What you’re watching: Entrepreneurship 101’s top 10 lectures of the year

What you’re watching: Entrepreneurship 101’s top 10 lectures of the year

As we head into a new season of our flagship series, Entrepreneurship 101, it’s time to rewind and see the top videos of the year from which inspiration sparked, new connections were made and real learning happened.

Entrepreneurship 101 is MaRS’ free weekly lecture series on starting and building a business. Last season, our innovative lineup of speakers explored topics within the full spectrum of starting a business, from developing a pitch to elements of the business model canvas. Our goal is to empower startups with the tools and resources that are critical for success.

The Top 10 list is based on the lecture videos that absorbed the most attention (and views!) in the 2012-13 season. That said, what this list shows is the depth and diversity of topics that entrepreneurs want to know—and need to know—about starting a business. Entrepreneurship 101 videos have been seen all over the world, from India to Australia, connecting innovators to an open and free resource with high-quality instruction by leading entrepreneurs in their field. Take a look at the top 10 most viewed lecture videos below.

Top 10 most viewed Entrepreneurship 101 lecture videos from 2012-2013

1. Intro to Entrepreneurship 101 / Finding and Validating your idea

MaRS’ Keri Damen, Director, Entrepreneurship Education, outlines the course structure as well as other MaRS educational services. She also highlights the importance of entrepreneurship as a career choice and discusses strategies to find and validate your idea.

2. Business Model Canvas

Mark Zimmerman, CIO, MaRS, introduces the business model canvas and demonstrates its use. Explaining the different elements of the canvas, Mark advises on how to build an effective business model.

3. Value Proposition

Joe Wilson explains what a value proposition is and why it matters―and how to develop, define and fine-tune one for your business.

4. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Legal Fundamentals

Arshia Tabrizi, Managing Partner, TLO, discusses the key legal elements of starting and running a business that every entrepreneur should understand: corporate organization (why and when to incorporate), intellectual property and contracts.

5. Go-to-Market Strategy

Murray McCaig, Co-Manager, MaRS Cleantech Fund, draws on his experience to explain the key role of the go-to-market strategy in building a strong company and securing investment. Murray discusses tactics to help startups develop a solid go-to-market plan.

6. Introduction to Entrepreneurial Management

Jon Worren explains the basics of entrepreneurial management and discusses the Customer Development Model in detail, while advising entrepreneurs to commit more to the process than the idea to succeed.

7. Different Types of Entrepreneurship

MaRS’ Allyson Hewitt and Kerri Golden explain different types of entrepreneurship and highlight the importance of social ventures (both for-profit and not-for-profit). They also discuss various financing options that startups should consider.

8. The Pitch

Peter Evans, Founder & CEO, Speakerfile, delves into the art and science of pitching to investors. Peter shares insights on what investors are looking for, compelling elements to include in your pitch and the secrets to getting funded by an investor.

9. Marketing Communications/B2C Sales

Mark Evans of ME Consulting emphasizes the importance of storytelling for startups and explains how it can be used as a strong marketing communications tool.

10. Raising Money from VCs

In this panel discussion, leading venture capitalists discuss their secrets for successfully securing VC or angel funding. Successful entrepreneurs also weigh in with their fundraising experiences and provide key tips.