DOHA: Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) will launch the third edition of its 10-week LeanStartup Programme on March 9.
Applications are open for candidates until February 22 through its website www.qbic.qa, said a statement yesterday.
Founded by Qatar Development Bank and Social Development Center, the programme provides local entrepreneurs with a real hands-on learning experience of how to successfully start a company. Running twice a year in Spring and Autumn, it is based on QBIC’s flagship Lean methodology. While traditional textbook approaches require entrepreneurs to submit a business plan and feasibility study, QBIC focuses on customer development and producing a prototype. The approach reduces the cost of product development and increases the probability of successfully starting a business. The programme has achieved success twice before and aims to produce another generation of successful entrepreneurs in Qatar. Out of 54 enrolled start-ups in the previous two programmes, 19 are successfully running their businesses and generating QR2m in less than a year.
Participants will be provided with action-oriented teaching and coaching sessions on how to successfully start their businesses. They will go through exercises and local business cases QBIC has developed for the first time.
At the end of the programme, entrepreneurs will have their business ideas validated with customers, developed a prototype customers need, and finished by pitching new businesses to judges and potential investors.
“Being part of the programme was an eye-opening experience to me, it changed my life and the way I think about business; even the way I look at my start-up has changed,” said QBIC entrepreneur Abdulhameed Alyousef, co-founder of RINFO startup, which will be officially launched next week.
The Peninsula
