The foundations of entrepreneurship in twelve chapters: from the entrepreneurial mindset and discovering opportunities, to understanding the customer and building a business model where every party wins, then testing, marketing, funding and growth. Every concept comes with an example, and every chapter with a tool readers apply to their own idea.
Entrepreneurship is not reserved for those who want to start a company. It is a way of thinking and working that everyone needs, the doctor, the teacher, the engineer and the employee, just as much as the business owner.
In this book we set out together across twelve chapters. The first four chapters lay the foundations: the concept of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurial mindset, opportunities and idea generation, and creativity and innovation. Chapters five to eight then move on to building the venture: understanding the customer and the market, the business model, testing and prototyping, and marketing. The last four chapters deal with what a venture needs in order to survive, be presented and grow: money and funding, legal and ethical aspects, pitching and persuasion, and lessons from growth and failure.
I have made sure that each chapter opens with an introduction and objectives, presents the scientific content supported by tables and examples, and closes with a summary, key terms, self-assessment questions and a discussion question, along with references for those who want to read further. I have also linked each chapter to a stop on the “course journey” and a tool in the “toolbox,” so that students move from understanding to applying it to their own venture.
Dr. Omar A. Alsamani is an associate professor at the University of Hail, working in innovation and entrepreneurship, gifted education and talent development, and creativity. He holds the Certified Chief Innovation Officer credential (CCInO®) and works on innovation strategy and building innovation ecosystems.
He earned his PhD in special education from the University of Northern Colorado in the United States, with a focus on creativity and innovation among the gifted, completing two doctoral minors: one in applied statistics and research methods, and the other in technology, innovation and pedagogy. He also holds a master's degree in gifted education and talent development from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.
His research and professional interests extend to artificial intelligence in education, entrepreneurship education, twice-exceptionality, and diagnosis and identification. His work focuses on connecting research with practice, and on building environments that help people discover their abilities and turn ideas into value and innovation.
What is entrepreneurship? How do entrepreneurs think? Where do opportunities and ideas come from? And what makes a new idea an innovation?
From idea to venture: understanding the customer and the market, a business model that satisfies all its parties, testing at the lowest cost, and reaching customers.
Numbers and funding, the legal and ethical foundation, presenting the idea and persuading others, and lessons from growth and failure.
For reading offline: the full book as a PDF.
First edition, 1448 AH / 2026. Published under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0): it may be copied, distributed and shared for non-commercial educational and research purposes, with attribution to the author and without changes to the text.