Startup Basics

Our popular Startup Basics programme can help kickstart your entrepreneurial journey.

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Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or simply curious about the world of startups, our comprehensive Startup Basics programme is tailored to meet your needs. Equip yourself with the essential knowledge, resources and guidance to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey.

Our immersive workshops bring together students and graduates from diverse disciplines and provides a supportive environment to explore your entrepreneurial potential. Meet like-minded people, learn new skills and have something to add to your CV.

You will benefit from attending all the workshops within the programme however, you are welcome to pick and mix sessions that are most relevant to you. 

Startup Basics is designed as a cohort programme with participants learning together and in the hopes of building a community, therefore it is strongly recommended to stick with all the workshops in your cohort.

Cohort 3

 
Tuesday 13th January - Finding a place to startExplore where startup ideas come from and identify problems that fit your skills, interests and experience.
Thursday 15th January - Talking to customers Learn how to find, understand, and talk to real customers in a relaxed, supportive environment.
Tuesday 20th January - Solution development Turn a problem into a testable solution using simple tools, sketches, and supportive feedback.
Tuesday 27th January- Is this a business? Use the Lean Canvas to explore whether your idea could work and leave with a clear, practical next step.
Tuesday 3rd February - Communicating your idea Build confidence communicating your idea clearly, kindly and without pressure.
Tuesday 10th February - Planning for success Define success on your terms and leave with a realistic, wellbeing-aware plan to keep moving forward.

 

What to expect - the overview 

  • In-person
  • Tutorial-style seating, with optional small-group discussion
  • No business idea needed – if you don’t have one, you can use simple AI prompts to generate an example idea to work with
  • Mostly listening, with some guided activities and discussion
  • No presentations, no grading, no homework
  • Clear, step-by-step guidance throughout
  • Worksheets and materials provided
  • A safe, supportive space with no judgement
  • Access to a welcoming community of University of Edinburgh students and graduates
  • Completely free – no hidden costs or catches
  • Led by our supportive team, who facilitate the sessions and keep everything moving at a comfortable pace
  • A business adviser at every session for more tailored advice and to start building that relationship early

Below is a clear breakdown of each session, so you know exactly what will happen and what to expect. 


Finding a place to start

  • Team introductions – meet your friendly Student Enterprise team and learn more about the support available to you throughout the programme and beyond.
  • Skills survey – a quick, anonymous survey. This is not a test or a review of you; it simply helps us understand how effective the workshops are and where we can improve future sessions.
  • Where ideas come from – we’ll walk you through practical ways to come up with a business idea. If you already have an idea, that’s great. If not, we’ll provide simple AI prompts to help you generate an example idea you can use during the sessions.
  • Founder Fit Canvas – in this individual exercise, we’ll talk you through the canvas and explore how to find an idea that fits you, including your skills, knowledge, interests and network.
  • Problem brainstorming – we’ll move into guided brainstorming in small groups, sharing and exploring problems you’re interested in working on. Our facilitators will be on hand to guide the conversation, answer questions and make sure no one is left out.
  • Real examples – we’ll share stories from student founders and talk through their journeys, highlighting what worked and what they learned along the way.
  • Switching groups – you’ll have the chance to switch groups and speak to a few different people before returning to individual work on the canvas.
  • Finish – we’ll close with practical tips and things to bear in mind as you continue thinking about ideas after the session.

 

Talking to customers 

  • Introduction to customer validation – we’ll clearly explain what customer validation is, why it matters and how real companies have changed their ideas after speaking to customers. No jargon, just practical examples.
  • How to identify your customers – we’ll guide you through how to work out who you should be talking to and why.
  • Customer personas – you’ll create a simple customer persona to clarify who you’re targeting and what problem you’re trying to solve. This is mostly individual work, but you’re welcome to chat to things through with others.
  • Talking to customers – we’ll show you how to move from ideas on paper to real conversations, including where to find potential customers and how to approach them.
  • Good questions vs bad questions (quick game) – a relaxed group activity where you’ll spot which questions actually get useful insights.
  • Your first conversations – you’ll identify three real people you could speak to and draft five questions you’d like to ask them.
  • Relaxed networking – we’ll finish with informal time to chat, compare ideas and see who might have useful connections or shared interests.

