Certificate Program

HANDBOOK

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
PROGRAM
PROJECT LEADER COURSE LEADER
Adriano Damon
Marconetto Pittman
 The contemporary transformation
of the consumer society and
manufacturing systems is generating
new ways to self-entrepreneurship in
the fields of design and creativity in
general.
As the world becomes more and
more creatively connected, we are
consistently coming up with new
THE PROGRAM
The program is designed
to give students high
responsibility for the
management of their
own learning.
the program is based on
case histories, introduced by
entrepreneurs, start-uppers, journalists,
media gurus, angel investors etc.. in
order to acquire:
– some concrete hints to understand
the way to entrepreneurship, and how to
switch from being a talented designer
to a successful entrepreneur;
– the most contemporary and innovative
visions.
project courses, in order to
learn and apply hands on the basics of
marketing, organization, finance and
project.
coaching, during which the student
is supported individually in order to:
– develop his/her business idea;
– outline a business plan.
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ideas to satisfy the needs and wants
of many.
The proposal of the Entrepreneurship
Program is to provide assistance to
its’ participants with the necessary
tools to become self-sufficient as they
develop into business founders.
Every company/brand that you have regard for, is
there because someone had the courage to start it.
Entrepreneurship is not limited to one group of people,
it is there for all that desire to make a change. The aim
of the Start-up Program is to provide talented design
students the tools to become self entrepreneurs, as
well as to be in contact with actual present players
of the market, to develop their creative ideas and
to transform them into a business. This is done
with a peculiar teaching/ learning strategy, which
involves a constant dialogue with managers, industry
practitioners and creative professionals.
The lecturers/project leaders that are involved
in the program are professionals running their
own consulting activities and working in different
companies. Industry partners will be involved in the
workshops to implement the “learning by doing”
experience offered to the students.
Furthermore, Domus Academy ensures students a wide
range of first-class opportunities such as: to live in an
international and design-oriented city like Milan (i.e.
design studios and agencies, trade fairs, companies,
etc); to study in an international school where
different cultures meet (about 50 different countries)
providing students with the chance to develop a
global thinking; to participate in Domus Academy’s
extended international network and be in touch with
most of the teachers who are internationally renowned
professionals in the field.
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of the course,
the registrants will have:
• demonstrated knowledge and critical
thinking as it applies to their own individual
projects.
• learnt how to market themselves as well
as their ideas in order to best showcase their
overall potential as entrepreneurs.
• focused on the understanding of learning
business fundamentals as it applies to those
that wish to create a business
• recognized the ability to express
their business idea through a range of
proficiencies such as visual, oral, and
prototyping.
Our
TEACHING
METHODS
The program of the Start-up Program is
workshop-based, supported by seminars,
tutorials, lectures, work in progress
sessions, critiques and a series of tutor-led
projects. Through a pro-active relationship
with the Course Staff and Project Leaders,
students will lead their project work and
be supported through consultative and
advisory tutorial guidance.
But first a short glimpse on the Who.
We call Course Leader the teacher who
coordinates the study program, generates
ideas and networking about it within and
without the faculty, choosing visiting
professors, coordinating the assessment
and the workshop themes.
On the other hand we call Project Leader
professionals and teachers chosen among
the experts of the field, whose job is
proposing a brief, providing mentorship to
students and taking part in the assessment
of the projects.
We call Visiting Professors leading
personalities, Italian and international,
working in the field, designers and thinkers
chosen by the academic staff among the
most inspiring personalities working in
the discipline and across the disciplines.
Meeting and discussing with top people
will not only offer the student a chance of
a transformative encounter but also of a
career-perspective enrichment.
Lectures are usually used for the
presentation and discussion of theoretical
issues. They will often be supported by group
discussions, which provide an opportunity for
interaction between Faculty Staff and groups
of students, and allow students to extend
and examine the issues raised.
Formal teaching is supplemented by
a range of guest speakers and visiting
professionals (entrepreneurs).
The teaching and learning methods
employed on the Course are designed to help
participants achieve their individual aims and
objectives as well as those of the Course.
The primary vehicle for learning is therefore
the project work.
Emphasis is placed on:
• learning and applying a “problem setting”
approach, ensuring that students hone their
critical skills and apply them throughout their
work process;
• fostering a personal creative style and
developing an original way of expression;
• developing research skills, which will enable
students to source relevant materials,
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 assimilating and articulating relevant findings;
• conceiving concepts and visions accounting for strategic choice implications. These would
encompass aspects of marketing, as well as issues pertaining to the requirements of a company
brief (when applicable).
The work of the students will constantly be supported by the Course Staff, Project Leaders, as
well as visiting lecturers, and advisers.

