The high failure rate of start-up growth is an indication that even in
Silicon Valley entrepreneurship remains a difficult process, not to say
that it is nearly impossible to master. No theory has been able to
predict the outcome of entrepreneurial ventures and it is not even clear
that practice and experience really help in building successful
start-ups. Therefore, the only way to better understand startup dynamics
is to experience them in real cases. EFPL is surrounded by a higher
than average high-tech start-up scene, particularly at the EPFL
Innovation PArk (EIP) and close by Garage. Students will be given an
opportunity to work with entrepreneurs on challenges they face in the
start-up growth. Given the limited timeframe, it will not be possible to
have a complete overview of the challenges an entrepreneur faces, but
the objective would be that the students learn as much as possible from
such a situation. Because all start-ups are different however, a large
part of the course will be to complement the real case with other case
studies so that the students learn as much as possible.
- Professor: Hervé Lebret
