Date:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Summary: How do entrepreneurs set priorities when gathering financial resources? Today's session introduces the topic of venture finance.
Quote of the Day: "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." ~
Booker T. WashingtonGuests (Click for Bios)
Ravi Belani, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Study Questions (
Policy on Study Questions.)
- What are the primary reasons and benefits to create a business plan? What are the most important sections and why? Skim one of the two sample business plans in Appendix A of Technology Ventures, depending on your personal preference for either information technology or life science technology. Note the different outline and format of both plans.
- In your opinion, what is the most important risk to reduce in a startup? Is it technology, market, team, or financial? Why?
- How do high tech entrepreneurs finance their ventures? What do venture capitalists do? What is the structure of a typical venture capital firm? How does a typical firm operate?
Team Effectiveness Exercise
Please confirm completion of the "I like ... and I wish" team exercise from Session 11 by emailing the e145-homework@lists alias by 9 AM. Use the standard header format with "Team Effectiveness" as the name of the assignment.Required Readings (
Policy on Required Readings.)
Watch the following short video clips: