Instructor: Asher Waldfogel and Bill Wurz
The purpose of this course is to provide an entrepreneurial view of new business formation. It is taught through the lens of creating a business plan. Students may develop plans individually or working in teams.
The course is divided into five modules (one per session) and a final session where each individual or team will present their plan.
While the "venture" notion may lead you to think of Sand Hill Road, technology-rich ideas and khaki trousers, this course takes a broader view of venture. We'd prefer the notions to be more ambitious and--shall we say "sustainable"--than an ice cream truck. But a variety of ventures qualify--if your ambition is to run a design business or construction company then this is a great opportunity to test your assumptions and develop your business model. If you are developing a venture with intellectual property, this is a chance to explore business models, funding and think through competition and differentiation.
Required readings for the semester include:
• New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century, by Jeffry A. Timmons and Stephen Spinelli, Jr.
• Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers, by Geoffrey A. Moore
• Social Media Marketing an Hour a Day, by Dave Evans
The final project in this class is to build a business around an offering. This includes a business plan but also, other materials for communicating business opportunities. This is also the students' final project in the program, representing a kind of "thesis" project that demonstrates and integrates all of their learning in the program.
The purpose of this course is to provide an entrepreneurial view of new business formation. It is taught through the lens of creating a business plan. Students may develop plans individually or working in teams.
The course is divided into five modules (one per session) and a final session where each individual or team will present their plan.
While the "venture" notion may lead you to think of Sand Hill Road, technology-rich ideas and khaki trousers, this course takes a broader view of venture. We'd prefer the notions to be more ambitious and--shall we say "sustainable"--than an ice cream truck. But a variety of ventures qualify--if your ambition is to run a design business or construction company then this is a great opportunity to test your assumptions and develop your business model. If you are developing a venture with intellectual property, this is a chance to explore business models, funding and think through competition and differentiation.
Required readings for the semester include:
• New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century, by Jeffry A. Timmons and Stephen Spinelli, Jr.
• Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers, by Geoffrey A. Moore
• Social Media Marketing an Hour a Day, by Dave Evans
The final project in this class is to build a business around an offering. This includes a business plan but also, other materials for communicating business opportunities. This is also the students' final project in the program, representing a kind of "thesis" project that demonstrates and integrates all of their learning in the program.