Spring 2022 Syllabus

TE 250 – Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise

Spring 2022

 

 

Instructor:

Mark Karasek, mkarasek@illinois.edu

Website: 

 

Canvas: 

 https://canvas.illinois.edu/courses/17280/modules

Credit:

2 credit hours, 2 hours lecture-discussion per week

Schedule: 

Wednesdays 1:00-2:50pm

Mode:  

 

Everitt Lab 2101 & Online synchronous via Zoom

(Classes will be recorded and posted to Canvas)

 

Zoom Class login: Links to an external site. 

 

Course Description:

This class examines the fundamentals of technology entrepreneurship and addresses critical areas of the entrepreneurial process such as: Problem and solution identification; Validation of product-market fit; Market assessment; Team formation; Product development; Intellectual Property; Financing a technology-based startup. This class combines lecture, discussion & case studies, and is built around a hands-on group project leveraging the lean startup methodology from the National Science Foundation I-Corps program. The course is intended for undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines interested in technology entrepreneurship. There are no pre-requisites.

 

Resources:

Various instructor-generated & online resources can be found in the Course Resources folder on the course website.

 

Student Outcomes/Educational Objectives:

  • Students will be introduced to core technology business topics. Students will be expected to cover detailed theoretical components via assigned reading and videos
  • Students will apply principals learned by analyzing business scenarios, making decisions and defending their judgments in both written and oral presentations.
  • Students will be introduced to real startups via discussion with entrepreneurs actively commercializing technology that originated at the University.
  • Students will form teams and collaborate on idea generation. Projects will last the majority of the course and will constitute a significant portion of the final grade.
  • Students will be expected to engage with potential customers to validate their business ideas.
  • Students must give consideration to and defend the economic & social impact of their project.
  • Teams will present final written and oral deliverables during the last week of class.
  • Students will be expected to scrutinize and provide constructive feedback of peer presentations.

 

Grading Policy:

            Assignments                                       20%

            Midterm                                               25%      

                        -case study critical decision               (12.5%)

                        -team presentation                             (12.5%)

            Final                                                    35%

                        -creative pitch assignment                 (17.5%)

                        -team presentation                             (17.5%)

Engagement & Team Participation 20% Topical

 

Grading

 

Grading

A

93-100

A-

90-92

B+

87-89

B

83-86

B-

80-82

C+

77-79

C

73-76

C-

70-72

D+

67-69

D

65-66

F

Below 65

 

 

Outline:

  • Problems Worth Solving (weeks 1-2) o Introduction to Technology Entrepreneurship & Key Framework oCreativity & Innovation
  • Lean Startups & Product-Market Fit (weeks 3-6) o Customer Discovery o Lean Startups & Business Models oMarket Sizing & Validation
  • Midterm Team Presentations: Critical Analysis Project (week 7)
  • Venture Formation (weeks 8-10) o Team Building & Compensation o Entity Formation
  • Financing & Building the Venture (weeks 11-13) o Intellectual Property o Accounting
  • Venture Finance, Projections
  • Final Team Presentations: Product-Market Fit (weeks 14-15)

 

Sexual Misconduct Reporting Obligation

The University of Illinois is committed to combating sexual misconduct. Faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct to the University’s Title IX Office. In turn, an individual with the Title IX Office will provide information about rights and options, including accommodations, support services, the campus disciplinary process, and law enforcement options.

A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors, confidential advisors, and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here:wecare.illinois.edu/resources/students/#confidential Links to an external site.. Links to an external site.

Other information about resources and reporting is available here: Links to an external site.wecare.illinois.edu Links to an external site.. Links to an external site.

Academic Integrity

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. Students should pay particular attention to Article 1, Part 4: Academic Integrity. Read the Code at the following URL:http://studentcode.illinois.edu/ Links to an external site.. Links to an external site.

Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: Links to an external site.https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part4/1 Links to an external site.- Links to an external site.401/ Links to an external site.. Links to an external site. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.

Religious Observances

Illinois law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students' religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. You should examine this syllabus at the beginning of the semester for potential conflicts between course deadlines and any of your religious observances. If a conflict exists, you should notify your instructor of the conflict and follow the procedure at Links to an external site.https://odos.illinois.edu/community Links to an external site.- Links to an external site.of Links to an external site.- Links to an external site.care/resources/students/religious Links to an external site.observances/ Links to an external site. Links to an external site.to request appropriate accommodations. This should be done in the first two weeks of classes.

Disability-Related Accommodations

To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or go tohttps://www.disability.illinois.edu.  If you are concerned you have a disability-related condition that is impacting your academic progress, there are academic screening appointments available that can help diagnosis a previously undiagnosed disability. You may access these by visiting the DRES website and selecting “Request an Academic Screening” at the bottom of the page.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Any student who has suppressed their directory information pursuant to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) should self-identify to the instructor to ensure protection of the privacy of their attendance in this course. Seehttps://registrar.illinois.edu/academic Links to an external site.records/ferpa/ Links to an external site. Links to an external site.for more information on FERPA.