sandpit sessions

Our Sandpit Sessions are collaborative learning opportunities enriched by invited experts. They provide a space to share knowledge, tackle challenges together, and learn from both peer experiences and expert insights. Each session focuses on a specific topic or skill, driven by your interests. After the session, stick around for drinks, snacks, brainstorming, and connecting with the community!

From Product to Pilot Customers: Customer Discovery that Leads to Interviews and Pilots | 1 June 2026 - 3-6 PM

This session equips early-stage startup teams to turn a product idea into real customer learning fast. We sharpen target segment and use case, translate critical assumptions into strong interview questions, and build a practical recruiting plan so teams can quickly secure conversations with potential customers and validate what truly drives pilot adoption.

  • Expected outcomes for participants
    • Clarity on customer blind spots: which assumptions are critical, uncertain, and currently biasing decisions
    • A ready-to-use interview guide: structured questions that reveal context, triggers, decision dynamics, and success criteria
    • A concrete “how to get interviews” plan: channels, outreach messages, value proposition 

Felix Günther supports early-stage startup teams in building traction through customer discovery and pragmatic go-to-market focus. As a founder and venture builder, he has designed and delivered numerous workshops and coaching sessions on segment selection, use case validation, interview design, and early-stage sales. In the u:seed program, he works hands-on with teams to reduce uncertainty, speak to the right customers, and translate customer insights into concrete next steps toward pilot customers and first revenue.

Register here
COMING SOON | See you in winter semester 26/27

PAST SANDPIT SESSIONS

PROBLEM TREE: FINDING YOUR IMPACT FOCUS

#ExpertLed
With Laura Tietz.
13 may 2026 – 4-6 PM

In this session, hosted by the Social Impact Award (SIA), we help you channel your passion into a clear plan. Using the Problem Tree method, we will peel back the layers of the issues you care about.

OLD SCHOOL MARKETING

#ExpertLed
With Georg Conrad-Billroth.
13 april 2026 – 4-6 PM

This session highlights the strategic aspects of marketing and helps develop an understanding of the power and limitations of marketing activities. It reviews the “old school” Marketing Mix and discusses its importance today, while also explaining the product life cycle and product portfolio to show how products are managed over time.

From Spin-off to Scale-up: Scaling Readiness Lab & Key Success Components

#ExpertLed
With Petra Wolkenstein and Michael Kubiena.
6 march 2026 – 8:30-10 AM
Understand what scaling readiness really means, identify strengths and gaps, and get practical guidance to prioritise next steps and build a clear scaling roadmap.

Company Formation & Fundraising Fundamentals

#ExpertLed
With Felix Kernbichler.
23 january 2026 – 3-6PM
This session is designed to make the early startup journey feel less overwhelming. We will discuss how to properly establish your company, walk through the key considerations for agreements with co-founders, and break down how fundraising works so you feel prepared for future growth.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Automate Your Startup in Just Minutes

#PeerLed
With Martin Leitner.
1 December 2025 – 4-6PM
Learn how to automate everyday startup operations using no-to-low-code tools. In this hands-on session, you’ll build your own workflow to save time and focus on what really matters: growing your startup.

 
Demand Understanding

#ExpertLed
With Felix Günther.
18 June 2026 – 5-8PM
In this session, you will learn a clear framework to understand who buys what, why, and when, and how to turn assumptions into testable hypotheses and real-world experiments. Using the Demand Canvas, you will connect your offer with real customer goals, triggers, and alternatives, so come prepared with a clear view of your customer segments, value proposition, and existing competition.
The first 10 seconds

#ExpertLed
With U-Shin Kim.
26 July 2025 – 1-3PM

In this session, U-Shin Kim shares practical techniques to overcome stage fright, sharpen your communication skills, and craft a compelling opening that captures attention instantly. Learn how to tell your story with confidence and impact from the very first moment.

 
Strategic Analysis in Action: Using SWOT and PESTEL

#ExpertLed
With Ardita Gjeçi.
16 May 2025 – 4-6PM

In this session, you will apply SWOT and PESTEL frameworks to analyze your business environment and strategic position. The session helps you identify internal strengths and weaknesses, assess external opportunities and threats, and translate strategic analysis into clear, actionable insights.
ORBIT by MIT

#PeerLed
With Cosmin Combos.
18 April 2025 – 4-6PM

This session introduces MIT’s Orbit platform, a central hub for entrepreneurial resources that helps founders and students explore tools, frameworks, and opportunities to support venture development.

 
How to validate ideas and generate revenue faster

#PeerLed
With Gabriel Sperrer.
10 February 2025 – 4-6PM

In this session, a team shares how they validated their idea and generated revenue faster by testing demand early and focusing on paying customers from the start. Participants gain insight into the concrete steps, experiments, and real decisions that helped them move quickly from concept to first sales.

 
MVP - Minimum Viable Product & CollaboratED

#PeerLed
With Daniela Martinez.
18 October 2024 – 4-6PM

This session showcases a team’s journey in developing their Minimum Viable Product (MVP), sharing how they approached validation, iteration, and learning through practice. Participants gain insight into real decisions, challenges, and lessons learned while building an MVP.

 

FAQs

The program is open to all students, existing founders, potential founders, and peers interested in entrepreneurship, societal impact, and related topics.

To attend a Sandpit Session, registration is required. You will receive a reminder the day before the session and will be asked to confirm your participation. This helps us offer available spots to people on the waiting list, as places are limited.

No prior knowledge or experience is required. The Sandpit Sessions are designed to provide insights into entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and related topics for everyone, with or without prior exposure.

contact

Have questions about the focus sessions? Need more information about the sessions, how to register and when the next focus session will take place? Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help! Simply write a message to entrepreneurship@univie.ac.at and we will get back to you as soon as possible.