IA40570 Entrepreneurial Thinking

Academic Year 2021/2022

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MODULE IS PROGRAMME BASED. THIS MODULE IS NOT OPEN TO OTHER UCD STUDENTS.

***All UCD Innovation Academy modules are delivered online in the 2020/21 Academic Year. Classes will run from 9.30am –4.30pm each day with a combination of live online classes, self-directed learning and group activities. See https://www.innovators.ie for more info and testimonials from our students.***

The purpose of this module is to develop your entrepreneurial mindset - helping you see the world, think and act in a more entrepreneurial manner - either for starting your own business or for leading initiatives within an organisation.

Dynamic changes in technology, demographics and the environment are creating turbulent, unpredictable marketplaces and workplaces. Coping with such complexity is increasingly challenging for individuals, commercial organisations, social enterprises, public bodies and government. Founders, managers and employees in all sectors need to think more creatively, innovatively and entrepreneurially in order to make effective decisions. They need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

An entrepreneurial mindset is one that focuses on who you are, what you know and whom you know rather than what you need. It is an approach where action trumps everything, where the focus is on our own experience of doing rather than procrastination or studying the actions of others. It’s a culture that believes that collaboration, team working and community resilience promotes success. It’s a mindset that views the calculation of risk as fundamental rather than the taking risk per se. Entrepreneurial Thinkers see failure as a means to learn rather than a lack of success.

Entrepreneurs view the world around them in terms of problem-solution fit and product-market fit. The entrepreneurial mindset is to first and foremost clearly define 'a problem-to-be-solved'. This is discovered by observing and talking to potential customers/users about their needs, wants, pains and gains. This is the difficult part. Only after that do you move on to the easier part whereby you ideate a number of alternative, creative solutions to the defined problem. The mindset is to then carry out tests or experiments to identify the best solution by prototyping minimal viable products (MVPs). This cycle of trying to find 'fit' is very much an iterative process.

This module will embrace the ideas and concepts above by facilitating students to practice key innovation and entrepreneurial tools and techniques and develop life-skills including creative confidence, curiosity, communication, collaboration and commitment. This module will also enable student teams to develop a commercial, social or community venture.


UCD Innovation Academy

At the UCD Innovation Academy, we are a group of Educator Practitioners with extensive real-world experience as academics, business and social entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, creative professionals and design thinking practitioners.

We take an action-oriented approach to learning, with a combination of individual, group and class tasks and activities, including discussions, presentations and reflection. All of our teaching is grounded in academic rigour but our focus is on ‘learning by doing’ in real-world contexts.


**Enrolment in an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes. Please note that auditing Innovation Academy modules is not be possible**