Crossing the Chasm

In this course, students work with founders, domain experts, and industry professionals to develop strategies for growth for entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds. Students address elements of the marketing mix, including product, promotion, channels, and pricing, with the goal of driving business growth through new customer acquisition, as well as retention and development of existing customers. The course focuses on developing entrepreneurial skills in marketing and strategy, applying those skills to real companies looking to scale, and building equity in the startup ecosystem by supporting founders from underrepresented groups. The course will be organized as an Action Learning Project (ALP) course, and will have a cadence of in-class meetings, meetings with the clients (founders), and individual meetings with faculty members. In this intensive project-based course, you will learn research-validated foundations, tools, and practices, and a scientific and data-oriented approach to making business decisions; apply these tools and learnings to a real project for an external organization; create value for the organization by providing insights and deliverables; and be an ambassador to the organization by exposing them to the talent, values, and expertise of the GSB. You will also have the opportunity to gain practical industry experience and exposure to the organization, its industry, and the space in which it operates; build relationships in the organization and industry; and gain an understanding of related career paths.