Fishbowls
January 27th, 2008First at Bat (How about Feb 5?)
Elixir Winery
Gang Software
Volz Enterprises
Assignment 3
January 23rd, 2008Due Tuesday Feb 12 at class
Business Plan Critique
Your team will grab someone else’s plan on Feb 5 and critique it. You should write comments directly into their plan. The individual team members may wish to use a different color ink, or you can simply use one color.
The Introduction to Writing a Business Plan includes checklists. You may also include additional items from the guests.
You will hand in the critique to the instructors and we will grade the critique. Did you catch the major concerns with the plan? Do you have any suggestions? Do you have any referrals to help the authors?
Your team should share the critique with the authors.
Assignment 2 - The Early Business Plan
January 23rd, 2008Due Tuesday Feb 5 at class
Worth 40% more than the standard assignment
The Business Plan
You will create three clean copies of your business plan. You should not use any binding that makes it difficult to write onto your manuscript. Coil or comb binding is acceptable as well as stapling (don’t staple your final plan).
You will give two copies to the instructors and one copy to another project team. You should also grab one business plan from another project team. Teams of one or two persons may wish to exchange plans with other teams of like size, but this is not a requirement.
What do we want in a business plan? You may wish to view a sample business plan and also to read through draft booklet given to you on the first day of class.
What Will Happen?
Each business plan will be reviewed by at least two instructors or advisers. We will use a different pen color to identify each reviewer’s comments. Don’t be surprised if the plan is literally painted with pages of reviewer comments.
Your plan will also be reviewed by another project team, but that critique will first be submitted to the instructors (see assignment 2).
Why an Early Business Plan?
It’s simply the most effective way to get you running. We know it won’t be perfect. This exercise will clarify what you must accomplish. It might also force you to abandon your original idea and totally morph. Don’t be afraid. I award style points for total morphs. Consult your instructor(s).
We also remove the mystery about how we approach the business plans. It also gives us a jump on how to best advise the teams.
Yes, this is painful. You’re in a mad rush. Almost everyone who went before you maintains this is a mandatory step. You’ll learn a lot of things about your teammates and what additional talent you may need to acquire.
Assignment 1
January 10th, 2008Due on Tuesday, January 29, 2008.
You (and your team) will create a financial model on an Excel spreadsheet. If you’re all by your lonesome, you have our permission to join another team (or person) just for this assignment.
You may create a fairly generic spreadsheet, but it should be slanted towards your current business concept.
It does not require a balance sheet although we like to see major fixed and variable expenses covered. It should also document cash flow and Profit & Loss.
The spreadsheet should produce charts or graphs that demonstrate the “breakeven points” for profitability and cash flow. You should also graphically portray the relationship of your main driver(s) to revenue, cash flow, and/or profitability.
You will submit your spreadsheet by posting your excel to the class google group.
Lecture Slides & Other Materials
January 10th, 2008Introduction to Writing a Business Plan v1.95 (revised Feb 13, 2008)
Class Introduction Slides (Jan 8, 2008)
Tips and Sins (Jan 10, 2008)
Alan’s Cash Flow 101 Based Deck on Finance (Jan 15, 2008)
Alan’s Unedited Full Deck on Finance (Jan 15, 2008)
David Miller’s Simpler Finance Primer (Jan 15, 2008)
Financial Modeling (Jan 22, 2008)
David’s Good Presentations (Jan 29, 2008)
David’s Marketing Primer (Feb 7, 2008)
Tenley Peck and Business Etiquette (Feb 14, 2008)
Kyle Flindt and Intellectual Property (Feb 19, 2008)
Elizabeth Rusnak - Financing Your Startup (Feb 26, 2008)
Sample Business Plan & Sample Spreadsheet
Zen Chai Business Plan (pdf format) (2006 Class)
Zen Chai Spreadsheets (xls format)
Plastic Payments Spreadsheets (xls format)
Three Examples of Graphics to Explain a Story
Echospace Financials (Your mileage may vary on this one, but it’s an example)
IMCentric Early Draft Business Plan (2001 Class)
Four Alums give their Tips
Michelle Gamboa’s Tips (2005 Class)
Chris Whitten’s Tips (2002 Class)
Tom Vu’s Tips (2001 Class)
David Thomson’s Tips for Project Leaders (2005 Class)
An Expert Marketing and Biz Consultant Gives his Tips
Eric Mattson’s Mottos (2007)
Syllabus
November 26th, 2007I updated the syllabus on Dec 2, 2007
Project Paper Requirements
May 25th, 2007Project Requirements
These are the following topics that must be addressed in the final paper.
Executive Summary
Provides a two paragraph overview of the product/service and your principal argument
Product / Service
A Full Description of the Product or Service
Business Case
This sets your argument for the proposed case. It should include:
Target Market
“First Market” (if necessary)
Branding
Addressable Market Logics (rationale for why your target will purchase it)
Competitive Profile
Proposed Pricing and Revenue Model
Extra: Follow-on or Related Products
Product Design / Service Guidelines
Do you have concrete or general ideas about the appearance of the product?
