acceptance Status: the week after Thanksgiving
Participation Confirmation: a few days following acceptance status sent out
Start Dates: first Tuesday of January
Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday
End Dates: third Thursday of January

Note:  Exact dates posted here as get closer to the deadline
https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/startmit-iap/

Testimonials

“StartMIT is a great opportunity to get rid of the inertia that holds you back from starting a start-up!”

“StartMIT gave me a holistic view on entrepreneurship and made me think about potential business ideas. Every speaker and organizer was down to earth and enthusiastic about entrepreneurship. It was really nice to see such people and interact with them closely.”

“A fantastic crash-course on real-world entrepreneurship led by a multitude of diverse entrepreneurial experts and practitioners.”

“A rapid fire how-to introduction to entrepreneurship.”

FAQ

Who is eligible to participate in StartMIT?
Any current student who is curious about entrepreneurship and is looking for an introduction to the skill set and spirit it requires. This is inclusive of undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-docs.

Can I apply if I am not currently enrolled at MIT?
Yes. We will consider non-MIT students if space permits.

If you're applying for StartMIT, and don't have an mit.edu email address, please add your name to the Orbit waitlist at the bottom of the orbit.mit.edu/login page and we'll send you instructions to join.  For the Orbit waitlist, please add "StartMIT" for the last question on your "specific event, program, or class", so we can expedite.

Do I have to have a startup idea to participate?
Absolutely not!

StartMIT is meant for anyone that is curious to learn more about entrepreneurship in general. Whether you are just curious or have an idea and are ready to go, this course will allow further exploration. Whether you wish to utilize an entrepreneurial skill set to be a founder, work in a lab, invest, pursue a side project, or dive into the corporate world, we believe this course will be beneficial in each of those pursuits and welcome you all!

What are the logistics of StartMIT?
StartMIT is a two-and-a-half-week course that takes place on weekdays during IAP every January.
The day begins at 9:00 am, typically includes talks and workshops, a one-hour break for lunch, and concludes by 4:00 pm.
StartMIT will be held in person on campus (room TBA)
What can I expect to learn and who can I expect to hear from?
We will give you a crash course in entrepreneurship, including an introduction to the skill set and spirit it requires. We hope that by the end of the course you’ll have a better understanding of your desired entrepreneurial path, and also the resources available to support you in that journey at MIT and beyond.

You’ll hear from a large number of both faculty and practitioners from the Boston ecosystem and beyond. 

Can I take this course for credit?
Yes, but it is not required.

What is my mentor for?
All full-time participants will be eligible to be matched with a mentor based on your industry or field of interest. A mentor’s role is to guide you through the course: to answer questions that arise during your time in StartMIT, and provide feedback on any entrepreneurial idea you want to pursue. Mentors will make themselves available up to three times throughout the course of the program (either in person or remotely).

What is the application deadline?  
See above for the calendar. The deadline will be announced in the fall, but is usually the week before Thanksgiving break.

When will I know if I’m accepted into the program?
We aim to inform students of their acceptance status no later than the end of the week after Thanksgiving break.

StartMIT sounds awesome!  Where can I apply?
Applications will open in late October on our Orbit platform.

I have more questions.  Who can I contact?
Email us at startmit@mit.edu

S. Neal

StartMIT: Workshop for Entrepreneurs and Innovators

Venture Engineering - 2.912J / 3.085J/ 15.373J

This course provides an integrated approach to the development and growth of new innovative ventures. 

The course is intended for MIT undergraduates who seek to leverage their engineering and science background through innovation - driven entrepreneurship. It serves as a foundational class for the MIT School of Engineering Entrepreneurship Certificate.  It is also as one of the two required courses for the MIT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Minor.

The course is designed to be a fun but also rigorous and comprehensive view of not just new venture creation but also what it takes to be successful in the different forms of entrepreneurship, which is more than just founding startups. It is a mindset, skill-set and way of operating that will benefit you no matter what you do going forward.

The course is intended for undergraduates with a strong technical background but does not assume prior business or management experience. The course can be taken as a stand alone course and the student will receive benefit. It is also highly complementary to and serves as a strong foundation for a range of innovation and entrepreneurship courses around MIT. 

The course is particularly appropriate for a student who like to found or join a start-up company at some point in their career but it also gives you the confidence and capacity to be an entrepreneur inside existing organizations which is what will increase your career velocity, even if you chose to stay in academia.

The course combines interactive lectures, in class exercises and competitions, and team projects. The course leverages both academic research and the most current practical implementation to create an experiential but also rigorous educational experience for students to better understand and  become innovation-driven entrepreneurs in the best place in the world to do this – MIT. The class is highly interactive. 

C. Madsen

B. Aulet

Professor of the Practice

Venture Engineering

Experiential study of the climate for innovation and determinants of entrepreneurial success. Students work in teams of four with the top management of a company to address real-world business challenges. Students gain insight as to how companies build, run, and scale a new enterprise. Focuses primarily on scale-ups operating in emerging markets. Restricted to MBA students; all other graduate students by permission of instructor only.

