Business Development at a Startup: Working with Engineers and Getting Deals Done | New York City

About this class

This class is a primer on business development a startup, particularly one with a consumer product and b2b partnerships. Learn what BD really is, why it's different than sales, what it takes to be good at it, and how to build a successful working relationship with your product & engineering teams. Then learn how to see a deal through, from start to finish. Using real case studies from GroupMe’s deal history — featuring partnerships with Balanced Payments, Braintree, lululemon, Nike, ESPN, ZOZI, and Underground Eats — this class gives you a macro overview of every step involved in the deal-making process, including sourcing, negotiating, and closing.

Who should take this class? Those students interested in working in a BD function at a technology company, engineers and product managers seeking to understand the other side of their company, and current BD practitioners looking to hone their skills.

Takeaways

• What exactly business development is - and isn't
• How to best add value to your company's product development cycle and work successfully with your engineering team
• Basic tactics for sourcing and initiating deal negotiation
• How to conduct negotiations on legal documents such as term sheets and contracts, with lawyers and on your own
• The art of closing a deal and the subsequent relationship management

Prereqs & Preparation

Students should be prepared to ask questions about specific deals they’re working on or any other BD-related issues.