Weekends, rolling schedule.
Membership
This program is for Life Lab members. Every step is logged in the Human Skills record kept with our partner, the PNF Foundation, and in high school points toward a formal Congressional Award application (age 13.5+).
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Contact a course advisorFrequently Asked Questions
Does the program produce anything concrete?
Yes. The outcomes are an MVP (minimum viable product, the simplest version that can be put in a user's hands), customer traction, and a presentation at an investor demo day, where students have to make the case and take questions.
What does the program cover?
Four parts: market validation, finance, pitching, and execution. Students start by testing whether a real need exists, work through the numbers, then learn to present the plan clearly and carry it out. It meets on weekends, on a rolling schedule.
What if an Irvine student has no startup idea yet?
That is fine, because market validation is the starting point rather than a step that assumes a finished idea. Ideas often begin with a nuisance on campus or a real need in the Irvine community. Students who prefer a smaller first step can begin with the Real Sales Challenge.
Which grades can Irvine students join in?
G9 through G12. Younger students can start with Money Basics and Finance Lab: the Money Basics workshop for G1 to G3, and Finance Lab from G4 onward.
How does this serve a University of California application?
It can serve as source material for the activities section. Each step is logged in the Human Skills record kept with the PNF Foundation, and in high school that record points toward a formal Congressional Award application. A University of California application rewards a traceable process, so an Irvine student can state how many user interviews were done and how many versions the plan went through. How to present it is best planned with university planning.
