{"690069":{"#nid":"690069","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Inside CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab: A Foundation for Entrepreneurial Thinking","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t need an idea to begin. You don\u2019t need a co\u2011founder, a pitch deck, or a perfect plan. What you need is curiosity, a willingness to talk to real people, and a place where it\u2019s safe to learn by doing. That\u2019s exactly what CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab delivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOmar Garcia Urdiales, CREATE\u2011X\u2019s associate director of Learn, brings a global entrepreneurial experience to Georgia Tech: founder and CEO of a startup operating in the AWS Accelerator Loft, longtime startup coach in Europe\u2019s major innovation hubs, lecturer across multiple universities, and an external doctoral researcher in entrepreneurship and digitalization. He\u2019s used this background to blueprint the course\u2019s new design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder his leadership, Startup Lab now anchors the Institute\u2019s entrepreneurial pathway with a clearer structure, a unified language, and a deeper focus on reflective growth, so more Georgia Tech students can discover (and trust) their own entrepreneurial judgment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Foundation\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab is not about becoming an entrepreneur, but about engaging in the unknown and adopting entrepreneurial behavior, which can be applied to all career paths,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cStudents become better equipped to identify problem spaces and solve them through evidence-based building.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course is expanding responsibly, with six sections in Atlanta and additional global sections in France and Asia-Pacific taught by faculty trained in the CREATE-X approach. Students here benefit from a program that\u2019s learning across borders and bringing that learning back to campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStart Where You Are\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrdiales emphasized that Startup Lab is built for students who are still exploring, uncertain, or are simply curious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany students tell us they\u2019re curious about entrepreneurship but feel not ready,\u201d he said. \u201cThey worry they\u2019re too introverted for customer interviews or assume Startup Lab is only for people with fully formed ideas. In fact, those are the most common misconceptions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course\u2019s first few weeks focus on training students to see struggles and patterns in the world. Then, they apply those skills on a team, exploring, designing, and testing a concept with real people. The nonnegotiable outcome isn\u2019t the best idea; it\u2019s a more confident, evidence-driven version of you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Lab is strengthening that self-awareness. All of us who are entrepreneurs, we don\u2019t grow linearly. We have various iterations of how we see things,\u201d\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EUrdiales said. \u201cThis ability to see patterns or to see problems with customer discovery, it\u2019s a learning process and a growth process.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBuilding Muscle Memory\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUrdiales said that students won\u2019t have a passive experience in the lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo become an entrepreneur, you need to do it. You need to engage with customers. You need to get out of the building,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gives you the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions and then understand these more practical outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAligning with CREATE-X\u2019s culture of continuous iteration, Urdiales is tightening the hands-on spine of the course around four simple, repeatable tools so that entrepreneurial thinking becomes muscle memory, not a one-off assignment. Students learn to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElicit grounded problem stories\u003C\/strong\u003E from real people (and separate observations from interpretations).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake explicit strategic decisions\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2014 who you serve, what you offer, how you deliver, how you get paid \u2014 and back them with discovery evidence.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExternalize your logic\u003C\/strong\u003E with clear Business Model Canvas snapshots (hypotheses \u2260 decisions \u2260 open questions).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesign minimum viable experiments (MVEs)\u003C\/strong\u003E that can \u003Cem\u003Efalsify\u003C\/em\u003E assumptions, not just confirm them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result is a course that rewards authentic discovery and iteration over performative polish.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt gives students the ability to incorporate theoretical frameworks into practical solutions,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cAnd in a lean approach like the Business Model Canvas and value propositions \u2014 these are just tools. To know how to use them is what matters, and now we\u2019re improving the execution.