Why Scale a Startup?

Why Scale a Startup?

This course is part of Scale Up Your Startup Specialization

Instructors: Coursera QA Team

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

17 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

17 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

You'll learn what you need to ask yourself before you start to scale up a startup.
You´ll learn the difference between growth and scaling.
You´ll identify key scaling challenges and solutions.

Skills you'll gain

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Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

3 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Scale Up Your Startup Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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There are 4 modules in this course

If you want to find out how to begin to scale up a start-up company, this course is for you! This course will guide you through all the key questions you need to ask yourself to prepare to scale up a start-up, provide you with key tips and frameworks to begin the scaleup process for a start-up, and offer insights from real, successful companies who have been in your shoes before and have scaled up their start-ups.

In this course, you'll learn to differentiate between growth and scaling, identify the key challenges of scaling up (and solutions to these challenges), and pick up best practices for scaling a start-up effectively and efficiently to build a weatherproof company. You'll get practical advice and big-picture insights from well-known companies and experts in the field who have scaled up their start-ups so you can see what has worked for other companies and develop a "toolbox" of scaleup solutions. Make your scaleup journey as smooth and surprise-free as possible - with this course, you´ll know the types of issues that arise when start-ups scale up and learn how to solve them!

This week, we will take a high-level look at the place of scaling and scaleups within entrepreneurship and innovation and begin to formulate how scaleups and startups differ: when is it time to scale up? How do you transition from startup to scaleup? And what are some of the pitfalls of scaling up your company too soon?

What's included

2 videos2 readings2 plugins

2 videosTotal 10 minutes

Welcome to the Course!2 minutes
The Danger of Premature Scaling: IE Entrepreneur Interview with Javier Goyeneche8 minutes

2 readingsTotal 35 minutes

Transitioning from Startup to Scaleup? (Podcast)25 minutes
#GoBeyond (OPTIONAL)10 minutes

2 pluginsTotal 18 minutes

How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur (Video)4 minutes
Why Scaleup is the New Startup14 minutes

What makes a scaleup different than a startup? What questions should you be asking yourself before you start to scale up? And does startup type determine scaleup strategy? These are a few of the key questions we will address in this module.

What's included

3 videos6 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin

3 videosTotal 17 minutes

Not All Startups Become Scaleups (and That´s OK)4 minutes
What Scale Means for Startups7 minutes
Questions You Might Ask Yourself Before the Scaleup Phase5 minutes

6 readingsTotal 54 minutes

Why Governments Don’t Get Startups10 minutes
Will Your Startup Ever Scale Up?10 minutes
Let´s Talk About Scale (Hint: Think International)10 minutes
Transitioning from Startup to Scaleup: Sam Altman and Reid Hoffman Talk Scaleup (Podcast)4 minutes
HubSpot’s Three M´s (Playbook for Going From Startup to Scaleup)10 minutes
#GoBeyond (OPTIONAL)10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 230 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

The Definition of a Scaleup10 minutes

1 pluginTotal 8 minutes

Steve Blank Discusses the Six Types of Startups8 minutes

Is scaling a sprint or a marathon? That depends on your view on risk, your industry insight, and how weatherproof your company can be - all of which we will cover in this module.

What's included

3 videos7 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin

3 videosTotal 18 minutes

Risk: Is It Your Friend or Foe?7 minutes
Deepwork: Do You Have Deep Insight Into the Needs of Your Industry?5 minutes
What Is a Weatherproof Company and How Can I Build One?6 minutes

7 readingsTotal 61 minutes

How to De-Risk a Startup10 minutes
Why Do Startups Fail? Blame the "Speed Trap"10 minutes
Can Deep Work Really Work for You?10 minutes
How to Scale a Deeptech Company10 minutes
Thoughts on Building Weatherproof Companies10 minutes
How Important is Founder-Market Fit?10 minutes
#GoBeyond (Optional)1 minute

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 330 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Making Space for Deepwork10 minutes

1 pluginTotal 26 minutes

Cal Newport and the Scientific Basis of Deep Work26 minutes

We hear a lot about exponentiality, but what does it actually mean? In this module, we will establish the key differences between growth (which is linear) and scaling (which is exponential), looking at examples from successful companies to further illustrate this difference as we prepare to scale up.

What's included

3 videos7 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin

3 videosTotal 17 minutes

What is Exponentiality & What Does it Have to Do with Scaling?7 minutes
Scaling Up Excellence:The Key Beliefs, Skills, and Actions that are Hallmarks of Effective Scaling8 minutes
Wrapping Up the Course1 minute

7 readingsTotal 51 minutes

How to Create an Exponential Organization and Why You Should Want to0 minutes
Growth vs. Scaling: What's the Difference and Why Does it Matter?10 minutes
Growing vs. Scaling: Which One Are You?10 minutes
How Do You Scale Excellence?10 minutes
#GoBeyond (OPTIONAL)1 minute
Like the Course? Rate It!10 minutes
Need More Scaling Knowledge? Sign Up For the Next Courses10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module 430 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Exponentiality10 minutes

1 pluginTotal 9 minutes

How to Scale Up Excellence in an Organization9 minutes

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Instructors

Coursera QA Team

5 Courses6,441 learners

Offered by

IE Business School

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Reviewed on Apr 25, 2023

Very practical!

Reviewed on Jun 20, 2023

Super informative with great extra material to dive deeper into the topics.

Reviewed on Feb 8, 2024

I found it's a good course that transfers lots of experience & knowledge. My only note is that focusing on articles rather than recorded video, still added something to me.

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