CASE HISTORIES
Successful entrepreneurship case histories
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Start-up philosophy
Angel investors
Digital based entrepreneurship
New media communication
Funding and crowd-funding, visions and finance

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PROJECT COURSE PROJECT COURSE 2
SCHEDULE START
MARKETING

LECTURER
1st WEEK
Damon
Pittman
SELF-PRESENTATION
SKILLS TOPICS
Consumer behavior
MARKETING Segmentation, targeting, positioning,
and branding
SWOT analysis
COMPANY STRUCTURE Market research, trade shows
PR firms, blogs, magazines
E-commerce, and social networking
FINANCE Pricing and distribution
Green marketing
Professional sales, networking and
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
international sales

PROJECT COURSE 1 PROJECT COURSE 3

SELF-PRESENTATION SKILLS COMPANY STRUCTURE

START 1st WEEK START 1st WEEK

LECTURER Edoardo LECTURER Elena
Fano Sisti
TOPICS TOPICS
Company biography Legal frameworks (Edoardo Fano)
Defining the vision Production issues
Interviewing Interviewing
Elevator pitch and selling Cost estimation

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 PROJECT COURSE 4
FINANCE
PROGRAM
UO TCOMES
START 5th
WEEK

LECTURER Carlo Maria

Beretta
TOPICS
Revenue and costs
Clients and suppliers
Incomes and disbursements Outline a professional business
Investments plan, as key document attesting
Financial plan the quality and certifying the
Business plan reliability of the business idea;
Present their idea by a video or
a keynote in a effective, appealing
and contemporary way;
Implement their idea by
effective methodological tools in
order to transform their
creativity into a business;

PROJECT COURSE 5
Compose and manage a team;
Plan their business on a short,
mid and long term;
Dialogue with a funding
PROJECT MANAGEMENT community (angel investors,
venture capitalists, crowd-funding
START 5th WEEK networks);
Communicate properly their
LECTURER Massimo own idea to the stakeholders.
Redolfi
TOPICS
The stages in launching a start up
How to plan it
How to monitor it
How to modify, adapt, react to
external challenges
Project management tools

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1. SELF-PRESENTATION CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
SKILLS An introduction to consumer behavior (who,
what, where, when and why), and how it
• Start: 1st week is applied to strategic marketing issues. A
• Lecturer: Edoardo Fano global, local, and pan-European perspective
The course/seminar is aimed at improving the will be used.
participants’ skills in public speaking, and in all 1. the internal dynamics of consumer’s:
aspects of communication, including especially, perception, learning, motivation and
but not only, body language, structure of the involvement, attitudes and the self
speech, improvisation, with the help of many 2. consumers decision making process:
practical exercises shopping, buying, evaluating and disposing,
group influence and opinion leadership
DETAILED CONTENTS 3. foreign culture: cultural diversity in general
• Introduction to communication and European lifestyles in particular, and their
• Main obstacles impact on the consumer behavior dynamics
• Most common mistakes
• Presentation of the communication MARKETING
• Content of the communication Understanding how and when to promote
• Structure of the speech their project through:
• The audience • Targeting and segmentation
• The theory of the 5 lighthouses • Positioning
• Improvisation • Branding
• Body language • Campaign Tactics and Management
• Practical examples of presentation techniques • Advertising
(movies, theater, interviews)
• Practical exercises on how to win public SWOT ANALYSIS
speaking panic Understanding
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
2. MARKETING • Threats
Used in business SWOT Analysis helps in
• Start: 1st week carving a sustainable niche in the market for
• Lecturer: Damon Pittman their product.
• Topics:
- consumer behavior MARKET RESEARCH
- segmentation, targeting, positioning, There can be a great idea for a product or
and branding service, but before it can go any further, there
- SWOT analysis must be a market for it.
- market research; trade shows, PR firms,
blogs, magazines PRICING AND DISTRIBUTION
- E-commerce, and social networking • Pricing their product
- pricing and distribution • Covering costs
- green marketing • verifing if consumers are willing to pay for
- professional sales; networking and the value they believe they receive from the
international sales purchase

