Concept Taxonomy¶

Ole Cup Entrepreneurship — 12 categories covering 200 concepts.

Foundation Concepts (FOUND)¶

Concepts: 1–15 (15 concepts)

Core mindsets, skills, and dispositions that underpin all entrepreneurial activity regardless of domain. Includes creativity, critical thinking, growth mindset, resilience, communication, and collaboration — the liberal arts building blocks that make St. Olaf graduates well-suited for entrepreneurship.

Ikigai and Self-Discovery (IKIH)¶

Concepts: 16–30 (15 concepts)

The Japanese concept of Ikigai ("reason for being") as applied to venture ideation. Covers the four-circle Venn diagram (What You Love, What You Are Good At, What the World Needs, What You Can Be Paid For), the four intersection zones (Passion, Mission, Vocation, Profession), and personal discovery tools such as values assessment, strength identification, and personal brand development.

Ideation and Creativity (IDEA)¶

Concepts: 31–50 (20 concepts)

Structured and unstructured techniques for generating venture ideas. Covers SCAMPER, design thinking, user empathy mapping, random association, divergent and convergent thinking, and discipline-specific idea sources (music, visual arts, theater, science, humanities). Emphasizes the liberal arts advantage in cross-disciplinary creativity.

Opportunity Recognition (OPP)¶

Concepts: 51–65 (15 concepts)

Distinguishing a real market opportunity from a mere idea. Covers customer pain points, underserved markets, social gaps, trend analysis (demographic shifts, technology waves, cultural movements, regulatory changes), the opportunity evaluation matrix, market research methods (primary and secondary), and problem-solution fit.

Value and Customer Discovery (VALC)¶

Concepts: 66–83 (18 concepts)

Frameworks for understanding customers deeply and articulating a compelling value proposition. Covers the Value Proposition Canvas, customer segments, jobs to be done, pains, gains, the Mom Test customer interview method, competitive differentiation, persona development, and user journey mapping.

Lean and MVP Thinking (LEAN)¶

Concepts: 84–98 (15 concepts)

The Lean Startup methodology and its tools for testing assumptions before committing resources. Covers the Build-Measure-Learn cycle, minimum viable product, paper prototyping, landing page tests, A/B testing, validated learning, customer feedback loops, pivot vs. persevere decisions, and product-market fit.

Concepts: 99–113 (15 concepts)

The spectrum from nonprofit to for-profit and the hybrid models in between. Covers B-Corp certification, benefit corporations, cooperatives, social impact measurement, theory of change, social return on investment, triple bottom line, and mission-driven organizations. Directly tied to the Ole Cup Social Impact Prize category.

Team and Leadership (TEAM)¶

Concepts: 114–127 (14 concepts)

Building and leading a founding team. Covers team formation, diversity, complementary roles (builder, seller, visionary), co-founder pitching and agreements, vesting, equity splits, conflict resolution, role definition, and skill gap analysis.

Business Model Canvas (BIZ)¶

Concepts: 128–142 (15 concepts)

The Business Model Canvas and its nine building blocks. Covers revenue streams, channels (direct and indirect), customer relationships, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, cost structure, customer acquisition, customer retention, and subscription and marketplace models.

Financial Fundamentals (FIN)¶

Concepts: 143–157 (15 concepts)

The financial building blocks of a student venture. Covers revenue models (product sales, licensing, freemium, service), unit economics (CAC, LTV, gross margin), break-even analysis, financial projections, cash flow, fixed and variable costs, and bootstrapping strategies appropriate for college-stage ventures.

Marketing and Storytelling (MRKT)¶

Concepts: 158–175 (18 concepts)

Building a brand and audience on a zero budget. Covers brand identity, brand story, the hero's journey framework, founder story, word-of-mouth marketing, social media and campus marketing, content marketing, network effects, viral loops, press coverage, storytelling frameworks, pitch story arc, early adopter strategy, competitive landscape analysis, and market sizing.

Pitching and Competition (PITCH)¶

Concepts: 176–200 (25 concepts)

The anatomy of a winning pitch and the Ole Cup competition process. Covers pitch deck structure (Problem, Solution, Market, Traction, Team, Ask slides), market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), slide design, pitch delivery, Q&A handling, elevator pitch, video vs. live pitch formats, and the full Ole Cup lifecycle (eligibility, application, mentoring phase, judging criteria, prizes, and the Minnesota Cup pathway).