What’s Your Big Idea?

Grow on your schedule with big savings on Coursera Plus. Save 40% for 3 months.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What’s Your Big Idea?

Instructors: Professor Buck Goldstein

18,197 already enrolled

Included with Learn more

Ask Coursera

8 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

168 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

8 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

168 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

6 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 8 modules in this course

Whether your interest lies in solving the world’s biggest problems, creating the next commercial success or addressing something closer to home, this course will give you a toolbox to vet your ideas and test them in the real world.

We start at the beginning with your big idea and where it comes from: your everyday experience and known sources of innovation as described by Peter Drucker.

What's included

8 videos1 reading1 assignment

8 videosTotal 57 minutes

Think About Your Big Idea11 minutes
The Unexpected9 minutes
Incongruities9 minutes
Process Need4 minutes
Industry and Market Structures 6 minutes
Demographics, Changes in Perception, and New Knowledge10 minutes
Desh Deshpande: Introduction, Big Idea, and Advice to Himself 3 minutes
Jud Bowman: Introduction, Entrepreneurial Traits, and Challenges5 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Guest Entrepreneur Bios10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 1 Quiz30 minutes

This second phase of the entrepreneurial lifecycle encourages you to take the big idea you’ve thought about and solicit feedback from the people whose problems you’re trying to solve.

What's included

11 videos1 assignment

11 videosTotal 69 minutes

Listen to Your Customers4 minutes
The Importance of the Listening Phase 8 minutes
The Purpose of a Business3 minutes
Setting Up Customer Meetings5 minutes
Running Customer Meetings4 minutes
Your Total Product 6 minutes
Listening to Suppliers7 minutes
Conclusion4 minutes
Jud Bowman: Cold-calling and Listening for a Customer's Problem2 minutes
Desh Deshpande: Talking to Customers7 minutes
Shazi Visram: Introduction and Listening to Customers19 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 2 Quiz30 minutes

Strategy, the art and science of being different than your competition, is the next element we introduce, based on Michael Porter’s work.

What's included

10 videos1 assignment

10 videosTotal 43 minutes

Plan Your Strategy3 minutes
What is Strategy?6 minutes
Porter's Five Forces 5 minutes
Bargaining Power of Buyers, Supplier Substitutes, and Rivalry4 minutes
Conducting a SWOT Analysis7 minutes
Strategic Positioning6 minutes
Conclusion1 minute
Jud Bowman: Risk-Taking Behavior1 minute
Desh Deshpande: Planning Cascade Communications6 minutes
Shazi Visram: Advice to Her Younger Self 1 minute

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 3 Quiz30 minutes

In this module, we coach you on continuing to refine your big idea and beginning to communicate it clearly to a wider audience.

What's included

12 videos1 assignment

12 videosTotal 49 minutes

Clarify Your Big Idea4 minutes
Creating Fit & a Business Model4 minutes
Introducing the Business Model Canvas3 minutes
Customer Segments3 minutes
Channels7 minutes
Revenue Streams5 minutes
Key Partnerships4 minutes
Your Elevator Pitch8 minutes
Conclusion2 minutes
Jud Bowman: Avoiding Crisis Mode2 minutes
Desh Deshpande: What is a Successful Elevator Pitch?4 minutes
Shazi Visram: Control in Her Venture2 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 4 Quiz30 minutes

To make your big idea into a reality, you’ll need the personal, professional, and financial resources we discuss in this module.

What's included

10 videos1 assignment

10 videosTotal 47 minutes

Support Your Big Idea3 minutes
Support is More Than Financing 9 minutes
Building Your Foundation and Beyond10 minutes
Funding: For-Profits 5 minutes
How Much?9 minutes
Conclusion1 minute
Jud Bowman: Control in His Ventures2 minutes
Desh Deshpande: Solving Problems with Processes1 minute
Desh Deshpande and Jud Bowman: Assembling Teams4 minutes
Shazi Visram: Disciplines to Avoid Crisis Mode2 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 5 Quiz30 minutes

This final step of the entrepreneurial lifecycle outlines a method to continue thinking, listening, planning, clarifying, and supporting your big idea.

What's included

10 videos1 assignment

10 videosTotal 40 minutes

Iterate Your Big Idea3 minutes
A Metaphor for the Entrepreneurial Life5 minutes
The Entrepreneurial Lifecycle4 minutes
MVP 4 minutes
Testing + Pivoting6 minutes
Navigating Growth7 minutes
Conclusion and What's Your Big Idea? 4 minutes
Jud Bowman: Control in His Ventures 2 minutes
Desh Deshpande: Constant Reinvention and Evaluating Decisions 3 minutes
Shazi Visram: A Hurdle3 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Week 6 Quiz30 minutes

Create a pitch for your Big Idea, then give and receive feedback.

What's included

6 videos2 readings1 peer review

6 videosTotal 21 minutes

How to Change Privacy Settings on YouTube2 minutes
How to Upload Videos to YouTube2 minutes
How to Upload Video to Vimeo 2 minutes
Very Good Project: 18 pts6 minutes
Good Project: 13 points4 minutes
Insufficient Project: 3 points6 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Instructions10 minutes
Project Resource Links10 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Peer Assessment60 minutes

In these optional videos, experts from UNC Chapel Hill and Washington University in St. Louis offered their insider perspectives on a number of pressing problems that present unprecedented opportunities for meaningful innovation.

What's included

9 videos1 reading

9 videosTotal 78 minutes

Mark Katz: Pitching Challenges in the Arts8 minutes
Alice Ammerman: Pitching Challenges in Food Systems20 minutes
Jim Johnson: Pitching Aging & Demographic Changes 13 minutes
Matthew Rascoff: Pitching Problems in Higher Education6 minutes
Steve Malik: Pitching Problems in Healthcare13 minutes
Nancy Morrow Howell: Pitching Changes in Employment with Aging5 minutes
Michael Sherraden: Pitching Universal Identification4 minutes
Jeff Gordon: Pitching Problems in Childhood Undernutrition4 minutes
Marcus Raichle: Challenges in Brain Development4 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Reverse Pitch Guest Bios10 minutes

Instructors

Instructor ratings

(16 ratings)

Professor Buck Goldstein

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

1 Course18,197 learners

Dr. Holden Thorp, PhD

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

1 Course18,197 learners

Offered by

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Explore more from Business Strategy

Status: Free Trial
Alex Genadinik
Innovative And Disruptive Thinking For Market Disruption
Course
Packt
Finding Problems Worth Solving
Course
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Big Ideas in Programming: Expressing Yourself with Python
Course
Status: Free Trial
Michigan State University
The Search for Great Ideas: Harnessing creativity to empower innovation.
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
71.25%
4 stars
23.95%
3 stars
2.39%
2 stars
2.39%
1 star
0%

Showing 3 of 168

Reviewed on Jul 20, 2022

It was an eye opener for me and it has broaden my mind on Entrepreneurship and what it entails.

Reviewed on Feb 26, 2017

Anybody that has a big idea or wants to start a business, would benefit from this course.It's well presented and the content is spot on.

Reviewed on Jul 27, 2022

This has been an excellent course. Instructors made the process of learning easy. Now I now what it means to start a business.

View more reviews

Break down barriers to learning with big savings
Get Coursera Plus
Start with easy savings for hard-working teams
Save 30% today

Frequently asked questions

To access course materials, assignments, and earn a Certificate, you'll need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. Eligible learners may also have the option to start with a Free Trial. Some courses may also offer a Full Course, No Certificate option. This lets you access course materials, submit required assessments, and receive a final grade, but you won't be able to earn or purchase a Certificate.

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.