Pre-Startup Journey

Bring Your Idea to Life

You may have a concept that already feels complete in your mind, but you are still unsure: will it work for real customers? In the Pre-Startup Journey of the Center for Entrepreneurship (CfE), you learn how to turn your idea into a workable, tested concept. Over the course of ten weeks, you discover what it takes to transform an idea into an early-stage business and take your first concrete steps towards a sustainable start-up.

Four workshops that shape your pre-startup adventure

The Idea – Identify the problem

Every venture starts with a real challenge. In this workshop, you work with fellow students and coaches to define the problem you want to solve and explore your audience’s needs, forming a clear and testable idea.

Who’s involved – Find your earlyvangelists

An idea needs people who believe in it. In this workshop, you identify your first supporters and potential customers: your earlyvangelists. You gather feedback, use your network and refine your idea based on real insights.

Trial & Error – Test, fail, adapt and test again

Entrepreneurship is about experimenting and learning. Through small experiments, prototypes and pilots, you discover what works. You learn to handle setbacks, adapt quickly and improve your idea step by step.

Market Entry – Are you meeting your customers’ needs?

In this final workshop, you test your concept in a real market context. Based on feedback and results, you refine your idea and develop a tested concept that helps you take the next step in starting a business.

Why this Journey?

The Pre-Startup Journey is practice-based, interactive and can be followed flexibly alongside your study programme. There are no traditional lectures, but workshops, assignments and guidance from experienced entrepreneurs. You develop skills such as problem definition, customer research, prototyping and real-world testing. At the same time, you build a network of fellow students and professionals and grow personally as an entrepreneur.

Your step towards a workable concept

At the end of the Pre-Startup Journey, you will have a tested concept that is ready for the market. You will know that you are developing something customers genuinely need and have concrete next steps to further build and scale your idea.

Sign up and bring your idea to life

Become an active part of our entrepreneurial community. After registration, you will have an intake interview in which we discuss your goals and ideas together. This ensures that you start well prepared, with a clear plan and direct connections to other ambitious students.
Take the first step and transform your idea into a viable, tested concept. Join our community and discover what is possible when you take action.

Location:

Leeuwarden: All workshops take place at the CfE, Rengerslaan 8, room 0.59.
Emmen: Interested in joining the Journey in Emmen? Please contact Roy at [email protected]