Entrepreneurial Creativity with Dr. Fretz at the University of Michigan
This wasn’t just a class – this was Fretz.
For over a decade, Michigan alum–turned–mad scientist–turned–professor Dr. Eric Fretz ran an unforgettable experiment: give students total creative freedom, challenge them to “do epic sh*t,” and watch the magic unfold. What emerged wasn’t just ideas—it was 600+ wildly unique, collaborative, and entrepreneurial projects that no other class dared to attempt.
If you want to keep up with whatever this guy does next (trust us, it’s never boring – perhaps a book arriving later this year??), join the email list and get a sneak peek at his new book below.
What They Said When it was All Over.
One of the biggest undertakings of this project was reaching out to every student who ever took 223. Over 5,000 students.
Their stories — funny, raw, and powerful — are what make this course unforgettable.
Click below to explore our full archive of testimonials — including a video testimonial from Bengals running back Chris Evans.
Projects
Each semester, students team up to build real, functioning projects from scratch. With Dr. Fretz and a squad of GSIs guiding the way, they go from brainstorm to launch — testing, tweaking, and presenting it all at the final showcase.
The only rule and grading standard? Do epic sh*t.
01
The Hall of Fame
This is it. The cream of the crop.
Projects so good there’s a real chance you’ve already heard of them.
02
Clever Inventions
What if you wanted a picture of Jim Harbaugh on a piece of toast? (Who wouldn’t?). I’d recommend clicking that button.
03
The Best Events
From athlete awards to a dance class that (we promise) had nothing to do with poles — these are the events that left a mark.
04
Coolest Tech
Exactly what you’d expect from Michigan students — clever, overengineered, and occasionally genius.
Yes, even better cell reception at football games.
05
The Biggest Troublemakers
We’ve had our fair share of troublemakers.
Nothing that should threaten the existence of the class itself… right?
06
Notable Commercial Success
These weren’t just class projects — they became startups, brands, and side hustles.
Some still make money. Some got funding. All started right here.
The Lessons Within the Launches.
We’ve seen the fruits of the class — the projects, the ideas, the chaos turned into clarity. But what was actually taught that made all this possible?
A few of the things Fretz touches on in our Lessons page will be…
- What is common on the very good to great project teams?
- What guarantees failure? (honestly, this was thankfully rare, but never absent)
Along with other tidbits and helpful insights he gained after teaching 5,000 students, go take a look at our Lessons page.
The Team behind the Website.
Hey!! We couldn’t be happier that you’re here supporting Fretz and what he’s created.
We’re four friends who met freshman year at the University of Michigan, bonded over shared chaos (and creativity), and teamed up for this project as part of our entrepreneurship minor. While we couldn’t stop Psych/ALA 223 from ending, we built this site to celebrate everything it meant—to us, to Fretz, and to the thousands of students who came before.
Thanks for being part of it. 🫶