 

Solution development

  • How solutions are designed – we’ll walk you through the process of turning a problem into a solution, step by step.
  • Problem statements – you’ll write a clear problem statement as an individual exercise. Sharing is optional and no one will be put on the spot.
  • Validating the problem – we’ll cover simple ways to research and validate your problem, including market research and early testing, with real examples.
  • Prototyping your idea – we’ll introduce different ways to prototype and test ideas, from paper sketches to digital tools, covering both tech and non-tech approaches.
  • MoSCoW prioritisation – you’ll use this simple framework to decide what your solution must, should, could and won’t include.
  • Sketching your solution – you’ll start drawing your solution on paper, focusing on clarity rather than perfection.
  • Comfort break – a short break to reset.
  • Small-group feedback – in table-sized groups, you’ll take turns sharing your sketch and giving kind, constructive feedback. Everyone gets a chance to speak in a low-pressure setting.
  • Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – we’ll explain what an MVP really means and show examples of how founders start small and test early.

 

Is this idea a business?

  • Introduction to the Lean Canvas – we’ll introduce the Lean Canvas and explain how it helps you think through whether an idea could work as a business.
  • Working through the canvas – we’ll go through the canvas section by section, sharing practical tips and real examples of how founders have approached each part.
  • Individual working time – you’ll have time to complete each section on your own. You’re welcome to talk things through with people around you, but there’s no pressure to share and no presenting.
  • What happens after each section – we’ll explain what you can do next in your own time, such as collecting evidence that your customer really exists or testing key assumptions.
  • Solution focus – we’ll spend time discussing the solution section of the canvas, with examples to help you sense-check your thinking.
  • Guess the pivot (game) – a short, light activity showing how many well-known startups changed direction as they learned more.
  • Unique Value Proposition – you’ll work individually to clarify your unique value proposition. Sharing in small groups is optional, and the team will be on hand to help.
  • Next steps – we’ll talk through how to test your idea further and start building something simple to show how it would work.
  • Bringing it all together – you’ll review everything you’ve worked on so far and decide which of the three key areas you want to focus on first.
  • Finish – by the end of the session, you’ll have a draft Lean Canvas and a clear plan for what to do next.

 

Communicating your idea

  • Why pitching matters – we’ll explain why being able to talk about your idea clearly is useful for networking, funding and collaboration.
  • The one-minute pitch – we’ll introduce a simple structure for a one-minute pitch that forms the foundation for longer pitches later.
  • Building your pitch step by step – you’ll work through each section individually: hook, problem, solution, opportunity, team and ask.
  • Examples throughout – we’ll share examples of strong and weak pitches and explain why they work (or don’t).
  • Pitch videos – we’ll watch short examples together and invite light group feedback.
  • Slides etiquette – practical tips on what makes slides clear and effective (and what to avoid).
  • Beyond one minute – a brief overview of what changes for five- and ten-minute pitches.
  • Pitch delivery tips – body language, voice and confidence-building advice.
  • Low-pressure pitching practice – you’ll pair up and practise your one-minute pitch. The aim is supportive, kind feedback — everyone’s pitch is expected to be rough and ready.

 

Planning for success

  • Skills survey (again) – a short, anonymous survey to help us understand how confidence and skills have changed across the programme. This helps us improve in future.
  • What does success mean to you? – small-group discussions about your motivations, expectations and what you hope to gain. Sharing with the wider group is optional.
  • Different paths, different businesses – we’ll explore why people start companies and how motivations shape different types of ventures.
  • Startup vs small business – a clear discussion about the differences and which path might suit you best.
  • Finding your purpose – we’ll explore why purpose matters and how it helps founders stay motivated over time, with real examples.
  • Purpose exercise – you’ll answer four guided questions and create a personal purpose statement.
  • Peer stress-test – you’ll share your purpose with one other person to check if it feels clear and motivating.
  • One-month goal setting – we’ll show how to set a realistic one-month goal and why short-term planning works.
  • Weekly actions – you’ll break your goal down into manageable weekly tasks, based on how much time you realistically have.
  • Founder wellbeing – we’ll discuss why looking after yourself matters and how to plan time for life outside your idea.
  • You’re not alone – we’ll close by reinforcing the support available, encouraging continued involvement through Founder Fridays and the wider community.

 

 

You can attend these sessions with or without a startup idea. For all students and recent graduates, two years after graduation from the University of Edinburgh.

This programme will run several times throughout the academic year, mostly in-person with one session taking place online. Usually running twice in semester 1, twice in semester 2 and once over the summer.

 

It was informative and interactive. I like that it was eye opening, the activities are great too. 

The structure was very clear and easy to follow, everything was explained well and examples helped a lot of coming up with my own ideas. 

Event rating from previous participants: 8.6 out of 10.

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