The purpose of this course is to teach the basics of Lean Startups and the Business Model Canvas to entrepreneurs in Arua, Uganda. The course is broken into eight sessions covering the nine boxes of the Business Model Canvas, a quick one-page business plan document devised by Alexander Osterwalder and explained in detail in his book, Business Model Generation. The Business Model Canvas replaces the traditional business plan document for new businesses and startups looking to find markets and customers for their products. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries takes this one step further by creating the Build-Measure-Learn loop of continuous improvement, utilizing the Business Model Canvas as a tool for documentation and customer interviews as the path of discovery for startups and new businesses, as they look to quickly change directions (or pivot) as they operate with minimal resources. Over the course of three weeks, including eight educational sessions and a concluding demo day, new entrepreneurs and business owners in Arua, Uganda, will be exposed to the tools and tricks necessary to create scalable businesses while having limited resources.
