Introduction to Entrepreneurship II
Academic Year 2026 · Second Semester
Delivery in English with Japanese closed caption and translation
Course Overview
This course develops foundational abilities as an Innovator; someone who hacks problems. Starting from design thinking, students identify problems through observation and dialogue (Problem Seeking), define them clearly, shape solution ideas as hypotheses, and improve them through Validation. Value proposition design, simple business models, and basic cost/revenue thinking are taught as tools to strengthen validation; not as full-scale startup preparation.
The course follows one continuous arc: Problem → Insight → Hypothesis → Verification → Improvement → Next Experiment. Sessions 1–4 sharpen problem-finding through Empathy, Observation & Engagement, Problem Definition, and Ideation. Sessions 5–7 add the simple business model, financial model, and validation plan. Session 8 is an interim pitch that closes the guided learning project. Sessions 9–13 form the Capstone Projects (two complete, independent runs of the methodology on two different problems) and the course concludes on January 26 with a combined three-hour Final Pitch session. Throughout, the focus is not on the perfection of the final output but on the quality of research and validation, the evidence behind each improvement, and the ability to articulate what was learned.
Learning Outcomes
Organize facts and insights from observations and conversations to articulate a clear problem statement: "Who is facing what challenge in what situation?"
Acquire the ability to propose solutions and iterate improvements based on evidence.
Structure proposals through the flow Problem → Insight → Hypothesis → Verification → Improvement → Next Experiment, and deliver a compelling pitch including a simplified model with a value proposition and cost/revenue estimates.
Assessment
Session Map
Problem → Insight → Hypothesis → Verification → Improvement → Next Experiment
Systems Thinking & Empathy
A valuable problem is the critical element of entrepreneurship. Often what we see are only symptoms. Solving symptoms does not create a lasting solution. This session introduces how to differentiate between symptoms, problems, and root causes; how to analyze the problem system; how to identify the most valuable problem to solve; and how to use Empathy as the tool for this exploration.
Empathy in Practice
Empathy methods in observation and engagement. Students learn the basics of applying empathy as a practical tool for understanding the customer: methods of observation and dialogue, field notes, and how to record what is seen and heard without contaminating it with interpretation.
Problem Definition
Insight extraction, the How-Might-We method, and verbalizing a precise problem definition. Raw observations become insights, and insights become a sharp, testable problem statement: "Who is facing what challenge in what situation, and why does it matter?"
Ideation
Divergence and convergence, evaluation axes, and establishing hypotheses. Teams generate a wide set of solution ideas, then converge using explicit criteria, and reframe the selected idea as a testable hypothesis — not a fixed answer.
Pitch 1 (Problem–Solution)
Teams present the work so far — Problem → Ideation → Solution — and receive structured feedback from instructors and peers. The interim pitch tests the logic of the argument and presentation.
Business Model
Value proposition, delivery, and alternatives. Students learn a simple business model not as startup preparation but as a tool to strengthen validation: if we cannot state who gets what value, how it reaches them, and what they use today instead, the hypothesis is not yet testable.
Financial Model
Cost, price, and revenue outlook, with all assumptions verbalized. The goal is not accounting precision but understanding the conditions under which the solution can survive: what must be true about costs, willingness to pay, and volume for this to work?
Pitch 2 (Problem–Market)
Teams present the full chain so far — Problem → Insight → Hypothesis → Validation Plan — and receive structured feedback from instructors and peers. The interim pitch tests the logic of the argument, not the polish of the slides. Kick off Capstone 1 project.
Capstone 1 — Proposal
The first Capstone begins: find a completely new subculture and problem, and apply the full methodology at speed. In one session, teams move from problem space to problem definition, and first solution ideas — what took four weeks in Sessions 1–4 now happens in two, because the skills are already built.
Capstone 1 — Pitch
The first Capstone closes: teams test their solution hypothesis with real users, attach a simple business logic — value proposition, alternative, price, rough income/expense — and package the whole run as a complete, evidenced proposal. Done is better than perfect: Capstone 1 is the fast, full rehearsal of the entire cycle.
Capstone 2 — Proposal
The second Capstone begins: another completely different problem, run deeper than the first. With three weeks instead of two — including the winter break for extended fieldwork — teams are expected to reach stronger evidence, a physical prototype from the maker lab, and a more defensible business case.
Capstone 2 — Maker Lab
Build day in the maker lab. Teams turn the Capstone 2 hypothesis into a tangible prototype — a physical product model, working mock-up, or functional demonstration — and design a real-user test with numeric signals. A prototype users can touch produces harder evidence than any description.
Capstone 2 — Pre-Pitch
The second Capstone closes and the final decision is made: each team selects ONE of its two Capstone projects to carry into the Final Pitch. The selection standard is the strength of the evidence, not the polish of the prototype. The session then turns to pitch architecture: the 60-second problem video and the investor-style pitch structure.
Final Pitch Night
The course finale, run as a single three-hour block (18:00–21:00) to give every team the stage. Each team opens with its 60-second problem video — making the audience feel who suffers and how deeply — then delivers a live investor-style pitch: the market, the willingness to pay, the route to customers, the value proposition, the business model, the simple cash flow, and the funding ask. Evidence, not adjectives, carries the argument.
The Capstone Projects
Sessions 9–13 are the capstone of the course: not one project but two. Each Capstone is a complete, independent run of the entire methodology (observation, problem definition, ideation, validation, and a simple business model) on a completely new problem chosen by the team. Capstone Project 1 (Sessions 9–10) is the fast first run: two weeks from problem space to tested hypothesis. Capstone Project 2 (Sessions 11–13) is the deeper second run on another new problem: three weeks, stronger evidence standards, and a tangible prototype built in the maker lab. Repeating the full cycle twice is deliberate. The first run builds speed and confidence; the second run builds depth and quality. At the end of Capstone 2, each team compares its two projects and selects ONE, based on the evidence, to develop into the Final Pitch.
The Final Pitch
Sessions 14–15 run as a single three-hour block on January 26 (18:00–21:00) so every team can take the stage. There is no in-class rehearsal; teams rehearse beforehand. Each team opens with a 60-second problem video; real footage, photos, and interview clips that make the audience feel who suffers, why, and how deeply. The team then delivers a live investor-style pitch: market size, willingness to pay, channels to reach customers, value proposition, business model, simple cash flow, and the funding ask; every claim backed by evidence gathered during the course.