Intro to Software Startups: Spring 2025

I taught a class with the objective of "equipping students with practical skills for working at, building, or launching new software ventures".

In collaboration with the Center for Software Innovation, we hosted a formidable lineup of founders, builders, and makers and learned about their journeys while building out software-focused startups.

Transcript

1. Introduction to Software Startups SPRING 2025 | CLASS OVERVIEW Arnab Nandi
2. Instruction Team 2 Arnab Nandi Professor Computer Science & Engineering Sakshi Shashiraj Graduating Senior Computer Science & Engineering Teaching Assistant Shereen Agrawal Executive Director Center for Software Innovation Chloe Bender Johnston Director Center for Software Innovation
4. OUR OBJECTIVE equip students with practical skills for working at, building, or launching new software ventures
5. Talk Outline • Class format • Why we need this class • Current progress • Long-term plans 5 Behrooz Omidvar-Tehrani, Amazon AI
6. Why do we need this class?
7. Focus Gap in Curriculum 7 • Missing Experiential Components – between theory vs practice, current curriculum teaches core concepts, often leaves out steps to build real products • Business vs. Engineering Leadership – Business schools teach leadership, but not modern software engineering practices. • Missing Engineering Roles – Students lack exposure to real-world tech roles like product engineers, SREs, ML engineers, and DevOps • Shape of Employer – Junior employee in large company vs founder of your own company
8. Rapidly Changing Trends 8 • AI Code Generation – Engineers now curate and refine AI-generated code, shifting focus from syntax to system design and integration. • Software Engineering Acceleration – Startups prioritize speed, using modern SaaS platforms to build products with minimal custom code. • Evolving Engineering Roles – Developers are becoming product integrators, AI- augmented engineers, and full-stack generalists rather than narrow specialists. • Future Job Market – AI-native developers, product-driven engineers, and technical operators are replacing traditional software roles, demanding adaptability.
9. Exposure to Role Models 9 • Making it feel tangible – Seeing real founders and engineers makes the path feel achievable. • Clarifying career paths – Noticing patterns across role models • Learning from challenges – Firsthand stories of failures and pivots • Inspiring Action – Exposure to builders at different stages provides proof points of the whole journey • Early Networking – Connecting with founders, engineers, and investors opens doors to mentorship and opportunities
10. 10 Speakers from All Career Stages Exposure to a spectrum of role models Class of 2019 Cole Smith, visor.vin Will Matz, Superfan Patrick Shuff, Netflix Class of 2010 Dan Fabbri, Vanderbilt, Maize Paras Chadha, Head of Engineering Block Dan Manges, CTO Root / Braintree
11. Speaker Lineup • Priyang Shah Helia Health • David Mess OSU TCO • Bill Babeaux Advocate / Instacart • Dan Fabbri Vanderbilt • Pat Carroll Peter Schrock Paintable Pictures • Andy Jenks Drive Capital • Tim Grace Techstars • Patrick Shuff Netflix / Coinbase • Will Matz Superfan • Cole Smith Visor.vin • Behrooz Omidvar-Tehrani AWS AI • Robb Winkle Doohickey AI • Paras Chadha Head of Engineering Block • Dan Manges RWX / Root / Braintree • Mike Panetta HubiFi • Jean Bredeche Quantopian / Robinhood • Zia Mohammed AWS Quantum • Kevin Unkrich Superpower / Amazon • Jeff Schumann Aware / Mimecast 11
12. Class Format
13. Class Details • First time being offered at Ohio State • Response to modern industry needs and trends • Blends tech and business topics: problem definition, solution design, software architectures, integrating AI, fundraising, intellectual property, case studies, and industry speakers. • Foster a new environment on campus 13
14. Class Format • Flipped Classroom • Guest Speakers • Course Project • Tuesdays: Lecture, Case Study, Reflection • Thursdays: Labs / “Dig Ins”: Open-ended Discussions 14
15. Class Components Flipped Class Podcasts & Videos In-Person Presentation Assignment for each major video Mid-Semester End of Semester Invited Speakers Hear from experienced builders Project Report 4 Submissions, monthly
16. Course Project In-Person Presentation Mid-Semester End of Semester Project Report 4 Submissions, monthly Simulated or real startup product Idea to Launch in 4 months A working demo is required
17. Current Progress
18. Year 1 Demand • Initial demand including waitlist: ~90 students • Restricted enrollment at ~40 • Limited resources • Control for quality: classroom discussions, grading • Variance in student experience • Maintain demand for future years • Room to grow 18
19. Student Demographics 19
20. Majors 20 Computer Science & Engineering / CIS Math Mechanical Engineering
21. Student Expectations 21
22. Student and Industry Feedback
23. Student Posts on LinkedIn 23
24. Industry Feedback 24 “This is exactly the class I would’ve loved when I was in school, thanks for putting so much work into making it great!” Will Matz Founder & CEO, Superfan BS CSE 2019
25. Future Plans
26. Next Steps • Years 2 and 3: Improve Quality • Leading Metrics(2-4 months) • Applicant Pipeline, Student Quality, Team cohesion, Cross-semester Momentum • Trailing Metrics(2-4 years) • Number of successful startups, Magnitude of startup success 26
27. Future Goals High-profile Invited Speakers Travel and hosting Mentoring & Angel Network Connect to future investors Advanced Curriculum Curated Materials Seed Fund & Fellowship Unblock common resource constraints
28. Student Experience Integration: Pathways Informal Learning Hackathons Student Groups Personal Projects Curriculum Core Curriculum Capstones This Class After Graduation Large Companies Funded Startups Startup Accelerators
30. Intro to Software Startups • Goal: Equip students with practical skills for working at, building, or launching new software ventures • Discover and cultivate the next generation of leaders in tech • CSE + CSI collaboration • 1st year pilot: 90+ registrations, 42 admitted • Mostly CSE BS or MS 2025 / 2026 students • Format: readings, course project, invited speakers • Speakers: founders, VCs, and tech leaders at all career stages (e.g., Dan Manges, CTO Root Insurance; Paras Chadha, Head of Engineering, Square / Block; Andy Jenks, Drive Capital; Jeff Schumann, CEO Aware / Mimecast) • Long-term plans • Student Resources, Formalization, Growth, Sustainability Behrooz Omidvar-Tehrani, Amazon AI Former OSU Post-doc Arnab Nandi | https://arnab.org
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