In-class Discussion Topic(s)

Readings, Case Studies and Assignments

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