Examples

The following is an example of the application of the Lean Startup methodology in a class of Middle Grade of Vocational Education and Training (VET) of Technician in Auxiliary Nursing Care. The development of this example has been carried out based on the Entrepreneurship Workshop developed in the Educational Centers of the Tajo Salor Region by the Working Group of Teachers for Educational Innovation, in collaboration with TAGUS Local Action Group of the area ofTajo- Salor-Almonte (https://tagus.online/) and  Emprendedorex

(http://juancarloscasco.emprendedorex.com/).

It is only a proposal and is completely flexible. Each teacher could easily adapt it to his subject and his group of students. In fact, in the resources section of this article you can find articles, videos and manuals to deepen the subject, in particular, in the book Lean Startup in Education you can find a much more extensive practical proposal. As a teacher, you must decide to what depth you want to go by developing this technique with the students, depending on the objectives you want to achieve and the characteristics of your group.

In this case, it is proposed to divide the work into several parts:

CREATE

• Part I: You are more creative than you think. The first step is getting students out of their comfort zone, making them motivated and committed to the activity. To do so, if possible, we will go to the innovation laboratory, if the center has one, or alternatively to any different space from the classroom, more open and dynamic. Once there, several dynamics are carried out that encourage creativity. Here, it is proposed to do this part individually, to put all students into an active mode. Some dynamics are proposed below, but with a simple search on the internet many more can be found:

• Students are asked to draw a flower, after they draw a different flower, then we will ask them to draw a different flower and so on, at least 4 or 5 times. At each step we will give them time to do so. As we progress, the students will think that they will not be able to think of different flower patterns, but later they will realize that they are more imaginative than they first thought.
  • We propose to them an everyday object, for example a hairpin, and they are asked to write down all the possible uses for which they could use that object.
• Part II.I Ideas workshop, individual work.
  • First, individually, students are asked to make a pyramid with six topics related to the field of Auxiliary Nursing Care that are of interest for them. Some examples can be: palliative care, childcare, care of dependent or elderly persons, health education, healthy eating, oral health care, etc.
  • Then, also individually, they are asked to think of an entrepreneurial initiative related to each topic of interest. It can be a business idea, such as creating a company or product, but it could also be organizing a workshop, an exhibition, a course, organizing a volunteer work, etc.

• Part II.II Workshop on ideas, collaborative work.
  • Next, groups of approximately 4-5 students are made. We ask them to share their ideas, and to select the 6 best ideas among all.
  • After that, we ask them to think of new entrepreneurial initiatives combining two of the initial ideas. For example, imagine that the group had selected the idea of ​​caring for the elderly living alone and the idea of ​​doing a healthy eating workshop, a possible combination would be to ask these elderly people to teach / share traditional cooking recipes and use these recipes in the healthy eating workshop, in fact these older people could participate in the workshop to the best of their ability.
  • Of these new entrepreneurial initiatives, the group must choose one from which they will develop its project.
• Part III. Prototype workshop, collaborative work.
  • Each group will make a prototype of their project. This prototype can be made by computer, some examples are an infographic, a presentation, a video, a three-dimensional model made by computer, etc. But the prototype can also be physical, using paper, cardboard, colors, plasticine, paints, wood, Lego pieces … In short, whatever we can think of. It does not have to be a perfect prototype, but it is important to materialize the idea.
  • Presentation to the rest of the class of the project. Here the students begin to exhibit and defend their product and initiative, and in fact ,they can receive the first feedback from the comments of their classmates.

MEASURE

• Part IV. Test the prototype with potential clients and collaborators. Individual work.
  • Students are asked to think about who the potential users or clients of their entrepreneurial initiative would be and to test their prototype with them. It is important that it is a real test and that customers have to pay for it. It would not provide valid feedback, for example, to carry out a survey of interest among family and friends, because this information would be highly biased. Most of them will positively value the proposal simply because there is an emotional bond not because of the product itself. If the entrepreneurial idea of ​​the students involves the manufacture of a product, they should put it up for sale, and if it is a service or a workshop, they should also offer tickets for a certain price. A possible option would be to advertise it through posters or through Facebook, setting a price, and see how many people make requests to buy the product or register for the activity.
  • Continuing with the previous example, students should test their initiative with collaborators and potential clients. First, in order to test the collaborators, the students could visit a local nursing home or day care center and speak with both, those in charge of the center and with users and collect a list of people willing to participate. Second, to test clients, students could advertise online, offer the workshop for a price, and see how many people would be interested.
  • The task of designing a way to test the prototype will be carried out by each group within the class,  with the help of the teacher. Then the students will divide the work to actually test their prototype  at home / outside.

LEARN

• Part V. We analyze the information obtained from our testing and introduce improvement proposals. Collaborative work.
  • If the initiative has the expected reception both with collaborators and potential clients, it will be concluded that the initial hypothesis is true, that is to say that the prototype is viable. Otherwise, it will be necessary to analyze, first, if the price was adequate and, later, to think about what mistakes we have made in our approach and how we could improve the prototype.
  • Within each group the students will share the information gathered from the prototype testing. Together they will draw up a list of the strengths and weaknesses of their initiative.
  • Between all the members of the group they will propose a series of improvements in their prototype.
  • Finally, all groups will share their experience with the rest of the class.

Some additional observations:

The proposed example is designed to be done in 6 sessions. At the first, we would do parts I and II, initial activities and formulation of the entrepreneurial initiative; at the second and third sessions, part III would be carried out, creation of the prototype or minimum viable product; at the fourth session, part IV would be carried out, at least the planning of how the product will be tested, the test itself will require more time, days or weeks and the students will make it outside of school hours. At the fifth session, part V would be carried out, analysis of the results and reflection on what was learned.

But, as  it has been already mentioned above, it is only a proposal that can be modified depending on the goals planned by the teacher and the characteristics or needs of the students.