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SmartUp Foundations

Learn the principles and steps to achieve a profitable, fast growing company on a small investment

Next in-person course date will be published soon

Here are the lectures from our previous course. Enjoy!

Foundations Course 2024-2025

Foundations Course – Lecture 1

Foundations Course – Lecture 1

Yonatan Stern emphasizes that profitability should be the primary goal of every startup and illustrated how all aspects of a company's operations should align with this objective - from marketing to product development. Here are the lecture slides and the video...
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 2

Foundations Course – Lecture 2

Yonatan Stern shows that branding should be the first activity a company should work to achieve, even before product development. Here are the lecture slides and the video of the lecture
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations – Lecture 3 – Part 1

Foundations – Lecture 3 – Part 1

Yonatan Stern discusses affordable branding strategies such as the long tail and becoming a thought leader in the customers domains Here are the lecture slides and the video of the lecture
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations – Lecture 3 – Part 2

Foundations – Lecture 3 – Part 2

Roei Aviram the founder and CEO of Intelichain shares the company's branding journey and becoming a thought leader in the field of supply chain. Here is the video of the lecture
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Video
Foundations Course – Lecture 4

Foundations Course – Lecture 4

Yonatan Stern discusses lean business models - and how companies that grow responsibly grow faster. Guest speaker Eyal Lewinsohn Co-Founder and CEO of Iridize (acquired by Oracle) shares how the difficulty in raising funds was, in hindsight, the best thing...
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 5

Foundations Course – Lecture 5

Yonatan Stern discusses how pricing depends on the job your product is hired to do, determining your positioning and market segment. Here are the lecture slides and the video of the lecture
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 6

Foundations Course – Lecture 6

In this lecture Yonatan Stern suggests shifting focus from your product's features to understanding what customers are trying to achieve. Here are the lecture slides and the video of the lecture
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 7

Foundations Course – Lecture 7

Yonatan Stern explains how a founder's attention must be focused on identifying and building Growth Engines in every part of the company
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 8

Foundations Course – Lecture 8

Yonatan Stern explains the power of enablers and finding opportunities for growth. Here are the lecture slides and the video of the lecture
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 9

Foundations Course – Lecture 9

Yonatan Stern talks about why and how to start your sales process before having a product Here are the lecture slides the video of the lecture
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Video Transcript Slides
Foundations Course – Lecture 10

Foundations Course – Lecture 10

Yonatan Stern contrasts activities and outcomes of the common way to develop a startup, and the SmartUp way
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Slides Transcript Video
Foundations – Lecture 11 – Part 1

Foundations – Lecture 11 – Part 1

Yonatan contrasted the Lean Startup’s focus on “product-market fit,” with SmartUp’s “beachheads” and “jobs to be done” approach. There are many market segments your product might fit - your job is to discover a process and message that resonates with...
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Slides Transcript Video
Foundations – Lecture 11 – Part 2

Foundations – Lecture 11 – Part 2

Yonatan contrasted the Lean Startup’s focus on “product-market fit,” with SmartUp’s “beachheads” and “jobs to be done” approach. There are many market segments your product might fit - your job is to discover a process and message that resonates with...
— read More
Slides Transcript Video
Foundations – Lecture 13

Foundations – Lecture 13

Yonatan discusses the complexities of managing people in a company: people are unique and unpredictable, prefer small teams, profit sharing, and recognising individual contributions. He also critiques co-founders, traditional bonus plans and HR departments
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Slides Transcript Video
Foundations – Lecture 14

Foundations – Lecture 14

Yonatan explains why 90% of well-funded, talented teams fail. This lecture explores the root causes of startup failures, emphasizing the critical interplay between time and money.
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Slides Transcript Video
Foundations – Lecture 15

Foundations – Lecture 15

Yonatan discusses how startups can strategically leverage non-scalable methods to. create scalable business models
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Slides Transcript Video

Course Syllabus

The foundations course teaches you the SmartUp methodology and mindset you need to beat the odds

  • 1 | Strive for Profitability

    The language of business is money. Learn why and how to align all aspects of your operations with profitability
    Lecture Slides

  • 2 | Branding First

    If no one knows about you, no one will buy from you. Learn affordable ways to create a brand, before product development
    Lecture Slides

  • 3 | Lean Business Model

    Companies that grow responsibly grow faster, and are more likely to survive. Learn how to create and work with a lean business model
    Lecture Slides

  • 4 | Pricing

    Determine your positioning and market segment based on the job your product is hired to do
    Lecture Slides

  • 5 | Jobs to be Done

    Shift your focus from your product’s features to understanding what customers are trying to achieve
    Lecture Slides

  • 6 | Growth Engines

    Find your market beachheads and turn them into growth engines: scalable, repeatable and profitable processes
    Lecture Slides

  • 7 | Enablers & Innovation

    Leverage enablers for high-growth low-risk opportunities, and avoid the pitfalls of first movers with ground-breaking ideas
    Lecture Slides

  • 8 | Sales

    How to start your sales process before having a product
    Lecture Slides

  • 9 | Co-Founders, Hiring, Compensation

    Small teams, profit sharing, and recognizing individual contributions vs co-founders, bonus plans and HR departments
    Lecture Slides

  • 10 | Time & Money

    Over 90% of well-funded, talented teams fail. Learn how to buy time so you have a better chance to succeed.
    Lecture Slides

  • 11 | Scaling

    How to strategically leverage unscalable methods to create scalable business models
    Lecture Slides

  • 12 | SmartUp Success Strategies

    Some uncommon ways SmartUp achieves uncommon success , and where do you go from here
    Lecture Slides
More SmartUp Resources
There's a set of principles that once implemented - will make you successful. It's only a matter of time and focus.

I've seen it repeatedly in my own companies and with SmartUp resident companies, and I'm confident it's possible for all entrepreneurs.
Yonatan Stern
Founder and Teacher

Is this course for me?

This course is right for you 

  • if you have a passion to create something, whether you’ve started or not

  • if you don’t want to spend your time chasing investments

  • if you have a successful company but know it can do much much better

This course is not for you

  • if you just want to start a small business

  • if you’re just looking for technical or legal advice

  • if you are looking for one on one mentoring