The Center for Entrepreneurship's courses are the epitome of experiential learning, demonstrative of an entrepreneurial mindset, and open to all U-M students across all 19 schools/colleges.
The person in this position will be responsible for teaching ENTR 413: Entrepreneurial Marketing during the Winter 2026 term.
The CFE's Entrepreneurial Marketing course will be led by a marketing practitioner who presents a pragmatic approach related to: 1) the development of a market-based orientation for a startup company; and 2) the analysis and recommendations for improvement of an existing startup company's marketing strategy and performance.
As course faculty, you will be responsible for teaching students to understand and critically assess the wide range of strategic decisions faced by entrepreneurial marketers. The course emphasizes practical application, introducing best practices and essential tools for developing a lean marketing strategy that optimizes resources and enhances the likelihood of success. To support these goals, the curriculum covers core marketing concepts and principles, explores the dynamics of marketing decision-making, and addresses key strategic questions relevant to new ventures. Instructional methods also include selected readings, interactive discussions, and role-play activities designed to build and demonstrate marketing competencies. Students are expected to apply course concepts through case analysis, real-world problem-solving, and hands-on exercises.
Course topics below, tailored for early-stage B2B startups, and introduced in this class include:
Foundations of Startup Marketing
- Introduction to Marketing in an Entrepreneurial Context
- Market Research, Customer Discovery, and Segmentation
- Competitive Analysis and Product Life Cycle
- Ethics and Risk
Strategic Marketing Design
- Targeting and Positioning Strategy in B2B Markets
- Messaging and Content Marketing
- Brand Identity and Positioning
- Developing a Lean Marketing Strategy and Metrics That Matter
Go-to-Market Execution
- Go-To-Market (GTM) Planning and Product Launch
- Pricing Strategies for Startups
- Channel and Distribution Strategy
- Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
Growth, Retention, and Scaling
- Customer Acquisition: Discovery, Outreach, and Qualification
- Promotion and Lead Generation Tactics
- Retention Loops and Customer Lifecycle Marketing
Marketing Organizational Structure and Its Relationship to Sales
The course is scheduled for 14 weeks during the Winter 2026 term. Course faculty will be responsible for preparing interactive course materials, weekly lecturing, holding office hours each week, preparing class exercises, preparing and grading assessments, managing and grading class projects, and attending the CFE's Faculty Community Meetings.