These are some guidelines for an improv class.

• Improv is a trial by fire.
• Don’t deny the reality in front of you; react to the world as it is.
• Ditch your inhibitions.
• If you have a good idea, run with it. If you don’t, it could falter. Commitment matters more than the idea.
• Take the initiative to develop your character; otherwise, someone else will.
• Adapt your character as the improv session evolves. Don’t worry about what it looked like 5 minutes ago—that scene is already over. You have to react in the present.
• Improv is about everyone contributing little actions and lines that make the scene killer. It’s not about who said the smartest line; it’s about the whole.
• Figure out how to make others look good. Letting others shine gives them an incentive to let you shine.
• Be in the moment. Don’t focus on who’s watching, on looking dumb, or on being wrong. Instead, focus on what you’re doing.
• You have to take (a little) time to think—but then, be willing to own the spotlight.
• If your performance is inspirational, the others will want to step up.
• Improv teaches you that you control very little, except your performance and how you react. The rest depends on other actors, the audience, and a bit of luck and timing.
• A situation may look bad or good, but every situation is an opportunity.

This is also startups.

Your startup is an improv class.