uwloo

BET 300Foundations of Venture Creation

Units
0.50
Faculty
Engineering
Subject
Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 6 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This course provides students with an introduction to the processes involved in moving an idea for a new venture from concept through to launch. The theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to create a successful small entrepreneurial enterprise are developed. Topics include definition and evaluation of entrepreneurial opportunities, business planning, funding strategies and early-stage revenue models, legal issues, and intellectual property protection.

Prerequisites

None listed.

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001478824 / 50M 18:30–21:20

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 00178160 / 50Th 18:30–21:20
LEC 70179864 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Reviewed on UW Flow

100% liked it94% easy99% useful

From 31 ratings and 5 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • One of the best courses I've taken in University. You have to experience it to truly understand. The classmates and Wayne are great. Simultaneously, this is one of the most useful courses you could take at this university. It combines life skills, professional development, business strategy, a practical guide and tips to starting your own business, and innovative development processes (for both products and business concepts) which can be applied anywhere.

    Jul 2014 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Professor Kang is amazing. The course is incredibly equipping and, if you participate, challenging in the best way. The assignments were reasonable and straightforward but the activities and out-of-class challenges opened my mind to new possibilities and equipped me to be successful entrepreneur and leader. The Entrepreneurship Statement I felt was especially memorable and will stay with me for a long time.

    Aug 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This was a very useful course that drills down into the main reason you want to be an entrepreneur, the importance of identifying the key problem you're solving, and how to test the assumptions needed to launch your business. I entered this course with just an idea, so if you don't have a launched business yet, don't let that scare you away from taking it as you will find it very useful.
    This was my favorite course at UW because I learned a lot about myself by being forced to step out of my comfort zone and having my ideas challenged, which forced me to think in new ways. The small class size is also a huge benefit as you get to know your classmates, and the guidance from the professors is…

    Aug 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • I really enjoyed this course, it helped me wrap my head around the importance of validating a problem before building a business around it. Learning why this is important and how to show it during a pitch. It can feel a bit ambiguous at times but so can the advice from incubators and investors and this class helped me make sense of it.
    For many this will be the first time their business idea gets heavily criticized, don't be discouraged. You will face this in real life, practise not getting rage baited now.
    The class also makes you question why you want to start this business in the first place, which was a big help to developing our story and motivations when pitching investors.
    During…

    Aug 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • If you have an idea for a venture, business, startup, or product, I recommend applying for this class (through conrad website). It's for anyone, and you'll have the opportunity to clarify your business sense.
    Wayne is amazing. He teaches mindsets not practices, so be open to humbly shifting your approaches to a lot of big things!

    Feb 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

61 posts and comments in 43 threads mention BET 300, April 2013 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

Spring 2024

Winter 2024

Any startup/side-hustle entrepreneurs at uw? 4 points, 7 comments

“Hey everyone, not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I would like to connect with people who are working on something alongside school and are driven to building their own business. …”

u/nyephe: “Take BET300, I think it's exactly what you're looking for. There's an application form for people to describe their venture idea so everyone enrolled is at least somewhat serious about it”

View on RedditRemove this

BET courses over coop 4 points, 1 comment

u/Dazzling_Recover4179: “… Based on the course descriptions, BET300, 320, and 340 seem the most applicable to learning about startups. But they're only offered in person next term. BET210, 350, and 360 are offered online but don't seem to be as relevant to what I want to learn. …”

View on RedditRemove this

Spring 2023

Winter 2023

Free 1-on-1 Self-Improvement Sessions 0 points, 5 comments

u/SunnyDB2: “Hello, I am a BET 300 student who is looking at running a life coaching business - Life is Sunny. Looking for people who have goals or would like feedback on ways to improve themselves while giving feedback on coaching or potential implications I could use. …”

View on RedditRemove this

Fall 2022

Building a Startup 13 points, 14 comments

u/Significant-Low-8026: “… Ideally I wanted to do this at the start of BET 300 with the support of staff, but seems I need to figure it out myself as having a registered company is a requirment to just apply to that course. …”

u/housingprblmresearch: “I would double check that BET 300 requirement that you must already have a registered company; that might be an MBET (Masters of Business and Entrepreneurial Technology) requirement, and the course might be cross-listed for undergrads or otherwise not actually have that …”

u/Significant-Low-8026: “… I think ur right about BET 300. It asked for company name in the application form, but maybe it’s just a possible name idea. …”

View on RedditRemove this

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar