About This Course

This course describes the financial models and structures of business, as related to launching a particular design product, service or system. It introduces students to issues of organizational structure, for-profit and non-profit business activities, and methods of product introduction and distribution.


Core Concepts and Ideas

This class emphasizes the following main ideas, themes, and concepts:

  • Grant systems, including tradeoffs between various funding sources and the nature of grant writing and facilitation
  • Financial models, illustrating how to represent various fictional but realistic scenarios for funding
  • Project management, in order to successfully coordinate both public and private regulations, rules, and procedures
  • Non-profit law, methods, and tendencies

Outcomes and Competencies

The following outcome statements articulate the competencies, abilities, and skills a student will have as a result of completing this class. Students will...

  • Be able to write a cohesive plan for introducing a given design solution into the world, describing issues related to the value of the design, the business plan for introduction, the timeline and dependencies related to the solution, and plans for growth and continued refinement
  • Understand the methods of legal organizational structure that will enable a design solution to be successfully brought to fruition in society
  • Be able to appropriately describe the entrance (and, if necessary, exit) strategy for a given design solution
  • Be able to address – in both writing and in personal interactions – concerns of potential investors, donors, and other interested parties

Course Schedule

Class # Date Theme Before Class In Class

1

Wed, 3/13

Defining the idea

  

Discussion: Course overview

Students to present your design solution, service or product

2

Thu, 3/14

Defining the idea

Review:

A Business Plan? Or a Journey to Plan B?

Why to Not Start a Startup

Quora forum: As first time entrepreneurs, what part of the process are people often completely blind to?

Discussion: Analogs, Antilogs and Leaps of Faith exercise

3+4

Mon, 3/18/13
Wed, 3/20/13

Building the idea

Review:

How to Start a Startup

Greatest of Max Levchin’s Lessons Learned as a Young Entrepreneur

Top Five pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs

Discussion: Once you’ve defined your idea, what are the next set of product-related activities to insure continued growth and success?

5+6

Mon, 3/25/13
Wed, 3/27/13

Pitching the idea

Review:

Complete Pitch Yourself! Exercise

Going to Raise VC? Here’s a Primer on Process, People & Powerpoint Deck

How to Handle a VC Presentation With No Deck

Meeting a VC

Discussion: The focus is on developing the skills to quickly and successfully articulate the value of your idea.

7+8

Mon, 4/1/13
Wed, 4/3/13

Structuring the idea

Review:

The For-Benefit Enterprise

A New Approach to Funding Social Enterprises

Corporations Section of the Texas Secretary of State website

Discussion: A comprehensive review of the options for structuring the business around your design solution, service or product, including:

  • Legal implications
  • Tax concerns
  • IP considerations

9+10

Mon, 4/8/13
Wed, 4/10/13

Funding the idea

Review

  • The New Funding Landscape
  • How to Bootstrap
  • Financing options: Friends and Family
  • Financing options: Contest/ Prizes/ Accelerator Programs
  • Financing options: Government Grants
  • Other Financing options (see #69-82)

Review:

  • The Global Impact Investing Network website
  • Impact Reporting and Investment Standards website

Discussion: As more and more non-traditional funding becomes available, we will discuss the funding landscape and how/if you want to navigate it as you move forward with your idea.

11+12

Mon, 4/15/13
Wed, 4/17/13

Getting advice on the idea

Review:

How Serial Entrepreneurs Build and Manage a Board of Directors in a Venture-Backed Start Up

Complete the following assignments:

Identify someone with whom you’d like to meet, and leverage your network to get an introduction. Use the introduction to set up a phone call, video call, or in-person meeting.

Identify someone with whom you’d like to meet, send them a cold-email introducing yourself. Get them to agree to a phone call, video call, or in-person meeting with you.

Discussion: As you move forward with your idea, you’re going to need to build a support system. You will need to start building an advisory board—a group of people that represent the skills you are missing – tech, marketing, PR, etc.

13+14

Mon, 4/22/13
Wed, 4/24/13

The logistics of the idea

Review:

Building the company versus building the business

Starting a Business section of the IRS website

Corporations Section of the Texas Secretary of State website

Discussion: A business is often more than just the product. In this class, we will discuss the most important activities (both strategic and tactical) from a management point of view.

15+16

Mon, 4/29/13
Wed, 5/1/13

Evaluating the idea

Review:

When do you throw in the towel on your struggling project?

Discussion: Part of launching an idea includes consistent introspection and evaluation on the merits of the operation. This class discussion will focus on the right questions to ask when determining success.