Masterclass - Product Development

Build the skills to turn ideas into action

Our masterclasses are designed to equip you with the practical skills and knowledge to help you build a successful business. You can view a full list of our masterclasses here.

This masterclass focuses on product development.

Most startups don't fail because they built something badly, they fail because they built the wrong thing. Product development is the discipline of finding out what people actually want before you spend months and money making it. It's how you turn a promising idea into something real, tested and wanted, without burning through your time or your savings to get there. Founders who skip this step often end up with a polished product nobody asked for. The good news: the process is learnable, and it costs far less than guessing.

This workshop gives you the tools to test your idea, define what to build first, and move from concept to something customers will pay for.

Who's it for?

Open to all University of Edinburgh students and recent graduates (up to two years after graduation), regardless of your discipline or experience. Whether you're taking your first steps or looking to build on existing knowledge, our masterclasses cover a range of topics that will be helpful for you.

Format

This masterclass is a 50-minute online workshop.

By the end of the sessions, you'll:

• Understand why most products fail, and how to avoid the most common traps
• Know how to identify and test the riskiest assumption behind your idea before you build
• Be able to define a minimum viable product that's genuinely minimum and genuinely viable
• Know how to decide what to build first when everything feels urgent

No previous experience is required; just bring your willingness to learn.