EAS 5450

In-class Discussion Topic(s) Readings, Case Studies and Assignments
Introduction: Seizing the Opportunity
  • High-Tech Ventures: Overview I
  • Louis Agassiz as a Teacher
  • The Innovators DNA
  • The New Venture
  • Expect the Unexpected
  • Hewlett Packard: Creating, Running and Growing an Enduring Company
  • High-Tech Ventures: Overview II
  • The Winning Strategy
  • Vermeer Technologies (A, A-1, B, C)
  • Intellectual Property and IP Strategy
  • Intellectual Property & Strategy
  • Palm Computing, Inc. (A)
  • High-Tech Product Development
  • Early Stage Sales & Marketing
  • Concept Testing
  • Product Development: A Customer-Driven Approach
  • The Sales Learning Curve
  • Sales & Marketing $0-1 Million
  • Product-Market Fit
  • Customer Discovery & Validation
  • Hypothesis-Driven Entrepreneurship: The Lean Startup
  • Dropbox: “It Just Works”
  • High-Tech Market Strategy: Crossing the Chasm
  • Conjoint Analysis
  • Innovating for Cash
  • Palm Computing: The Pilot Organizer
  • Pricing Strategy
  • Market Strategy, Segmentation & Positioning
  • Note on Marketing Strategy
  • Principles of Pricing
  • LinkedIn (A)
  • Understanding Financial Statements
  • Business Model Canvas
  • The Power of Virtual Integration: Interview with Michael Dell
  • Business Models
  • Decision Trees & Expected Value
  • Present Value Analysis
  • Product Development at Dell Computer
  • Operations Strategy & Strategic Alliances
  • FDA Regulatory Process
  • Note on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
  • Nucleon, Inc.
  • Venture Finance: It’s More Than Just the Money
  • Bootstrap Finance: The Art of Start-ups
  • Raising Startup Capital
  • The Venture Capital Method
  • Convertible Notes in Seed Financing
  • Negotiation Skills
  • Deal Structure & Term Sheets
  • You Can Negotiate with Venture Capitalists
  • Evaluating Venture Capital Term Sheets
  • IPO Process & Considerations
  • Venture Capital Problem Set
  • A Note on the Initial Public Offering Process
  • Facebook, Inc.: The Initial Public Offering
  • Open Innovation
  • Capital Requirements & Alternatives
  • The Era of Open Innovation
  • Palm Computing, Inc. 1995: Financing Challenges
  • Ownership & Compensation
  •  Equity Splits & Cash Compensation
  • How Much is Sweat Equity Worth?
  • NanoGene Technologies, Inc.
  • Strategic Business Model Decisions
  • Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer
  • The Entrepreneurial Opportunity of Disruptive Technology
  • Leadership and Vision
  • What Is Disruptive Innovation?
  • Level 5 Leadership
  • The Spoiled Startup: Too Much Money is a Bad Thing
  • MIPS Computer Systems
  • Leadership and Crossing the Chasm
  • Note on the Hiring & Selection Process
  • Hiring is Hard Work
  • First Who… Then What
  • Vinod Khosla and Sun Microsystems (A)
  • Leadership & Motivation
  • Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work
  • Life/Work Article
  • Visionary Design Systems: Are Incentives Enough?
  • Scaling a Startup
  • Growing Up by Staying Young
  • Scaling a Startup: People & Organizational Issues
  • N12 Technologies: Building an Organization & Building a Business
  • Leadership and Execution
  • Leading by Leveraging Culture
  • Momenta Corporation (A, B)
  • Leadership in High-Tech Ventures
  • Wrap-up: Harvesting and Giving Back
  • Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?
  • Reflections on (Schumpeterian) Leadership
  • Bridging the Gap Between Stewards & Creators