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

New Enterprises covers the process of identifying and quantifying market opportunities, then conceptualizing, planning, and starting a new, technology-based enterprise.

Topics include opportunity assessment, the value proposition, the entrepreneur, legal issues, entrepreneurial ethics, the business plan, the founding team, seeking customers and raising funds. Students develop detailed business plans for a start-up.

Intended for students who want to start their own business, further develop an existing business, be a member of a management team in a new enterprise, or better understand the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial process.

C. Madsen

N. Teng

Entrepreneurship 101: Systematic Approach to New Venture Creation

Covers modern tools and methods for product design and development. Includes a cornerstone project in which teams conceive, design and prototype a physical product and/or service. Covers design thinking, agile development, product planning, identifying customer needs, concept generation, product architecture, industrial design, concept design, green design methods, and product management. Sloan students register via Sloan course bidding. In person not required. Engineering students accepted via lottery based on WebSIS pre-registration.



N. Jean

S. Eppinger

General Motors LGO Professor of Management

Product Design and Development

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. 

B. Aulet

Professor of the Practice

Venture Engineering

Intensive introduction to the law, focusing on intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. Covers the process of drafting and filing patent applications, enforcement of patents in the courts, the differences between US and international IP laws and enforcement mechanisms, and the inventor's ability to monetize and protect his/her innovations. Highlights current legal issues and trends relating to the technology, and life sciences industries. Readings include judicial opinions and statutory material. Class projects include patent drafting, patent searching, and patentability opinions, and courtroom presentation.

Patents, Copyrights, and the Law of Intellectual Property

6.903

About the Class

Faculty