Startups and Entrepreneurship

Participants will receive basic instruction on principles for defining, launching, structuring, and building a promising technical venture, and experience in doing a few of the initial steps. Topics will include:

• Sources of innovative high-tech opportunities
• Business definitions; value propositions
• Competitive edge, distinctive competence, proprietary technology, IP protection
• Use models, product prototypes
• Business models, the business model canvas, partnerships
• Business pitches, vision and mission statements, mantras, corporate identity
• Market and sales planning; go-to-market plan; product marketing
• Financing and financial management of high technology ventures; forecasting models
• Leadership, management, human resource, and ethical issues
• Entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this module students should be able to:

• Understand the technology business start-up environment, especially the software industry
• Know principles, strategies, and tactics for creating a successful technical business.