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReflection as a Feature\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a part of Startup Lab, instructors integrate HaradaLite reflection throughout the semester, which helps students notice patterns of work, make small experiments, and adjust based on what\u2019s learned. Students often worry they\u2019re not the founder type or that their introversion will hold them back; Startup Lab reframes those worries as raw material for growth, including communication skill building and one-on-one interactions you won\u2019t always get in higher-level courses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs long as they\u2019re listening and engaging, there\u2019s something they can take away from it,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cWe\u2019re able to show them: You\u2019re able to pivot, you\u2019re able to create, and you\u2019re able to identify problems. That makes more shots on goal much more feasible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Common Language Across CREATE\u2011X\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s no mandated order for CREATE-X courses. Startup Lab simply makes the next steps clearer by providing a shared language and milestone structure across sections and instructors, so whatever comes next (I2P, Capstone, Launch, or an internship), you can carry forward a coherent, evidence- aware story of your work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll CREATE\u2011X Learn sections will work with the same milestone objectives, with our own twist,\u201d Urdiales said. \u201cStudents trained in Startup Lab are already trained in the muscles of entrepreneurship. They\u2019re more equipped to go into Make and Launch or be a leader within their industry.\u201dBuilt To Be Inclusive Across Disciplines and Needs\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup Lab is about becoming the kind of person who can see opportunities, reason from evidence, and make better decisions when the path isn\u2019t obvious.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not need an idea or a pre\u2011built team\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2014 curiosity is enough.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou do not need special permits to enroll\u003C\/strong\u003E. Startup Lab is open to anyone ready to explore.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can benefit from the course before \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E after I2P or Capstone\u003C\/strong\u003E, since there\u2019s no fixed order to the CREATE\u2011X pathway.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroverts are welcome\u003C\/strong\u003E. The course intentionally builds communication skills through structured, low-pressure interviews and guided interaction.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat You\u2019ll Actually Do\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents in Startup Lab can expect a workshop-heavy, conversation-rich semester with weekly artifacts, scenario-based decision prompts, startup reports, and quizzes that keep you honest about what you\u2019re learning. You\u2019ll assemble a Continuity Pack near the end: a compact bundle of your best discovery evidence, decisions, MVEs, economics, and final story slides so your future self (or your I2P\/Launch application) can pick up right where you left off.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course also sets norms for modern tool use. AI is welcomed as a coach and organizer, after your own baseline thinking and research, and as an enhancement of the real conversations you have. That matters because Startup Lab\u2019s promise is that you build solid judgment under the test of uncertainty, critical to the world of today and the future that is being built.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJump Into Startup Lab\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u2019t have to have it all figured out. If you\u2019re a first-year student still exploring, a junior craving real-world projects, or a senior looking to stand out in interviews, Startup Lab is for you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeats fill quickly across all sections \u2014 and for good reason.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis course gives you the clearest, most supportive on\u2011ramp into CREATE\u2011X, with a global methodology, a unified curriculum, and instructors who believe deeply in your potential to grow. Learn how to think entrepreneurially. See the world differently. Build the confidence that will follow you long after the semester ends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegister for Startup Lab for Fall 2026\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECREATE\u2011X Startup Lab serves as the foundation of Georgia Tech\u2019s entrepreneurial pathway, giving students a structured but low\u2011pressure environment to explore the unknown and develop entrepreneurial thinking. Under the leadership of Omar Garcia Urdiales, the course has been rebooted with a clearer structure, shared language, and hands\u2011on tools that emphasize real\u2011world discovery, iteration, and reflection over polished pitches. Students learn by engaging directly with people, testing assumptions through minimum viable experiments, and documenting evidence\u2011based decisions they can carry into future courses or careers. By welcoming students from all disciplines, experience levels, and personality types, Startup Lab equips learners with confidence and transferable skills that extend far beyond entrepreneurship.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CREATE\u2011X Startup Lab has been redesigned to help Georgia Tech students build entrepreneurial confidence by learning how to navigate uncertainty, test assumptions, and develop sound judgment."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:39:04","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 13:42:35","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680124":{"id":"680124","type":"image","title":"Omar Garcia","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOmar Garcia, associate director of CREATE-X Learn, teaches Startup Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777554943","gmt_created":"2026-04-30 13:15:43","changed":"1777555243","gmt_changed":"2026-04-30 13:20:43","alt":"Omar Garcia gives a lecture in Startup Lab","file":{"fid":"264364","name":"image--7---1-.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/30\/image--7---1-.jpeg?itok=JD38L1JD"}}},"media_ids":["680124"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/learn\/startup-lab","title":"Register for Startup Lab for Fall 2026."},{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spring-startup-launch-showcase-tickets-1984784570078?aff=article","title":"Register for Startup Launch Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}