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 • pricing that matches the image of their
business and the nature of their clientele
Green Marketing – focusing on the efforts
companies use in green marketing, including
corporate social responsibility plans and
sustainability efforts.
• Water and energy conservation
• Recycling materials
3. COMPANY
STRUCTURE
• Start: 1st week
• Lecturer: Elena Sisti
• Topics:
1. Legal Framework
2. Production Issues
3. Cost Estimates
4. Service and Supply
5. Personnel and Governance
Objective of the program is to familiarize
students with concepts that are crucial for
strategic decision making in relation with the
structure of the business. Issues related to
the company structure will be analysed from
a legal point of view, as well as in relation to
the effect on business’s taxation, location
and governance. Different options will be
presented in correlations with the different
effects on the company’s cost structure,
taxation and profitability.
DETAILED CONTENTS
1. Legal Framework
Purpose of this section is to introduce the
existing business entities available across
the world to organize business activities.
Understanding the basic criteria to be able
to choose the appropriate one in relation
with the type of business and the location of
the business. Analysis of different business
choices and variables that should be
considered when setting up a new business.
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(2 sessions)
• Business Entities
- Different Business Entities
- Selection Criteria: business idea, personal
liability, capital
• Business Locations
- How to choose the business location
- Selection criteria
• Basic taxation issues
2. Production and Cost Structure
Purpose of the section is to familiarize with the
different production structures and the cost
implications. Following the presentation of the
different production cycles for different sectors
and an analysis of the newly developing
structures in fast changing economies the
impacts on the business will be analyzed.
• Production Cycle
- Definition
- Activities: Outsourcing, relocating, leasing
or factoring etc.
- Stock Management and logistics
• Cost and profitability implications
3. Service and Supply
Students will familiarize themeselves with
the importance of developing an efficient
and trustworthy supply chain both in term of
production and of cash flows.
• Planning efficient supply chains
• Different supply chains
• Selection criteria
• Cost and profitability implications
4. Personnel and Governance
Students will understand the importance
of Human Resources Management for the
success of the business. The Governance of
the Company will be analyzed in relation to
the legal obligations as well as the voluntary
tools that can be used to improve the
performance of the company.
• Human Resources Management
• Governance
 • Main infos
4. FINANCE • Year to date and stock values
• Local principles
• Start: 5th week • Cash flow statement
• Lecturer: Carlo Maria Beretta

Due to deep changes related to internal and

external evaluation of business results, a new 5. PROJECT
culture about economics could be developed MANAGEMENT
by each organization and roles, especially
for non financial people, in order to create • Start: 5th week
awareness about P&L expectations and other • Lecturer: Massimo Redolfi
financial highlights. • Topics:
This training path includes an overlook - Launching a start-up
on accounting rules without stressing - How to plan it
competences on it, moreover giving a - How to monitor it
balanced measurements on main ratios and - How to modify, adapt, react to external
indicators to improve decisional processes challenges
and support daily activities. - Project Management tools

