General Description and Objectives of the Course

The aim of the course is to prepare students for a potential career path as entrepreneurs. The lecture initially covers the theoretical foundations of entrepreneurship and the significance of startups for innovation, technological progress, and overall economic development. In the sections on fundamental planning and strategic decisions, students learn about the decisions that entrepreneurs must make during the process of starting a business. They delve into the development and evaluation of business ideas and models, creating business plans, and financing startups. Beyond the actual startup phase, the lecture also addresses the design of essential business functions in young companies, particularly in marketing and organizational functions. The course content is presented using current research findings, practical examples, and presentations from startup practice.

Contents

The lecture covers key theoretical and practical questions related to startup management:

• What is an entrepreneur, and what constitutive elements define one?
• What characteristic personality traits and behaviors are attributed to entrepreneurs?
• How can the startup process be ideally described and structured?
• What empirically validated success variables exist, and what are potential barriers to entrepreneurial success?
• What is the current startup landscape in Germany, and what importance do young companies hold for innovation, technological progress, and overall economic development?
• What role do public educational and research institutions play for young companies?
• What decisions must entrepreneurs make during the startup process (generation and evaluation of business ideas, business planning, financing, legal forms, and tax aspects, market and growth strategies, location, networks, and strategic partnerships)?
• What challenges related to the design of business functions need to be overcome in young companies (marketing, leadership, organization, founding team, organizational development)?

Selected Literature

• Kuratko, Donald F. (2009): Introduction to Entrepreneurship. 8th edition, Cengage Learning.
• Kuratko, Donald F. (2013): Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, and Practice. Cengage Learning.
• Fueglistaller, Urs; Müller, Christoph; Müller, Susan and Volery, Thierry (2012): Entrepreneurship: Modelle – Umsetzung – Perspektiven. Mit Fallbeispielen aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. 3rd edition, Springer Gabler.

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