

Stanford Online Classes Disappeared  - ricksta

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, a few courses like Lean Startup, Tech Entrepreneurship are no longer there.<p>http://www.nlp-class.org/
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polivka
You're right. They seem to have disappeared. I recently received 2 very
similar emails from two of the Stanford classes. Both emails stated that a
tremendous amount of people have signed up for the class (over 50,000) but
that the classes would be delayed in launching.

I'm curious if some of the delays in launch are to allow some of the
instructors to hastily cobble together the textbooks that they are using for
these classes. For example, the Stanford SAAS class starting this February is
taking a "customer development" approach to the class textbook. The SAAS class
is testing the textbook on a Berkeley class and then testing it on the 50,000
people signed up. But they aren't just "testing" it, they are selling it at a
reduced rate ($9.99 on Kindle) for the early adopters who use the alpha
electronic version in the class. They are also launching an iPad and print
version. Such a brilliant way to craft an excellent book with user driven
errata reporting and feedback while making a great profit on a first class of
over 50,000 people. This free class business model is going to make a pretty
penny. Here's a link to the SAAS book: <http://beta.saasbook.info/>

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ricksta
Thats quite a good business model. Offer free course, earn money on textbook.
I think the economic of scale here can give world class educators good
incentives to teach good courses, and affordable enough for the masses to get
the education.

Too bad the Lean Launchpad and Tech Entrepreneurship class seem to be gone. I
was really looking forward to those.

~~~
polivka
Update, the Lean Launchpad course is not gone. Steve Blank just sent out an
email notifying students that the class is delayed but will launch in the next
60 days.

I thought my hypotheses may have been incorrect because Steve Blank already
has a book that he could use in the class (4 steps to the epiphany). However,
looks like he is double timing it to release a new book for the Lean Launchpad
class.

Snippets of the email from Steve Blank:

"First the bad news: I wanted to update you that the start of my upcoming
online Lean LaunchPad will be delayed. But the good news is that, I will
indeed be launching an online LaunchPad course. It will be offered within the
next 60 days. Why the delay? I am revamping the Lean LaunchPad class to base
the new course on my new book, The Startup Owner's Manual (The book that is
just what its subtitle says: the step-by-step guide to building a great
company). This book replaces its 10-year-old predecessor, The Four Steps to
the Epiphany. So the course and The Startup Owner's Manual will both provide
you with ten years of real-world learning amassed since The Four Steps to the
Epiphany was first published.

The Lean LaunchPad course will be in modules you can take asynchronously and
digest at your leisure, ideally with your fellow startup team members. If you
want to get a head start, you can buy the recommended text, The Startup
Owner's Manual. (The book is recommended, but not required, for course
participants.)"

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SingAlong
Just to confirm: even the Lean Launchpad site is now down
<http://www.launchpad-class.org/> I had been wondering when it would start
since it was supposed to start this month.

~~~
chokolad
According to this [http://steveblank.com/2012/02/09/two-giant-steps-forward-
for...](http://steveblank.com/2012/02/09/two-giant-steps-forward-for-
entrepreneurs/) class is being updated for new material and will be offered in
60 days.

(Read to the end of the link)

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zeynalov
Anatomy course had to start in January. They emailed me that it will start in
February. And now I got an email that they start in March. What's going on?! I
thought Stanford is one of quality Universities in the world.

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hodder
This is pretty disappointing. I hope the lack of an update means it will just
be delayed, or maybe this is just wishful thinking.

