JUNIOr Startups
2-YearS Roadmap
Students who have completed one or more courses from the foundation track are eligible to apply for the junior startup team.
Year 1 Goals
Taking on social and non-profit ventures, junior teams focus on internalizing project management and presentation skills to develop the first MVP as a team. Team members should experience iteration cycles of setting project goals and accomplishing tasks, updating each other on progress, and combining efforts into collaborative work products.
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While building their service/product, the team will continually reach out to their potential users and experts working in the industry and start to create a user community, gather test data, and cooperate with partners. Each team member enhances their collaboration and leadership skills throughout the process. In essence, the 1st year is crucial for building the discipline in all entrepreneurial characteristics, both technical and non-technical competencies.
Team Building​
First MVP (Prototype) Launch
Building Strong Leadership and Teamwork
Meeting Stakeholders and Integrating Their Feedback
Learning Presentation Skills
ACF Internal Competitions
Year 2 Goals
Solid Prototype
Community Building
Active LEAN Methodology Practice (Build, Learn, Measure)
​Market Launch
Social Media Strategy Training
Mastering Public Speaking Through Frequent Presentations and Constructive Feedback.
Applying to Global Entrepreneurship Competitions as a Newbie
Expect the second year to focus on intensive work, requiring perseverance, technical execution, problem-solving, and prioritization skills. Also, depending on the market research and stakeholders' feedback, the team might have to take a significant pivot in their original project plan. That's hardly desirable, but it would be a great learning opportunity for the team to gain knowledge in a spirit of true entrepreneurship, namely "trial and error." After recognizing the initial prototype and receiving feedback from outside the group, team goals should be more precise in the second year.
For the junior division, it is critical to work with local and global partners to distribute and support their apps. Teams heavily use social media, blog articles, and workshop events to build each team's project community. Overall, while building and perfecting their product, they learn how to communicate and outreach with external stakeholders (partners, community building, and social media) effectively and broadly during the 2nd year.