Course Detail (Course Description By Faculty)

he goal of the course is for students to more deeply explore topics in venture capital. Specifically, during the quarter, students will develop (a) a fund strategy or (b) an investment thesis. Each student//team will navigate a process to develop their work: Hypothesis → Evidence → Economics/Edge → Persuade. During these steps, you will seek and receive feedback from the professor, peers, potential LPs, GPs, and founders– refining your idea and body of work along the way. 

The goal is professional-quality work—either stream should be ready to guide an investment strategy or fund launch IRL. It is ideal for students aspiring to work at or launch a VC fund. 

Winter 2027 Note:

In Winter 2027, this section will be offered as part of the The San Francisco Venture Capital Internship Initiative.  This is a study-away quarter for MBA students.  Class will be held at the Polsky Center’s Third Coast Foundry location in downtown San Francisco.

To take this advanced venture capital lab course, you must have taken the VC lab previously. This class may not be audited or taken pass/fail. 

Grades are based on your final project (graded by external judges and the professor), including interim steps and the final presentation. You will also be graded on a peer review (the reviewer's insight and effort is graded, not the reviewee's work). 

Attendance for the first and last class is required. Attendance for other sessions is optional. There is no participation grade for this course.  

Students may choose to work individually or with one other classmate.