Ideation and Concept Development

Ideation is the process of generating and refining new business ideas. This section provides tools and resources to help you develop your concepts into viable business plans.

Courses & Workshops

CCSF's Introduction to Entrepreneurship (ENTR 101) – An introductory course to starting your own business.

SBA Learning Center – "Turning Your Idea into a Business": A free online course that guides you through the process of transforming an idea into a business.

Books & Articles

Creative Confidence

Creative Confidence
Tom Kelley and David Kelley

Explores how to unleash your creative potential to develop innovative ideas and solutions.

The Innovator's Dilemma

The Innovator's Dilemma
Clayton Christensen

Discusses how companies can stay innovative and avoid being disrupted by new ideas and technologies.

Design a Better Business

Design a Better Business
Patrick Van Der Pijl, Justin Lokitz, and Lisa Kay Solomon

Provides tools, skills, and a structured approach to generate new business ideas and design successful business models.

Online Resources & Tools

MindMeister: An online mind mapping tool that helps organize and visualize your ideas.

IDEO’s Design Kit: Offers a collection of methods and tools for human-centered design, ideal for developing and testing new concepts.

Lean Canvas: A one-page business plan template that helps you quickly outline and validate your business idea.

Videos & Presentations

"How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas | Startup School."
Y Combinator

Jared Friedman shares a framework for how to get and evaluate startup ideas.

"How to Develop a NEW PRODUCT (From Concept To Market)"
by Learn With Shopify

Learn how to develop a new product from concept to market.

Templates & Worksheets

Business Model Canvas: A visual tool that helps you map out your business idea and explore its potential.

Empathy Map Template: A tool to help you understand your target audience’s needs and preferences, guiding the ideation process.

Brainstorming Worksheet by HubSpot: A structured worksheet to facilitate idea generation and organization.