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BUS 315 — One-Person Empire: Launch a Profitable Solo Business with AI

Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Angela Chen
Duration: 8 weeks
Location: Online
Date(s): Jan 4—Mar 8
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Mondays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Please Note: No class on January 18 and February 15
Tuition: $590
   
Refund Deadline: Jan 6
 
Unit(s): 1
   
Enrollment Limit: 40
  
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
 
Quarter: Winter
Day: Mondays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jan 4—Mar 8
Unit(s): 1
Location: Online
 
Tuition: $590
 
Refund Deadline: Jan 6
 
Instructor(s): Angela Chen
 
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
 
Enrollment Limit: 40
 
Recording Available: Yes
 
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
 
Please Note: No class on January 18 and February 15
 
 
What would you build if AI could help you do the work once handled by an entire team? This hands-on course is for professionals who want to build a solo business around their expertise and goals—not a startup chasing investors, but a sustainable business they can own and operate independently.

Students will explore how AI can support each stage, from validating ideas and crafting offers to reaching customers and automating operations. Each session combines instruction with a live build demonstration, allowing students to apply concepts to their own idea in real time.

By the end, students will have:

  • Tested a business idea and published a landing page
  • Scoped and shipped an initial product or offer
  • Developed a pricing and outreach strategy
  • Identified opportunities to automate core operations
The course also introduces customer discovery, the Jobs to be Done framework, value-based pricing, and go-to-market strategy. No fully formed business idea is required; students simply need an area of expertise or skill they can turn into value for others.

No prior business or technical experience is required. This is a hands-on course, not a lecture series, and students should plan to work on a laptop rather than a phone or tablet so they can build in real time. This course relies on third-party AI tools that are not managed or supported by Stanford. Students will need to use these tools for assignments. Some tools have free versions or trials, but students may need to upgrade if usage limits are reached. Typical costs range from $25–$100 per month. See the syllabus for more details.

ANGELA CHEN
Founder, Stanford Education Entrepreneurship Hub

Angela Chen is a founder, angel investor, and instructor preparing people for a future with AI. She built an edtech product used in 80+ countries, leads AI organizational change for schools and institutions, and sits on the National AI Literacy Board. She has coached hundreds of founders and solopreneurs on early-stage strategy and AI as a competitive advantage, blending startup methodology with real builds over theory. She received an MA from Stanford and a BA and BS from the University of Pennsylvania.