GOALS DETAILED CONTENTS

• Business through economics (and not 1. The stages in the development of a Start-
economics by itself!) up: dynamics, roles, attitude
• Main accounting rules • Different points of view in the development
• Values and techniques of a Start-up:
• Analysis and simulation (exercises) - product centered
- customer centered
MAIN CONTENTS - finance centered
• Ledger systems by a general accounting - emotion centered
point of view • Entrepreneurial attitude
• Values categories (“Can Entrepreneurship be learned?” vs. “Can
• Critical indicators Entrepreneurs learn?”) (“If someone tells you
something is impossible, do it!”)
SPECIFIC CONTENTS • Radical innovation: “Quick launch, quick fail!”
• P&L and balance sheets • The Start-up mental attitude: why are
• Fiscal and operating rules Start-ups successful
• Evaluation techniques 2. Planning tools: defining and monitoring
• Components and interpretation tasks and costs
• Accounting System • The scope of their project: vision and focus
• Type of values • “Eating the elephant in small pieces”: Work
• Rate of certainty Breakdown Structure
• Estimates and accruals • Assigning resources and managing tasks:
• Elimination and netting working with Milestones and Gantt charts
• Profit and loss • Preparing data for a business plan:
• Balance Sheet outlining a baseline for costs
• Other compulsory details • How costs and time interact: project
• Reading the balance financial issues

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 3. Planning tools: analyzing risks, setting - selecting and training people
priorities and react - managing assignments
• Sequenced and overlapping tasks: Critical - promoting creativity
Paths and Slack-times - rewarding performance
• Making more things at once: simultaneity - leadership: communication, inspiration,
and load leveling identification
• “Where are we ?”: progress analysis and • Time Management
estimates at completion - urgency vs. importance
• “Expect the unexpected !”: Risk analysis - managing your time
• “Oops … something went wrong !”: - tasks and to-do lists: Getting Things Done
Crashing and Fast-tracking
4. Managing your team and your own work
• Team-working

STAFF AND FACULTY 1

PROJECT LEADER / ADRIANO MARCONETTO
Adriano Marconetto is a successful Italian serial entrepreneur, with a
background in sales and marketing and with over 20 years experience
in the management of high growth rate companies. He embodies the
true spirit of being an entrepreneur.

VISUAL PROJECT LEADER / RICCARDO PIETRANTONIO

Riccardo Pietrantonio is an advertising design expert based in Turin.
He created (along with three partners Luca Pilutza, Alessandro
Quaregna and Maddalena Zolino) a research lab in 2000 that focuses
on the contemporary art, fashion, automobile and editorial industries.

COURSE LEADER / DAMON PITTMAN

Damon Pittman was born in Washington D.C., and has worked in sales
and marketing in such cities as Amsterdam, London, New York, Paris,
and Milan for over 20 years. With a degree in Clothing, Textiles, and
Fashion Design he has always been intrigued with everything related
to the fashion industry.

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STAFF AND ENTRY
FACULTY 2 REQUIREMENTS
ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS FOR ENTERING
THE PROGRAM ARE:
SELF-PRESENTATION • An original business idea in the design field
SKILLS • Personal attitude to self commitment and
problem solving
EDOARDO FANO

MARKETING
DAMON PITTMAN

INTERVIEW
All the admissions will be evaluated on a
first-come basis through a no-strings-attached
COMPANY interview with the Course Leader.
STRUCTURE The interview can be either conducted
EDOARDO FANO, personally or via web or telephone.
ELENA SISTI

FINANCE
CARLO MARIA
BERETTA

PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
MASSIMO REDOLFI

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FINAL EVALUATION
The goal is to monitor the development of design and business skills is
pursued through individual evaluations, expressed in cents at the end of
project course. The average of these evaluations is the entry evaluation
to the final exam. The student also receives an evaluation in cents for
the final projects. The final evaluation is the average of the evaluation
obtained in the final project, and the average of the marks obtained in the
project courses.
The student receives distinction, if the final assessment score is higher
than 70%.
The Entrepreneurship Program ends with a final exam in which students
present their business plan video / keynote to a committee of internal, and
external examiners.
At the end of the course, the student will receive a Domus Academy
Certificate in Entrepreneurship.

VIA C. DARWIN 20, 20143 MILAN - ITALY

startup@domusacademy.it | www.domusacademy.com