1. NUvention Web
Todd Warren

2. Nuvention Web: Origin
• Todd Warren was teaching as a visitor in
EECS
• Approached by Dean Ottino and Michael
Marasco
• Take NUvention Medical but:
• Focus on Information Technology
• Include Undergraduates and a Broader Set of Students
• Key Differences with IT:
• We could build products more quickly—opportunity to have a
―live‖ product at the end of 2 quarters
• A methodology for tech startups called ―Lean Startup‖ was
forming
• Hot investment market

3. NUvention Web Overview
• 3rd year begins in Winter Quarter 2012
• 110 students and 15 teams have taken to-date
• 120 students applied for NUvention Web 2012
• 8 Teams of 8 targeted for 2012 – 64 students
• 4 Teams are still continuing
• Advisory Board from Industry for Mentoring and
Evaluation
• Class Alumni are also very engaged
• Faculty Team
• Core: Marasco (Farley), Riesbeck (EECS), Warren
• Lecture: Sahwney (Kellogg)
• Advisors: Baker (Feinberg), Birnbaum (EECS), Bustamante
(EECS), Cast (Kellogg), Choudhary (EECS), Contractor (IE),
Hammond (EECS), Hay, White (IE)

4. NUvention Web Draws From Across The
University
School of
The Graduate
NUvention Web Students 2010-2012
Communications
School
Undergraduate
Graduate The Law
3% Weinberg College of
4% School
SESP Arts and Sciences
Graduate
Undergraduate Undergraduate
1%
Medill 1% 12%
Undergraduate
1% Kellogg School of
Medill Management Graduate
Graduate 27%
2%
McCormick School of
McCormick School of
Engineering and Applied
Engineering and Applied
Science Undergraduate
Science Graduate
24%
25%
160 total

5. Teams 5 to 8 people
Each member has a primary and secondary role
Project Marketing &
Team Leader
Management Sales
(1)
1-2 (2)
Architects &
Interaction
Developers
Design 1-2
(2+)

6. Committed Advisory Board
Craig Asher Vital Financial
Frank Barbieri Transpera
Viresh Bhatia Installshield
Jeffrey Bier Beir & Co.
Bill Bliss VMWare
Jim Ewel Adomotry
Rick Fink Miramar Venture Partners
Grant Gochnauer Vodori
Suneel Gupta Groupon
Warren Holtsberg MVC Capital
Tim Krauskopf Round Lake Designs, LLC
Bret Maxwell MK Capital
Matt McCall DFK New World Ventures
Kristin McDonnell Limelife .com
Steve Olechowski Google/Feedburner
Bob Plaschke Sonim Technologies, Inc.
Vivek Ragavan Actelis Networks
Rob Shurtleff Divergent Ventures
Ben Slivka DreamBox Learning, Inc.
Tim Stojka Agentis Energy
Steve Subar OK-Labs
Hon Wong Symphoniq

7. Course Goals
• Work together as a team to:
• Develop a workable business
concept
• Research and classify customer
needs
• Design a compelling web or
mobile product
• Build and iterate the product in a
team environment
• Launch the product on the web
• Attract and retain initial customers

8. Curriculum
• ―Lean Startup‖
• Minimum Viable Product
• Running Lean (Maurya)
• Customer Development (Steven Blank)
• Business Model Canvas (Osterwalder)
• Agile Development
• Short Iterations
• Continuous Integration
• Product Slices
• User Centered Design
• Contextual Design (Holtzblatt)
• Storyboarding
• Scenarios and Personas

9. NUvention Web First Quarter
Concierge MVP
Advisor Pitch and
and Customer
• Define Customer • Agile Development Demo
Validation
Segments • Customer Acquisition
• Initial Concept Critique • Minimum Viable Product Strategies • Pitch Development
Preclass • Landing Page • Value Proposition • Complete Business Model • Concept Demo
Concept • Tool and Environment • Hello World Application Canvas • Initial Development
Development Selection • Storyboarding and UI • Real World Feedback
• Depth Customer
Research
MVP and Initial
Product Hypothesis
Canvas

10. NUvention Web Second Quarter
Development & Canvas Final
• Critique of updated Iterations • Building Awareness Pitch, Product, Canvas
canvas • Positioning
• Launch Planning • Revisiting the Canvas • Customer Recruitment • Detailed Canvas
AB • Iteration Planning • Agile Development • Successful Launches • Practice Pitch
• Understanding the Pivot • Continuous Deployment • Financing your startup
Feedback • Startup Metrics • Compelling UI • Real World Feedback
Time to Pivot? Soft Launch

11. Alumni Success