Old Exam Questions - 2007
April 26th, 2007You can have up to 50 pages of cheat sheets. You may create a table of contents and it won’t count against your total cheat pages. The same cheat sheet may be shared between two students, but no more than two: you and a friend.
1. What kinds of things can you compare between different businesses? (e.g. Scalability, ability to reach critical mass)
2. What are the five sacred elements in Alan’s business model?
3. What does Alan mean by strategic contradiction? (*hint, what is one way to look at how Webvan failed?*)
4. What types of qualities are associated with competent leadership? How do you attain the experiences and skils to gain them?
5. Can you describe the interplay between Leadership, Execution, and Planning? Can you cite a famous example in which each single element was the unequivocal success factor?
6. What is MBWA? Why is Alan such an advocate of it for small businesses?
Elizabeth Rusnak Resources for your Startup Business
1. What is an SBA loan? What is the 504 loan program? What’s the advantage of an SBA loan?
2. What neat thing can you get for free? What did Liz provide?
3. What is SCORE? What can they do for you?
4. What is a micro-lender? How do they differ from banks? What makes “Washington Cash” especially different?
5. What is the Northwest Women’s Business Center?
6. What does a “women or minority owned business” certification accomplish?
7. What are some of Liz’s tips for submitting a business plan to a bank?
8. What are the 5 C’s of credit?
9. What are some of Liz’s other hints for business?
10. How large a line of credit should you request?
11. Why a bank vs. angel & venture capital investors?
Portfolio
1. What’s the difference between a learning portfolio and a “best works” portfolio?
2. In conducting your own reflection, define and contrast “surface insight” vs. “deep insight”. How does these two concepts relate to creating your learning portfolio? Which of the two do you suppose sets the stage for profound change?
3. Can deep insights occur with possessing surface insights?
4. How may you liken your personal portfolios to a stock portfolio?
5. What’s the difference between the visible portfolio vs. reflection.
6. Why is Alan such an advocate of mapping out your future goals? In a business sense, what is vision?
Cascade Motorcycle Tours (Josh Edwards, Brandon Snow)
1. In answer to a student question: what did Brandon say was the most important element for producing a quality business plan?
Dan McCarty
1. Why does Dan say that you must be “like” your business?
2. What does Dan say about naming your company?
3. What does Dan say about doing business with your friends? Why use a contract?
4. What are the characteristics of viral marketing?
5. In what ways does Dan advocate “leveraging” college?
Dwayne Northrup (Garlic Jim’s)
1. How did Dwayne and his group choose “Jim” as part of the company name? (check if you were listening)
2. How does Dwayne ensure quality?
3. What does Dwayne want in a business partner? How did it result in lessons learned?
4. What’s Dwayne’s business model? What’s the difference between a sub-francise vs. a franchisee?
5. How does Dwayne target locations?
6. How did Dwayne find his team?
About Portfolios (101)
What are some benefits associated with reflections (done with a learning portfolio)?What are some typical reasons for doing a learning portfolio?
Better yet, what is Alan’s definition for a learning portolio?
What are his three critical elements in a learning portfolio? (you may wish to add: it tells a coherent story)
What kinds of items may qualify as artifacts and display items?
What are some typical issues associated with the construction and display of learning portfolios?
Ameé Quiriconi and Squawk Mountain Stone
What is Amee’s arguments in favor of “social entrepreneurship” rather than using other methods to improve the world?
What did Amee state was the typical survival rate and life span for a new business?
What advice did Amee have for opening your first business?
What advice did she have for your chosen field of study?
What does it mean to be in the “Blue Ocean” vs. the “Red Ocean”?
How does Amee typify an entrepreneur?
Country Cottage Wine Merchants
What was the one constant that Rudy felt was true for entrepreneurs? How was this reflected in his life?
Spencer Rascoff
According to Spencer, what were the pros and cons of being an investment banker? How about Private Equity? These were considered “plum jobs”: why would Spencer walk away from these jobs?
Why did Spencer join a small internet company (Zillow) rather than stay with a large internet player (e.g. Expedia)?
Can you give a summary of the internet trends that are relevant for internet-based entrepreneurs?
What does Spencer prefer? Experts? Or smart people?
Can you summarize Spencer’s keys to success?
What’s was Zillow’s case for entering the general arena of online real estate?
What is Zillow’s business model?
What is the long tail?
American Airlines Sabre
What is a process? What is a legacy process? (hint: remember the apple pie example in class)
How does Sabre typify two different models? Can you argue why American Airlines needed to changes its reservation system business model?
Jim Krigbaum and USAID
Why does Jim hate it when a business owner solely studies the competition (for product planning)?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.