BET 100
Foundations of Entrepreneurial Practice
Fall 2025
Course Description
Calendar Description for BET 100
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to entrepreneurship, equipping students with the entrepreneurial mindset needed to identify and act on opportunities. Students will explore key theories, concepts, and practices in entrepreneurship, understanding its critical role in driving innovation.
BET 100 is designed for anyone looking to accelerate their career, grow as a leader, and create meaningful change. It will help UW students learn entrepreneurial skills which are critical to becoming a successful entrepreneur and Incredibly valuable in any job.
The course’s 12 modules take you on the entrepreneurial journey – from myths and realties, through disruptive forces, pain points, turning problems into opportunities, Lean Startup principles including building MVP’s and the iterative development cycle, an introduction to how startups are funded, social entrepreneurship, pitching your ideas and a review of the UW ecosystem available to help startups grow.
Throughout the course, 2 themes are explored in considerable depth:
developing the entrepreneurial mindset - skills that are valuable to all students (and all employers) because they develop your skills to deal with, and adapt to, changing environments while turning problems into opportunities
entrepreneurs are (needed!) everywhere! - Entrepreneurs are not just tech experts building the next app. Entrepreneurs are found in every vocation, every industry, every job function, and in every company. And entrepreneurs don't come in one predefined style. of person. They come in every age, gender, cultural, race, academic area, skill level, etc. and they tackle every type of problem from building better robots, to using the latest in quantum physics to build security models, to helping nurses communicate better with elderly patients, to helping farmers in Africa build better lives for their families.
BET 100 is a flexible, fully online course designed for self-paced learning. It features engaging, embedded assignments focused on key entrepreneurial skills, each with clear due dates and deliverables to keep you on track. Lectures are pre-recorded and accessible anytime. Each module contains short video lectures or expert interviews which related to the module material and aligns to the interactive textbook chapter assigned. The modules are also accompanied by interviews with UW Alumni curated specifically for this course. This is your opportunity to meet and learning from the experience of UW alumni across wide variety of fields.
BET 100 is offered every term and is a great way to complement your electives.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to...
Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and its diverse forms, recognizing how it can be applied in various professional contexts, including innovation-driven organizations and startups.
Understand the process involved in commercializing an idea and taking it to market.
Identify, and understand how to, leverage resources for entrepreneurial ventures, including financial capital, intellectual property, and support networks, to support venture creation and growth.
Explore entrepreneurship as a career path through exposure to real people who have experienced the journey , understanding the personal and professional impacts of entrepreneurial work and evaluating how entrepreneurship can be a tool for both economic and social change.
Enhance communication and leadership skills essential for entrepreneurs, including ability to persuasively pitch ideas, and collaborate effectively.
Critically evaluate opportunities and ideas, using frameworks such as design thinking and opportunity recognition, while understanding the processes behind turning concepts into viable ventures.
Understand the nature and process of change and market disruption by examining the dynamic forces that are disrupting our world