EE204: Business Management for
Electrical Engineers and Computer Scientists

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The Startup Game

 

Game Summary

The Startup Game is an entrepreneurial simulation that is designed to provide a real sense of the negotiating, strategizing, and chaos that is inherent in the entrepreneurial experience. You will take on one of three roles: employee, investor, or founder.

Employees will have to think carefully about how to market their skills and how much those skills are worth. They must negotiate their salary and equity options from the company. The work is not over once a job is secured; as with all young companies, employees wear many hats. Be an advocate for the company and help secure investments and the new team.

Investors must identify the best companies in which to invest. They must consider the company potential, the founder, and the employees. The key component to investing is negotiating equity with the founders. Equity can be leverage, but giving up too much capital for it, or to the wrong company, will have consequences.

Each founder or group of co-founders will inherit a company with specific needs of raising capital and acquiring highly skilled employees. There is enough overlap between company requirements that founders will need to develop a sound strategy to reach their goals. Founders must decide how much equity they are willing to give up in order to reach those goals. The more investors and skilled employees like the company, the bigger the piece of pie they will hope to secure.

All decisions will be finalized by the founders and once completed, may only be undone by the founders. Therefore consider your actions carefully, but don't wait too long. Moves, like companies, are made quickly in The Startup Game!

Timeline