Curriculum in Focus: SOM Launches Direct-to-Consumer Entrepreneurship Course

In an era where traditional retail gatekeepers have given way to Instagram storefronts and TikTok virality, the path to launching a successful consumer brand has fundamentally changed. This fall, Yale School of Management introduced a new course designed specifically for this landscape: Direct to Consumer (DTC) Entrepreneurship, taught by Laura Jones (LJ) Joukovski, CEO of DFTBA and former CEO of JustFab.

The course addresses a critical gap in entrepreneurship education: how to actually win customers and scale profitably in today's competitive consumer market. While many aspiring entrepreneurs have compelling product ideas, understanding how to acquire customers cost-effectively, build lasting relationships, and create sustainable unit economics often separates successful ventures from those that struggle.

Joukovski describes her teaching approach as being "a student of entrepreneurship alongside the class – to explore what we can learn together from real ventures, while layering in tactical skill-building and sharing insights from being ‘in the trenches.’”

Students dive deep into the metrics that matter: lifetime value (LTV), customer acquisition cost (CAC), conversion rate optimization, and the media strategies that determine whether a brand will thrive. The curriculum takes students through the entire growth journey, from understanding what creates competitive advantage (dissecting success stories like Glossier and Bombas) to mastering the tactical execution of multi-channel campaigns.

"I open every session with the formula I believe drives winning consumer businesses: Data + Empathy, firmly rooted in unit economics," Joukovski explains. "If that sticks, I'll be happy."

The course is particularly timely. As Joukovski notes, "The course examines a generation of ventures born out of the last major disruption – when the digital era transformed how people spent time and money. We now find ourselves in another moment of disruption as AI reshapes both business models and consumer behavior."

Each session combines rigorous case analysis with hands-on activities. Students build funnels, design lifecycle campaigns, and pitch to imaginary influencer partners. The course explicitly embraces modern tools: students are encouraged to use AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude as collaborators in their strategic thinking, reflecting how today's founders actually work.

Guest speakers from the industry provide insider perspectives on creative testing and content partnerships. The course culminates in a comprehensive final project where students develop a complete multi-channel growth campaign for either an existing DTC brand or a venture of their own creation.

Joukovski emphasizes how the course connects to broader entrepreneurship education: "Entrepreneurship is the ultimate cross-functional pursuit. The broader SOM curriculum equips students with skills across leadership, finance, operations, and marketing. This course builds on that foundation by applying those tools to real consumer-facing ventures."

For Yale SOM students interested in entrepreneurship – whether planning to launch their own venture, join an early-stage startup, or bring entrepreneurial thinking to established companies – DTC Entrepreneurship offers practical, actionable insights on how to grow a consumer business in 2025. "I hope students find inspiration in each other,” Joukovski reflects, “and see this course as a springboard to whatever entrepreneurial paths they choose to explore next."

Direct to Consumer (DTC) Entrepreneurship is offered during fall-2 on Tuesdays from 2:40 - 5:40 PM.