Posted July 31, 2025 by Dan Moser
A one-credit-hour course will teach students the basics of customer discovery, a framework for exploring the relationship between innovation and customer needs. Faculty are encouraged to suggest their students consider the course.
The course, titled Engineering Entrepreneurship, will help the students answer questions such as: Who cares about this problem and about this solution? Are people willing to buy my product/service? What is the value of my proposed solution?
The course uses Lean Startup methodology to give early-stage technologists a working knowledge of how to think about their opportunity from a business and customer perspective, as well as how to properly conduct customer discovery interviews. The course also exposes students to experts working in fields related to entrepreneurship, including startup founders, enabling students to ask questions and learn from real-world experiences.
Taught by Eric Markvicka, Robert F. and Myrna L. Krohn Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Joy Eakin, entrepreneurship program manager for NUtech Ventures, the course will meet on Wednesdays, Aug. 27-Dec. 10, from 4-5 p.m., at Nebraska Innovation Campus, with a virtual option available for students in Omaha. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students; search ENGR 491/891 to enroll. For more information, contact Eakin, 402-580-8924.
