SYLLABUS NEW VENTURE LAUNCH Professor: Karin O Connor Class Day / Time: Every other Thursday / 6:30 9:30 p.m. (beginning Sept. 28). Team coaching sessions on alternate Thursdays beginning Sept. 21. Room: Global Hub Room TBA Overview: New Venture Launch is the third and final course in KIEI s Discover, Test, Launch sequence that supports students who are interested in launching their own businesses. This half-credit class focuses on preparing businesses for launch. Bi-weekly class sessions will cover go-to-market and unit economic models, alternative financing strategies, preparing and delivering effective presentations and other topics relevant to launching high-growth businesses. Venture teams will also meet individually with the instructor to discuss their progress toward launch, address issues and obstacles, and identify resources, mentorship opportunities and potential partners. Support is provided via student and class collaboration, faculty mentoring and access to industry experts. A limited amount of funding can be made available (through an application process) to help teams cover the costs of certain business and technical services, such as Google or Facebook advertising or consulting related to software architecture. While many of the student teams in New Venture Launch will be coming directly from New Venture Development, other teams that have been developing their concepts independently are also invited to apply. To be accepted, they must have already conducted considerable market research to test their value proposition with potential customers and be in the process of developing a plan for a minimum viable product (MVP). Student teams that are still in the early stages of testing to determine a potentially viable business model will be encouraged to enroll in New Venture Discovery or New Venture Development instead. New Venture Launch is held during the evening in order to accommodate teams of both evening/weekend and full-time students. At least one member of each team must be a Kellogg student, but students from other parts of the university are welcome. Team members may also be from outside the university. A major goal of the course is to enable students to articulate the elements that go into a viable business model and to prepare them to successfully present a meaningful and holistic business proposition. As a final project, each team will present its concept to a panel of early-stage investors. Where appropriate, opportunities will also be provided for teams to present to and get feedback from investors or mentors in a one-on-one setting.
Teams that have participated in this course have won hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money in competitions in recent years. 10-Week Plan Each team will submit a 10-week plan stating a final goal to be reached by quarter-end and a game plan for achieving that goal. Plan is due (via Canvas) by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 21. Weekly Progress Reports: Student teams will submit weekly progress reports by 9:00 a.m. each Thursday morning (beginning on September 28) that include: Goals for the previous week Tasks that were undertaken to achieve the goals Insights gained Plans for the upcoming week Assistance required Bi-Weekly Office Hours Meetings: Each team will attend bi-weekly sessions with the instructor to discuss progress toward launch, next steps and needs for specific types of assistance. Meetings can be scheduled either in the Global Hub or in downtown Chicago (River North) if desired for part-time students. Team Building: One of the key determinants of a positive experience throughout the course is the quality of team interaction. Class participants need to learn from/share with their team members and also interact with members of other teams. How individuals provide constructive criticism, referrals and ideas to their classmates will be evaluated as part of the participation grade for the course. Grading: Individual grades for the course will be based on both the team s performance and the individual s contribution to the team: Team Grading Weekly Progress Reports: Two- to three-page summaries of the tasks accomplished and insights gained each week. (5 pts. each week) 3- Minute Pitch: A short pitch covering pain point, target customers, solution and market potential (in class) 40% 5-Minute Go-To-Market Presentation: A presentation describing the company s chosen go-to-market strategy and unit economic model (in class) 15%
Final Presentation: A polished, professional 10-minute presentation of the venture concept for potential investors. If the venture will not be seeking outside capital, a customer presentation can be developed as an alternative. The grade will be based on scores/feedback from a panel of early-stage investor judges. Individual Grading Class Participation: This grade will be based on the individual s contribution to his or her team s progress toward launch, robust discussion in the classroom and suggestions and referrals offered to assist other teams. Final Assessment: This three- to four-page paper should focus on the key insights into the business opportunity and entrepreneurship in general that have been gained during the course. 15%
Technology Usage: Students will be allowed to use laptops in the classroom for note-taking purposes only during faculty-led discussion and student presentations. All mobile phones must be muted during class. Failure to do so may impact a student s class participation grade. Required Reading: Brad Feld, Venture Deals, 2011 Mark Suster, Honest Advice on Starting a Company, DFJ Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Series Podcast, October 13, 2010, http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authormaterialinfo.html?mid=2481 Other books, articles and blogs to be determined.
PRELIMINARY WEEKLY BREAKDOWN, FALL 2017 Week 1 9/21 Week 2 9/28 Topic Individual Team Meetings Class #1:--Successful investor presentations (and why you need one even if you re not raising capital) Class Preparation 1. Prepare 10-Week Plan 2. Listen to Mark Suster podcast Weekly Report #1 Week 3 10/5 Individual Team Meetings Weekly Report #2 Week 4 10/12 Class #2: Unit Economic Model assessing viability of your business Weekly Report #3 Prepare three-minute Elevator Pitch for in-class presentation and discussion. Week 5 10/19 Week 6 10/26 Individual Team Meetings Weekly Report #4 Class #3: Go-to-Market Strategy how channel choice can make or break your business Weekly Report #5 Week 7 11/2 Week 8 11/9 Week 9 11/16 Week 10 11/30 Individual Team Meetings Weekly Report #6 Class #4: Capital raising strategies and alternatives 1. Weekly Report #7 2. Prepare 5-min Go-to-Market presentation for in-class discussion Individual Team Meetings Weekly Report #8 Class #5: Investor/Customer Presentations 1. 30-min Investor/Customer Presentations in class 2. Individual Assessment due