Course Description

Nebraska I-Corps – Introduction to Customer Discovery will help you explore the commercial viability of your innovation or business idea. I-Corps uses the Lean LaunchPad approach (also called Lean Startup), and it will help you systematically test key assumptions about your innovation and the customer problems it might be able to solve better than current alternatives.

This free, online course is open to UNL and UNK faculty, staff, postdocs, and students, as well as community members. University-based teams with STEM-based ideas and intellectual property and a strong interest in commercializing their technology can use this program as a stepping stone toward the national NSF I-Corps Teams program.

Course Benefits

• Become eligible for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program and $50,000 grant for qualifying technologies and teams (only deep-tech, university-based teams who complete at least 20-30 customer discovery interviews).
• Upon completion of the workshop and the customer discovery interviews, you and/or your team may be eligible for a mini-grant of $1,000. Funds may reimbursed customer discovery interview travel expenses.
• Prepare for applying to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
• Gain valuable market insight to inform the next steps in your research and/or development.
• Develop network connections and receive mentoring from experienced industry experts and entrepreneurs
• Develop the entrepreneurial mindset and toolset needed for a career in academia, industry, startups, or government

Course Schedule

All sessions will occur virtually on Zoom.

• Session 1: Feb. 13, 4:00-6:30pm CT
• Session 2: Feb. 20, 4:00-6:30pm CT
• Session 3: Mar. 6, 4:00-6:30pm CT
• Session 4: Mar. 27, 4:00-6:30pm CT

In between the formal course sessions, you will conduct 25 customer discovery interviews, attend a minimum of three coaching sessions with instructors/coaches, and complete assignments that are started during the main sessions.