Campus · startup path
Launch · Level C
Full curriculum document
Campus students building a real AI product with users
Contents · 6 units
- 1Problem, customer, evidenceLNC-U1 · Months 1–2 · 70 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 2Design & prototype the solutionLNC-U2 · Months 3–4 · 80 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 3From validated idea to AI MVPLNC-U3 · Months 5–7 · 110 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 4Team, execution & operating cadenceLNC-U4 · Months 8–9 · 60 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 5Traction, growth & business modelLNC-U5 · Months 10–11 · 70 GLH · Portfolio + exam
- 6Demo Day & the raiseLNC-U6 · Month 12 · 60 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Overview & approach
A startup is not an idea — it is a testable belief about a real problem. Launch begins from the problem and the person who has it, then earns the right to build by validating the belief before writing production code.
The first-principles learning loop
- 1Problem
- 2Understanding
- 3Reasoning
- 4Design
- 5Implementation
- 6Testing
- 7Reflection
- 8Improvement
Every unit runs this loop, then goes round again — deeper each time.
Competencies, values & contemporary issues
7 CBE core competencies
- Communication & collaboration
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Creativity & imagination
- Citizenship
- Digital literacy
- Learning to learn
- Self-efficacy
Values
- Integrity
- Responsibility
- Respect
- Excellence
- Unity
- Patriotism
Pertinent & contemporary issues
- Digital citizenship & online safety
- Data protection & privacy
- AI ethics, bias & fairness
- Environmental sustainability (compute cost)
- Financial literacy & entrepreneurship
- Inclusion & accessibility
- Mental well-being & healthy screen habits
- Career & life skills
The 6 units in full
LNC-U1 · Level 3 · Months 1–2 · 70 GLH · Internal portfolio
Problem, customer, evidence
Strand: Customer discovery & validation
Key inquiry: “How do we know a problem is real and worth solving — before we build anything?”
You ship: A validated problem brief backed by real customer interviews and a riskiest-assumption test.
LO1 · Discovery
- AC 1.1 Identify a real problem and the segment that has it
- AC 1.2 Run customer interviews about past behaviour, not opinions
LO2 · Validation
- AC 2.1 Name the riskiest assumption and design a test for it
- AC 2.2 Decide go / pivot / stop from the evidence
Core competencies
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Communication & collaboration
- Citizenship
PCIs addressed
- Financial literacy & entrepreneurship
- Career & life skills
Hands-on practice
- Interview ten people with the problem; synthesise patterns.
- Run a landing-page or concierge test of the core assumption.
- Present a go/no-go decision backed by data.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Gathers evidence with guidance. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Independently validates a riskiest assumption. |
| Distinction | Produces investor-grade evidence for a real opportunity. |
LNC-U2 · Level 3 · Months 3–4 · 80 GLH · Internal portfolio
Design & prototype the solution
Strand: Product design & prototyping
Before this unit: A validated problem brief (Unit 1).
Key inquiry: “Before building for real, how do we test that our solution shape actually works for users?”
You ship: A tested, clickable prototype validated with real users against the problem.
LO1 · Design the flow
- AC 1.1 Map the user journey and design the core flow
- AC 1.2 Make the flow simple, inclusive and accessible
LO2 · Prototype & test
- AC 2.1 Build a clickable prototype of the core value
- AC 2.2 Run usability tests and iterate on the evidence
Core competencies
- Creativity & imagination
- Communication & collaboration
- Critical thinking & problem solving
PCIs addressed
- Inclusion & accessibility
- Career & life skills
Hands-on practice
- Storyboard the core user journey end to end.
- Build a clickable prototype and test it with five users.
- Cut every feature that is not the core value.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Prototypes with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Runs usability tests and iterates independently. |
| Distinction | Validates a solution shape users clearly want. |
LNC-U3 · Level 3 · Months 5–7 · 110 GLH · Internal portfolio
From validated idea to AI MVP
Strand: Product engineering with AI
Before this unit: A validated brief and a tested prototype (Units 1–2).
Key inquiry: “What is the smallest AI product that delivers the core value — and nothing else?”
You ship: A deployed AI MVP (LLM/RAG or ML) in real users’ hands, instrumented for learning.
LO1 · Thin-slice build
- AC 1.1 Scope a vertical slice and build the core AI feature end to end
- AC 1.2 Add evaluation, guardrails and a fallback for when AI is wrong
LO2 · Ship & measure
- AC 2.1 Deploy with monitoring, activation and retention metrics
- AC 2.2 Run a build–measure–learn loop and log what changed
Core competencies
- Creativity & imagination
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Self-efficacy
PCIs addressed
- AI ethics, bias & fairness
- Data protection & privacy
Hands-on practice
- Ship the thinnest useful version to real users this month.
