4B003E - The Founder’s Playbook: Build Your First Business 01 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2032 | Version 0
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | 4B003E | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | The Founder’s Playbook: Build Your First Business | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Business and Creative Industries | ||
| Faculty Group: | Business Management | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Business Management | ||
| Module Leader: | Anthony Thomas | ||
| Module Team: | Liam Newton | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2026 | Final Year of Intake: | 2031 |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 30 | Credit Level: | 4 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 101221 - enterprise and entrepreneurship | ||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 100 | ||
Document Version Information
| Version | 0 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2026 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2032 |
Module Aims
The main aims of the module are:
Aim 1 – To immerse students into the entrepreneurial start-up journey by exploring current start-up challenges and environments through industry engagement and practical activities.
Aim 2 - To develop students’ understanding of the business start-up environment by embracing the insights and experiences of entrepreneurs, current theories and frameworks.
Aim 3 - To provide a learning environment nurturing collaboration, confidence and student autonomy and enabling students to tackle business challenges and develop key enterprise skills.
Content Summary
This module will provide a learning environment for students to understand and encapsulate the journey of an entrepreneur. This module will provide tools, insight and current challenges faced by entrepreneurs to bring the module to life. The module will be structured around a Grand Challenge, set by USW in conjunction with a major industry partner, which students will address in groups. Content of this module will largely include industry guest speakers while simultaneously underpinning with current industry theories and frameworks. During the module the challenge-based foci of a start-up will include:
The Micro-Environment – The entrepreneur and team around them.
The Meso-Environment – The industry in which the start-up will operate in.
The Macro-Environment – The uncontrollable factors a start-up needs to react to.
The purpose of this module is to provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves into practical start-up challenges and to provide a learning environment where students are confident to tackle and alleviate said challenges.
This module is structured using the 6 stages of a start-up journey, including:
Stage 1 – The Ideation Stage
Stage 2 – The Seed-Stage
Stage 3 – The Start-up Stage
Stage 4 – The Growth Stage
Stage 5 – The Scaling Stage
Stage 6 – The Exit Stage
This module will support the aims of the course and overall USW 2030 strategy by providing diverse prospectives on business start-ups, ensuring students collaborate with each-other and industry partners, are provided with a learning environment to foster both team working and autonomy, and are adequately challenged to learn, develop and grow. Students will be supported through the module by the USW Enterprise Team and the Startup Stiwdio, providing aspiring entrepreneurs with networks and support to begin building their own businesses.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 6 |
| Practical Classes and Workshops | 50 |
| Groupwork | 50 |
| Guided Study | 114 |
| Formative Assessment | 20 |
| Summative Assessment | 60 |
| Total Hours Selected | 300 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Identify challenges encountered by entrepreneurs in UK business start-ups. |
| LO2 | Recognise the business start-up journey through diverse entrepreneurial experiences and theoretical underpinning. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment | Group Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) | A group presentation, taking the form of a pitch to an external client, has been chosen for the first assessment as pitching is an important skill to develop as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur and will provide a space for critical feedback and for development in future module and in industry. | 20 | N/A | 70 | No | 40 |
| Asynchronous Assessment | Student Choice 1 | Students will work individually and reflect on their practice and observations – providing a space for autonomy within a heavily weighted group task, and meeting level 4 expectations of understanding and recognising theoretical concepts throughout the module. Students will have a choice in the format of their assessment, building inclusivity and student co-creation into the assessment. | 0 | N/A | 30 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Group Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Student Choice 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |