Topic: Startup Secrets from Silicon Valley
In this Bachelor Seminar, students conduct a qualitative analysis of verbal data that contains startup advice from Silicon Valley. We recommend this seminar to highly motivated students who have a particular interest in entrepreneurship and scientific research.
Silicon Valley is home to and origin of some of the most prestigious startup firms, venture capital investors, and accelerator programs. Over the last decade, many of the individuals who are part of this ecosystem (e.g., experienced entrepreneurs or venture capital partners) have published their experiences, thoughts, and advice in podcasts, blog posts, and other digital formats. These textual, audio, or audiovisual data provide startups and founders with insights on go-to-market strategies, financing, ideation, and many other issues young firms frequently encounter.
In this seminar, students explore these issues by conducting a qualitative content analysis of related secondary data using the program MaxQDA. Students receive a subject area and data pool with which they complete both their group work and their individual work. Students write a scientific paper that explores the subject area based on a rigorous, scientific approach to develop theoretical models that are grounded in empirical data.
Sessions:
Students receive a brief introduction to entrepreneurship, scientific research, and qualitative methods in the kick-off sessions.
Students present the current status of their findings in two presentation sessions in person.
A detailed schedule for the seminar will be communicated in due course.
The seminar is characterized by a high degree of self-reliant learning and independent work. Both are mandatory to pass the seminar.
In particular, students are expected to read provided material about how to work scientifically, about the scientific writing process, and about how to conduct qualitative research independently.
Workload:
The seminar grants 6 ECTS points resulting in an expected workload of 6 X 30 = 180 hours of dedicated, concentrated work. Spending this time is necessary to pass the seminar successfully.
Allowed participants:
Bachelor's students (4th semester or higher) in Digital Business Management.
Bachelor’s students (4th semester or higher) in Sustainability and Change.
The total number of participants is limited. Not all applicants may be able to participate.
Organization:
The seminar is held in person on campus. Participation in the seminar sessions is mandatory.
The seminar language is English.
We start with a kick-off meeting in the second week of April. Accepted participants will receive more detailed information (dates, location, etc.) via mail at the beginning of March.
Contact: thomas.leicht@uni-hohenheim.de