- Instrument activation and retention; read the numbers weekly.
- Red-team your own AI for safety and failure modes.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Ships a working MVP for the happy path. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Adds evaluation, metrics and iterates independently. |
| Distinction | Ships a measured, hardened MVP with real retained users. |
LNC-U4 · Level 3 · Months 8–9 · 60 GLH · Internal portfolio
Team, execution & operating cadence
Strand: Team & execution
Before this unit: A live MVP with early users (Unit 3).
Key inquiry: “How does a small team ship reliably every week without burning out?”
You ship: A mentor-reviewed sprint system with clear roles and a shipping cadence you sustain.
LO1 · Team
- AC 1.1 Define roles and run mentor-led sprints
- AC 1.2 Give and act on peer and mentor review
LO2 · Cadence
- AC 2.1 Plan, ship and run a retro every week
- AC 2.2 Protect focus and a sustainable pace
Core competencies
- Communication & collaboration
- Self-efficacy
- Critical thinking & problem solving
PCIs addressed
- Career & life skills
- Mental well-being & healthy screen habits
Hands-on practice
- Run weekly sprints with clear owners.
- Hold a retro and change one thing each week.
- Track what shipped vs planned and close the gap.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Works in sprints with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Runs a reliable cadence with a team independently. |
| Distinction | Leads a team that ships predictably and improves. |
LNC-U5 · Level 3 · Months 10–11 · 70 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Traction, growth & business model
Strand: Growth & venture-building
Before this unit: A shipping team and a live product (Units 3–4).
Key inquiry: “What has to be true for this to become a company, not just a project?”
You ship: A traction dashboard and a defensible business model tied to real metrics.
LO1 · Business model
- AC 1.1 Model pricing, costs and unit economics for the product
- AC 1.2 Choose a growth channel and test it
LO2 · Traction
- AC 2.1 Instrument activation and retention
- AC 2.2 Improve the metric that matters most
Core competencies
- Communication & collaboration
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Self-efficacy
PCIs addressed
- Financial literacy & entrepreneurship
- Career & life skills
Hands-on practice
- Run a pricing experiment and read willingness-to-pay.
- Build a live metrics dashboard the whole team trusts.
- Test one growth channel and measure it honestly.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Defines a basic model and tracks a metric. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Tests growth and improves unit economics independently. |
| Distinction | Shows real traction with a credible path to a company. |
LNC-U6 · Level 3 · Month 12 · 60 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Demo Day & the raise
Strand: Pitching & investment readiness
Before this unit: Traction and a working model (Units 3–5).
Key inquiry: “How do you tell the true story of your product so the right people back it?”
You ship: A Demo-Day pitch, data room and investor-ready narrative delivered to a real panel.
LO1 · Narrative & pitch
- AC 1.1 Craft a clear, evidence-led pitch and deliver it live
- AC 1.2 Handle hard questions honestly with data
LO2 · Investment readiness
- AC 2.1 Assemble a data room a partner could diligence
- AC 2.2 Explain the ask, the use of funds and the milestones
Core competencies
- Communication & collaboration
- Creativity & imagination
- Self-efficacy
PCIs addressed
- Financial literacy & entrepreneurship
- Career & life skills
Hands-on practice
- Rehearse the pitch under fire from mentors and peers.
- Prepare a real data room for technical due diligence.
- Pitch at Demo Day to the hiring-partner and investor network.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Delivers a clear pitch with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Pitches independently with a solid data room. |
| Distinction | Delivers an investable pitch that earns real follow-up. |
What you walk away with
A portfolio of 6 real, shipped artefacts — one per unit, assessed to standard.
- 1 A validated problem brief backed by real customer interviews and a riskiest-assumption test.
- 2 A tested, clickable prototype validated with real users against the problem.
- 3 A deployed AI MVP (LLM/RAG or ML) in real users’ hands, instrumented for learning.
- 4 A mentor-reviewed sprint system with clear roles and a shipping cadence you sustain.
- 5 A traction dashboard and a defensible business model tied to real metrics.
- 6 A Demo-Day pitch, data room and investor-ready narrative delivered to a real panel.
Assessment rubric (CBE & Cambridge)
| CBE level | Cambridge grade | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|---|
| Below expectation | Not yet Pass | Cannot yet demonstrate the outcome unaided; work is incomplete or does not run. Needs re-teaching and another attempt. |
| Approaching expectation | Pass | Meets every assessment criterion with guidance. The artefact works for the happy path and the learner can explain what it does. |
| Meeting expectation | Merit | Meets all criteria independently, handles edge cases, evaluates the result, and justifies design decisions from first principles. |
| Exceeding expectation | Distinction | Ships a production-grade artefact to real users, critiques trade-offs (cost, latency, safety), and extends beyond the brief with original work. |