M. Jester

Senior Lecturer and G-Lab Course Manager

Global Entrepreneurship Lab

Healthcare Ventures explores the process of early-stage healthcare venture creation and models the process of entrepreneurship, amid navigating healthcare’s complexities. The course is an opportunity for those who seek careers at the intersection of healthcare innovation, medical technology startups, global health and healthcare venture capital. This course lends a taste of the process needed to discover, evaluate, and test new technologies and business models with broad potential to impact human health. 

Course content and process have taken principles from MIT Hacking Medicine, Product-Market Fit, Human-Centered Design Thinking, Agile Sprints, Business Model Canvas and tailored them to the complexities and tectonic shifts of healthcare, both in the US and globally. An emphasis will be placed on understanding the Business Models and Economic Buyers for your healthcare innovation while developing a plan to design and launch a product or service.

Outside Speakers
Over half of the classes will include outside speakers from startups, venture capital, healthcare systems, government, pharma and med tech. Past years speakers included Google Ventures, PillPack/Amazon, Sequoia Capital, MIT Engine Fund, Blue Cross, Bain Capital, IDEO, Aetna, Fidelity, True Ventures, Verily/GoogleX, GE Ventures, Langer Lab, HHS, Atrius Health ACO.

Your Project/Venture/Problem Idea
If you have already conceptualized or done preliminary work around a potential solution for a pain point in healthcare, the Healthcare Ventures faculty invites you to share it with us for consideration as one of the class projects. We need ideas that are still in a sufficiently early, formative stage so they can be developed during the class and thus provide a foundation on which the key concepts of new medical venture development can be taught. These concepts include, but are not limited to, de>ining your market, understanding your customers, identifying and evaluating various stakeholders, analyzing the competition, and defining a value proposition and product/market fit. The objective of the class is to help you to understand and engage in the process of evaluating and developing a business opportunity. The class is not intended to create a viable business opportunity at the end of the semester. So, an idea would not be acceptable if it is too far along to benefit from the disciplined approach to entrepreneurship that we teach in class. If you don’t have an idea, that’s OK too; you will be able to choose a team/project that interests you. In past years, members of the class have advanced many interesting, impactful problems, and some have actually served as the foundation for building successful businesses. Please contact our TA to arrange an appointment with one of the faculty members so that we understand your idea in sufficient detail to ensure it meets the criteria outlined above, and to make sure you get the most out of taking the class. We look forward to speaking with you!

Themes for Healthcare Ventures
Some teams will form around ideas proposed by your classmates. Other teams will want to consider areas that are emerging trends ripe for disruption in healthcare. Theme that represent areas of significant opportunity include:

Administrative automation and digitization (e.g., Cedar, Olive)
Disease management and therapeutics (e.g., Omada, Hinge Health)
Screening and diagnostics (e.g., Arterys, Modern Fertility)
Drug discovery (e.g., Atomwise, insitro)
Clinical trials (e.g., DNAnexus, Science 37)
Clinical intelligence and enablement (Unite Us, BrightInsight)
Primary and urgent care (e.g., Carbon Health, Cityblock)
Specialty care (e.g., Somatus, Cricket Health)
Pharma supply chain (e.g., Capsule, Truepill)
Health plans and benefit management (e.g., Carrot, Lyra)
Real world evidence (e.g., Tempus, Medbanks)
Virtual care delivery (e.g., hims & hers, Doctor on Demand)
Women’s health (e.g., Maven, Elvie, Tia)
Health & fitness (e.g., Fitbit, Withings)
Genomics (e.g., 23andMe)
Healthcare/DAO/Fintech
Remote monitoring (e.g., vitalconnect, eCaring)
Web3/Crypto
(It’s ok if you don’t know yet or don’t have a strong preference!)

Action Learning Lab for Healthcare Ventures
Most of the longer Thursday classes will have 4 parts: faculty lectures, outside guest speakers, and small team breakout sessions.

After teams are formed in the early classes, you will begin by exploring, defining, and deepening your understanding of the unmet need and of the value of transforming the outcome. In the second block, you will consider and test potential value propositions, and finally, in the third block, you will craft a business model and pitch. Teams will witness the development, challenges, and progress of the other teams attacking different areas of healthcare in the course at regular intervals. By the end of the course, students will have experienced best practices in identifying and validating health venture opportunities, amid the challenges of navigating the healthcare/disease mapping, team dynamics, and venture capital pitching process.

Z. Chu

M. Gray

A. Hiller

Senior Lecturer

Professor

Lecturer

Healthcare Ventures

Focuses on how managers build and manage complex organizations to achieve strategic goals (e.g., competitive advantages for firms). Develops frameworks that build on 15.010 and 15.311, as well as concepts borrowed from game theory. Applies these frameworks to corporate strategy, with an emphasis on modern managerial practices as key drivers of organizational success.

Managing the Modern Organization: Organizational Economics and Corporate Strategy

15.903

About the Class

Faculty