Learn by Source
Home/Coursera/Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) · on Coursera

Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity

4.7(8,900)·430K enrolled
Beginner 11 hours English Course Certificate Certificate

About this course

Most entrepreneurship courses start with the business plan. Wharton's Entrepreneurship 1 starts earlier — with how to identify and evaluate an opportunity before you've committed to building anything. Lori Rosenkopf covers how to recognize a genuine market gap, how to test whether an idea addresses a real problem (not just an assumed one), and how to think about competitive dynamics and the feasibility of execution.

It's the first course in Wharton's four-course Entrepreneurship Specialization, and functions as a structured filter for startup ideas — a useful frame for anyone who has an idea and wants to know whether it's worth pursuing before building, rather than after.

What you'll learn

Identify and evaluate genuine market opportunities vs. assumptions
Conduct customer discovery to test whether a problem is real
Analyze competitive dynamics and barriers to entry
Assess the feasibility of execution for a new venture
Understand how to iterate on a business concept before committing resources

This course includes

11h
On-demand video
Yes
Certificate
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
Comparison · LBS

Compare alternatives for Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity

Same topic, different options. We surface the trade-offs others hide so you can pick the course that actually fits your time, budget, and goals.
Coursera4.7(8,900)
Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity
Price
Paid
Free to audit, paid certificate
Duration
11 hrs
Level
Beginner
Certificate
Course Certificate
Coursera4.9(72,000)
The Science of Well-Being
Price
Paid
Free to audit, paid certificate
Duration
19 hrs
Level
Beginner
Certificate
Course Certificate
Compare →
Coursera4.9(54,000)
Excel Skills for Business Specialization
Price
Free
Audit free · Cert $49/mo
Duration
56 hrs
Level
Beginner
Certificate
Professional
Compare →
Coursera4.8(23,000)
Introduction to Marketing
Price
Paid
Free to audit, paid certificate
Duration
15 hrs
Level
Beginner
Certificate
Course Certificate
Compare →
Prices & availability can change — confirm on the provider's site. We're not affiliated with any single provider.

Instructor

LR
Lori Rosenkopf
Coursera instructor
430K+ learners4 courses4.7 instructor rating

Taught by Lori Rosenkopf, Simon and Midge Palley Professor of Management at Wharton and Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship, whose research focuses on technology strategy and innovation networks.

Requirements

  • No prior business or entrepreneurship experience required

Who this course is for

  • First-time founders and aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea to test
  • Intrapreneurs evaluating new initiatives inside an organization
  • Anyone who wants the Wharton entrepreneurship framework before building

About this provider

CO
Coursera
University-backed online learning platform. 142M learners, 7,000+ courses from 325+ institutions.
Visit Coursera →

Frequently asked questions

Primarily frameworks and case-based — it teaches how to think about opportunity and feasibility rather than walking you through specific tools like lean canvas or financial modeling.
Wharton's Entrepreneurship Specialization continues with courses on financing, growth strategy, and launching a venture — this course is the first step in that path.
Free to audit; a paid certificate is required for the Entrepreneurship Specialization credential.
Paid
Free to audit, paid certificate
Enroll now