Do you have concrete or general ideas about the service delivery?
Do you have a list of dos and don’ts?
Appendix
Evolution of your Product / Service Idea
Lessons Learned
Course Materials
May 1st, 2007 Course Syllabus (Revised May 8, 2007)
Lectures
Introduction (March 27)
Paul O’Shaughnessy (March 27)
Second Lecture (March 29)
Third Lecture (April 3)
Nature of Disruptive Products (April 5)
Conjoint Thoughts (April 12)
David Miller (April 19)
Role Induction (April 24)
QFD Looks (April 26)
Blue Ocean Strategy (May 1)
Product planning discussion (May 10)
Old Lecture Slides - 2007 Course
May 1st, 20072nd Lecture (March 28; and a few slides for April 2)
3rd Lecture (April 2)
Resources for Startups (April 4)
SBA Resource Guide (From Elizabeth’s Lecture)
Dan McCarty, EntrepreneurialTips and Online Retailing (April 11)
Portfolios 101 (April 16)
Business Models and Garlic Jims (April 16)
Two Models Class (April 23)
Business Entities Part I (April 25)
Spencer Rascoff & Zillow (May 2)
Jim Krigbaum and Global / Social Entrepreneurship (May 9)
Exam Questions
April 30th, 2007You are allowed up to 50 pages of cheat sheets. Two people can use the same cheat sheet, but no more than two.
Introduction
What elements have been traditionally encompassed by Competitive Engineering
Paul O’ Shaughnessy
What type of product development approach does Paul rail against? Why is it such a problem with high tech products?
What is a stage-gate process? (short answer) How does Paul envision a generic stage-gate process?
What are some thoughts he has regarding “idea generation”?
What is encompassed in Paul’s business case stage? Why should it also include some guidelines regarding planning? (Bring your thoughtful answers to bear on the last question)
Why does Paul like the measurements of success defined early in the project?
Matthew Carmean
What are some thoughts that Matthew had about making a product portfolio?
Why is Matthew concerned with getting primary rather than secondary market research for his PicoP product? What does Matthew hope to get from a focus group that he can’t get from a survey or surfing the web for reports?
How does Matthew view the future revenues for future mobile entertainment?
What is conjoint analysis?
How does Microvision reorganize to improve its product commercialization?
What are some typical pricings and revenue figures for consumer electronics?
Mission and Team Process
What is the class mission?
What were two “interesting” factors that defined student success in developing winning products?
What comprises “effective team meetings” in this course?
Contrast Autonomous and Heavyweight Teams vs. Functional Teams. In what situation(s) should you consider deploying functional teams vs. autonomous teams?
Contrast the following terms: Innovation vs. Creation
What is the relationship between product innovation level and return on investment? Why are “medium innovation” products characterized by poorer returns? How should these facts impact your approach to developing new product concepts for Cingular?
Can you discuss the relationships among the following: project time penalties, product complexity vs. newness, team autonomy vs. project manager skill and team process management?
In terms of this course, what proposals does Alan have for idea generation?
What does he mean by mini-mortems and “meta-design” comments? For that matter, what does he mean by “meta-design”?
What is meant by empathic design? Can you discuss the nature of delight?
What are some elements in Alan’s adaptation of Stage-Gates?
What is meant by having “wisdom about your customer”?
What are some common practices to nurture innovation in small teams?
Can you discuss some novel ways of benchmarking for innovation?
Nature of Disruptive Product Development
Can you describe the basic experience of doing research for new product development?
Can you define and describe the long-tail phenom? How does it related to interviewing strange and off-beat people?
Do new disruptive products launch as works of art? What is the typical evolution for such products?
Conjoint Analysis
What is it? Why even present a list of choices rather than ratings?
What are some important elements in choice-based conjoint analysis?
What are some issues and tips regarding “making it real”?
What are use cases?
David Miller and Competitive Intelligence
How does DM define it? Why does he use this particular definition?
Define macro vs micro levels. Which does DM sees as taking precedence?
What are some key concepts espoused by DM?
What’s the deal with “two customers” (in traditional product development)? Don’t you just have one? What are the differences between dealing with these two customers? How is this relevant for your project?
Role Induction2
What is role induction? How does new and custom product development in high tech and software resemble therapy?
What are the documented benefits of using role induction tactics? What are some typical methods used in role induction?
QFD
What is QFD? What is the house of quality? What is their purpose?
Do you understand the simplified QFD structure? What four questions are addressed in the simplified QFD?
What is the Pugh Concept Selection? How does it related to the QFD?
Blue Ocean / Red Oceans
Define and contrast the Blue vs. Red Oceans
What is wrong with traditional strategic planning? How does it generally lead one to traditional red oceans?
How might you proceed to get insight into Blue Oceans? What’s the difference between planning vs. futuring?
What are three different customer segments that are beyond existing demand?
After having gathered your insights, what 4 things should you examine to create a “new value curve”? How does Cirque du Soleil typify this?