Technology Entrepreneurship – Stanford University

Technology Entrepreneurship,

Charles Eesley , Assistant Professor, Stanford University

Introduction : http://e145.stanford.edu/session1

Stanford University offered a free online classes for interested people around the globe. I was fortunate to take this course and participate in the entrepreneurship project and thought to share my learning’s.

Well, this course introduces the fundamentals of technology entrepreneurship, pioneered in Silicon Valley and now spreading across the world. You will learn the process technology entrepreneurs use to start companies. It involves taking a technology idea and finding a high-potential commercial opportunity, gathering resources such as talent and capital, figuring out how to sell and market the idea, and managing rapid growth.

By the conclusion of the course, it is our hope that you understand how to:

1. Articulate a process for taking a technology idea and finding a high-potential commercial opportunity (high performing students will be able to discuss the pros and cons of alternative theoretical models).
2. Create and verify a plan for gathering resources such as talent and capital.
3. Create and verify a business model for how to sell and market an entrepreneurial idea.
4. Generalize this process to an entrepreneurial mindset of turning problems into opportunities that can be used in larger companies and other settings.

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Who is this Course For?

This course is designed for all backgrounds and majors, including science, engineering, and humanities students who seek to understand what the entrepreneurial mindset and its key processes are about. Topics introduced in this course are relevant for future founders of enterprises, as well as the future employees of a independent or corporate startup.

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How Do We Teach this Course?

Through lectures and projects that cover high-growth ventures in information technology, electronics, life sciences, green technology and other industries, this course provides the student with the tools necessary to successfully identify a true business opportunity and to start, grow and maintain a technology enterprise. We will cover material organized in four modules:

1. The Entrepreneurial Perspective
2. Opportunity Recognition and Evaluation
3. Assembling Resources and Managing Growth
4. Entrepreneurship and You

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How Will You Learn?

Entrepreneurship is both an individual and team activity. Therefore this course incorporates both individual and group efforts. Students form project teams early in the quarter and meet regularly to prepare for class discussion. We encourage students to build groups with people from a diversity of majors and from the U.S. and abroad.

Each team will be required to complete written case analyses throughout the quarter. Teams are also required to complete two papers and class presentations regarding an “Opportunity Analysis Plan” as well as an “Opportunity Execution Plan.” In addition, students complete a “Personal Business Plan” using methods learned in the course.

Group discussion is encouraged in preparing for both the team and individual assignments. Note that learning to successfully manage group dynamics, including conflicts and roles, is a key educational component of the course.

More about the course at http://www.eesley.blogspot.com/p/class-description.html

Startup Team: Instructions

Please read these instructions very carefully. In this stage, you will form teams for the main class (startup) project. Note that the composition of your team is one of the most important factors in its success.

1. Watch the video on team composition on Professor Eesley’s Blog. You can also read Chapter 12 in Technology Ventures for more information.
2. From the startup teams menu click on the button next to team designation: here you will specify whether you wish to participate in the project, and whether or not you are already in a complete team. If you do not have a team, or your team is open to having new members you will be able to search other members’ profiles and contact them.
3. Edit your profile: make sure that you give enough information about yourself, about your ideal team, and the project you wish to work on. By sharing more information, you will increase the likelihood of finding good teammates.
4. Search: you will be able to search on other member’s profile using their Country, career aspiration, industry sector, hours, and keywords (including name and personal statement). You can take a look at their profiles and send them a request to explore the possibility of becoming teammates. Note that you can only send a request to a person once! Your request will include a link to your profile and your email address. You can also include a message with more information about yourself. You can contact at most 50 people to form a team.
5. Follow up, get to know, and possibly meet your teammates: adding someone as a teammate is far more consequential than friending them on facebook or adding them as a contact on Linkedin. You will be working with your teammate on a project that you may be (or become passionate) about. It is very important that you become familiar with your teammate and you get the sense that you will enjoy working with them. Talk to them over the phone, hangout on G+, meet (in a public place, use your judgment)! Do not restrict yourself to the search feature. Participate in meet ups or organize one!
6. Form a team, and choose a team leader: your team leader will be like the CEO of the company: he or she will be responsible for adding members, dividing the responsibilities, and entering the reports. You can only designate one team leader. The team leader enters the name of the team, and the names of other team members. Our system will send the team members an invitation and they can join the team by accepting it.
   
   We are looking forward to working with the strong teams you will be forming and to your projects!

The Venture-lab team