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Learner Reviews & Feedback for How to Finance and Grow Your Startup – Without VC by University of London

4.6
stars
456 ratings

About the Course

Who? If you’re an entrepreneur at any stage of your journey, or even an aspiring one, and you need money to start or grow your business, this course is for you. What? This course will introduce, and help you put to use in your startup, the five models through which your customers can – and will, if you ask them! – fund your business. These five time-tested models have been put to use by entrepreneurial superstars like Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and more. Sadly, though, the five models are rarely talked about and not widely understood. Until now! The five models will be brought to life by the real-world stories of an inspiring collection of incredibly creative entrepreneurs from around the world – including successes and failures – through a series of captivating no-holds-barred interviews with founders and others, and investors, too. Why? More than two generations ago, the venture capital community – VC’s, business angels, incubators, and others – convinced the entrepreneurial world that writing business plans and raising venture capital constituted the twin centerpieces of entrepreneurial endeavor. They did so for very good reasons: the sometimes astonishing returns they’ve delivered to their investors and the incredibly large and valuable companies their ecosystem has created. But the vast majority of fast growing companies never take any angel or venture funding. Are they onto something that most of today’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has missed? Indeed, should a business angel or VC be seen as the first port of call for getting your nascent entrepreneurial venture off the ground or growing it faster? Perhaps not. How? You’ll be asked to do a series of exercises – out in the real world – to put your growing toolkit to use in your business or the one you hope to start. Hands-on, practical tools to help your business start and thrive – without venture capital. You’ll join our discussion board of fellow participants, if you like, and learn from others who are putting the tools to work, just as you are. And to suit today’s fast-paced lifestyles, we’ve broken what you’ll get – short lessons, interviews, thought-provoking questions, even some optional things to read – into bite-sized chunks, so you can log in and grab them whenever and wherever you are. And what else? If, after checking out and perhaps completing this course, you find your company in a position where seeking venture capital turns out to be the right thing to do next, John Mullins leads an inspiring and hands-on executive education course at London Business School – this one face-to-face – called Financing the Entrepreneurial Business. There, among a room full of investors and entrepreneurs, you’ll study a series of captivating real-world cases and learn everything an entrepreneur – or an investor, for that matter – needs to know to handle the person who sits across the deal table and take an entrepreneurial business from start-up to exit. See https://www.london.edu/education-and-development/executive-education/topic/finance/financing-the-entrepreneurial-business#.WIVY_FyTQ-0 for info....

Top reviews

SK

Jul 18, 2020

A beautiful and well oriented course which helps proving your concept of business by customer funding and no external venture capital. Thank you so much to the course instructor and the whole team.

KK

May 12, 2017

It was an amazing opportunity wherein we had a great chance to both learn about various customer funded models through interviews, guest talks and practice them through assignments in parallel

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26 - 50 of 138 Reviews for How to Finance and Grow Your Startup – Without VC

By Fardin A

Mar 4, 2017

It was a really insightful course elaborating on each customer funded business model so that you both understand and enjoy learning. The content of this course are highly functional and useful for a startup.

By OLIVIER D

Jun 19, 2020

Thank you very much for this course. I will change my approach to customers. Besides, I have already started to request payment in advance and I feel that it is the best method for really positive actions.

By Annette D

Jul 2, 2019

Very informative and engaging, the interviews and case studies in particular with their wide variety of perspectives provided rich and detailed insights of value to anyone interested in business models.

By Salman W K

Jul 19, 2020

A beautiful and well oriented course which helps proving your concept of business by customer funding and no external venture capital. Thank you so much to the course instructor and the whole team.

By Krishnarjunarao G K

May 13, 2017

It was an amazing opportunity wherein we had a great chance to both learn about various customer funded models through interviews, guest talks and practice them through assignments in parallel

By Emi H

Apr 2, 2018

I can not recommend this course highly enough. It literally has changed my life and is from my perspective a must take for every aspiring entrepreneur and also for those already on the path.

By Vinícius G F

Aug 11, 2016

Excellent course, easy to understand, all sorts of examples and interviews: from entrepreneurs to VC executives, suppliers, costumers... You will definitely learn something useful here.

By Hernan R

Jun 14, 2016

Excelent course, with great interviews. I am sorry I didn't get it 5 years ago. I would have saved hours and hours preparing for a VC, that I would have used to get customers.

By Rodrigo C S M

May 26, 2020

This course was so useful, learning about customer funded business models and the VC world really helps you understand the underlyings of successful entrepreneurial ventures.

By Alejandra M

Apr 20, 2017

This was a very useful course. The teacher is excellent, the materials are well designed and the topic is fascinating. I'm glad I invested my time!

By Saad Q

Oct 16, 2016

This is a fabulous course, a must take for aspiring and practicing entrepreneurs. Guides you how to survive and swim along the sharks.

By John M

Nov 25, 2021

Thank-you Prof. John Mullins and Coursera, the course was enlightening in many aspects and the presentation was excellent!

By Mais J

Jun 19, 2017

Very insightful especially for someone who is at the idea stage of a startup. Thank you coursera, LBS, and professor John!

By Priyank M

May 3, 2020

Prof Mullins' clarity of thought and its transmission makes this a must do for anyone who needs to take an idea further.

By Nihou

Jan 14, 2018

The quality of the interviews and the content is one of the best I've seen

Thank you very much for all this content

By olayanju o

Jun 27, 2016

one of the best courses on entrepreneurship. Changed my orientation regarding start ups and developing businesses.

By Natalie V

Oct 14, 2016

Great course with lots of interviews from entrepreneurs and VC professionals. Great insight from real-life cases.

By Saurav m

May 29, 2020

The only best alternative course that condemns the angel investors and gives important insights on Crowdfunding.

By gamal w k

Jun 27, 2016

This Course is currently changing my life , The instructor Professor Mullins is The best, he inspired me a lot

By Victor V C

Apr 21, 2023

Am glad I took this course it has been a wonderful experience. Thank you for making this course available.

By Giedrius

Aug 31, 2021

Such a valuable information for those who don't know where to start when they don't have funds available.

By Sergei

Nov 21, 2016

Well structured, Interviews bring amazing value added, highly motivational and very professional talk

By João N S

May 10, 2016

Very useful course for entrepreneurs who don't want to invest their time looking for investors money

By Susanna T

May 25, 2016

Great course! A lot of interesting interviews to important investors and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

By Rashad M z

Apr 7, 2017

Very interesting and I really learned a lot and know exactly how to begin my own startup company.