The course spans over 14 weeks and is structured into 4 parts that we call levels, in which we introduce increasingly advanced skills. The skills needed in each subsequent level build from and require continued practice of all the skills learned up to that point.
The course structure mirrors the structure of a video game or a quest. At the end of each level, student teams face a challenge (or a level “boss”) to level up. See below for a visual representation of the syllabus structured by levels, and follow the links below to see a weekly plan and learning objectives for the work associated with each level.
H1: Exploring: Variation and Selection
Level 0: Hunches, Problems, Technology, Understanding “Innovating”
Level-up: select a technology and “being wrong” presentation
Level 1: Exploring for Opportunities, The Power of Near Misses, Diversifying
Level-up: outline and present three distinct opportunities, and the midterm presentation
H2: Scaling Up into a Place of Opportunity
Level 2: Developing a “Logical” Vehicle to Explore Opportunity Space and De-Risking
Level-up: Final one-on-one presentations and preparing a recommendation
Level 3: Execution, Systematizing Routes to Impact and Scale, Crafting Recommendations, Scaling up
Level-up: Final presentation to middle school and grand finale (the skills you built in hindsight)
Note: H1 and H2 refer to the two halves of the semester.
