COUniversity of Pennsylvania (Wharton)· on Coursera
Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity
4.7(8,900) on Coursera·430K enrolled
Beginner 11 hours English University Certificate
Our recommendation
The first course in Wharton's entrepreneurship series, on finding and shaping a business opportunity — spotting ideas, testing them and thinking through a business model. It is concept-led and academic, a solid grounding for anyone considering starting something.
Good for: Aspiring founders who want a structured way to develop a business idea.
Less suitable if: You want hands-on startup execution, or you already run a business.
Realistic time: About 11 hours; two weeks part-time.
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.
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
What it costs
Free to audit on Coursera; the certificate needs a subscription (about $49 a month), with financial aid available.
Comparison · LBS
Compare alternatives for Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity
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Issued through Coursera with Wharton, as the first course of its Entrepreneurship series. An introductory credential.
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.