CURRICULUM

The course in the RealAcad program is made up of different modules, designed and conducted by our international program advisors and leaders. As such, learning is optimized through a combination of workshops, hands-on exercises and personal coaching and is made concrete by the creation of an actual startup venture over the course of the camp. The limited number of participants per class provides the opportunity to meet and network with several business leaders who will share their experiences and give feedback on the team’s venture in its different stages throughout the camp.

MODULE DESCRIPTION

a) The camp takes the participants through all the stages of the creation of a new venture. Different venture management aspects will be covered subsequently. During the first half of the program, the main attention will be on brainstorming to create different ideas and performing marketing research to prioritize different ideas. The second half will focus on crafting the business and marketing plan and the actual launch of the business.

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b) Throughout the camp special attention will also be given to developing the participants' skills in a number of people management areas: motivation and teamwork strategies, feedback skills and negotiations skills.

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c) Besides developing their venture and people management skills, participants will also receive personal coaching from the program advisors and leaders to optimize their own career management. This will include high level aspects like helping them think through a long term career plan and practical details like feedback on their resume.

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Professional brainstorming
Brainstorming is a creative, but at the same time structured process that should take place without evaluating or judging the ideas generated during the process. Conducted professionally, it can be a very effective means of creating new ideas or of helping a team channel and prioritize ideas. This module will make the brainstorming techniques used in top companies available to participants and give them a valuable insight into how successful companies and firms effectively use their creative powerhouses to gain maximum benefits from their ingenuity and creativity.

Marketing research strategies
Successful management decisions require timely and relevant market information. Though the internet has greatly reduced the budget for market research for most people, choosing the right research strategy and screening for relevant information has become an ultimate necessity in today’s competitive marketplace. Both qualitative and quantitative market research methods such as interviews, focus groups or surveys can often create valuable insights into potential new products or services. Market research will also identify trends and competitors’ market strategies. In this module, participants will be taken through the actual market research process in order to equip them with the necessary skills required to obtain accurate market information and analyze it.

Marketing & business plan development
To be able to develop a marketing and business plan is an absolutely indispensable skill to have, especially for those who intend to start their own businesses one day, as it helps to think through and organize the information that is vital to setting up their own business. This in turn helps the decision-makers, in this case the participants, to allocate the available resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. At the same time, participants will learn how to develop the right pitches to investors, customers and partners.

Implementation
RealAcad is designed to be as practical and real-life as possible, so a lot of emphasis is put on actually launching the business, including getting customers, negotiating partnerships and getting investors. The participants also think through how to ensure long term success for the company.

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Motivational and teamwork strategies
While individual performance is influenced by one’s ability, motivation is the other important variable in determining the output of a team. In this module, students will be taught motivational and teamwork strategies. At the same time, participants will experience and therefore understand how these strategies can be used daily in their teams and workplaces. Special attention will be given throughout the camp to improve the participant’s communication skills, through presentations and team discussions.

Feedback skills
While working in a team of individuals of high intellect and caliber, many improvement suggestions are never communicated because individuals don’t feel comfortable sharing their views, out of fear that they may evoke a forceful debate by giving their opinions. Learning both how to give and receive feedback is a skill that will allow the participants to make more out of every future interaction and will also ensure team harmony and congeniality.

Negotiation skills
By developing negotiating skills, participants will become more confident, assertive, motivated, achieve better working relationships and obtain more win-win deals. The module examines and evaluates the different styles of negotiation available and then uses practical role plays to help the participants understand how to use the skills needed to become expert negotiators.