HTE113
From Idea to Success
Faculty
Igor Ryabenkiy
Founder and General Partner at AltaIR Capital
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
This 5-day bootcamp is designed for aspiring founders and entrepreneurial students seeking to explore the process of building a startup from scratch. Using the proven "Focus Framework," the course guides participants through idea discovery, team formation, product prototyping, go-to-market planning, and investor communication. Through hands-on workshops and AI-enhanced tools, students will develop a validated business concept and experience what it takes to launch a focused, fundable venture.
Learning highlights
- Understand the mindset and discipline required to become a focused founder.
- Identify and commit to a startup idea aligned with personal motivation and market need.
- Experience the fundamentals of team building and communication.
- Rapidly prototype a product using modern AI and no-code tools.
- Develop a basic go-to-market and fundraising strategy.
Course outline
5 classes
Discovering Your Idea (What Do You Want to Do and Why Do You Want to Do It?)
- Introduction to focus and founder psychology.
- Structured ideation: The 3-circle method.
- Self-discovery using AI tools.
- Deliverable: Problem-solution hypothesis + personal founder statement.
Building the Right Team (Founders Communication and Focus)
- Team dynamics in startups.
- Role mapping and communication norms.
- Co-founder compatibility testing.
- Deliverable: Team charter or solo founder strategy.
Prototype & Pitch (Make Your MVP/MLP Quickly Using AI Tools)
- MVP vs. MLP principles.
- No-code prototyping with AI.
- Introduction to storytelling and pitching.
- Deliverable: Working MVP prototype + elevator pitch.
Growth Planning (Promote and Grow Your Project)
- Selecting the first growth channel.
- Marketing content with AI.
- Campaign execution simulation.
- Deliverable: Growth plan with first traction goals.
Investor Communication (How to Find Your Investor and How to Make a Great Pitch)
- Fundraising landscape and investor types.
- The 10-slide pitch framework.
- Final demo day with expert feedback.
- Deliverable: Investor pitch deck + target outreach list.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites. However, students will benefit from:
- An interest in entrepreneurship or innovation.
- Curiosity about tech-enabled business models.
- Willingness to work independently and in small teams.
- Comfort with iterative, hands-on learning environments.
Methodology
The course is taught through a combination of:
- Daily lectures (1.5–2h): Conceptual foundations and real-world examples.
- Workshops (1–1.5h): Hands-on group and solo application of tools and frameworks.
- Peer reviews & feedback loops: To simulate real-world validation.
- Use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, Crystal): To accelerate discovery and execution.
Final pitch day: Presentation of team concepts to a panel for feedback.
Grading
Igor Ryabenkiy is the Founder & General Partner at AltaIR Capital, a global VC firm with 350+ tech startups, assets totaling $600M under management, and 11 unicorns in its portfolio, 6 of which were backed at seed (Miro, Deel, PandaDoc, OpenWeb, Socure, and Turing). Under Igor's leadership, AltaIR Capital invests in startups working in B2B SaaS, FinTech, Productivity Tools, Future of Work, InsurTech and Digital Health.
Igor signed his first angel check in 1998 and has more than two decades of VC experience. Before launching AltaIR, Igor successfully built and scaled his own group of tech companies. Beyond investing, Igor actively shares his insights on venture capital. He is the author of the book Adventures in Venture Capital and hosts the YouTube podcast Focus Point.
See full profileApply for this course
From Idea to Success
by Igor Ryabenkiy
Total hours
15 Hours
Dates
Jul 02 - Jul 08, 2025
Fee for single course
€500
Fee for degree students
€250
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.