Fall Quarter and E140C

One of my best learning experiences from the program was in E140C when we got the opportunity to discuss our companies in depth.  So see how these companies dealt with challenges helped me learn more how to effectively plan, manage, and organize a company.  Below are my key learnings:

Fellow	Company	Key Learnings
XXX	XXX	Engineering and marketing usually have different perspectives on which strategy is best to move forward with
XXX	XXX	Spend time in front of your customers, even if they are not immediately interested in purchasing your product Be careful of "heads down" implementation. You might miss what is going on around you
XXX	XXX	Having many investors can lead to none of them taking an active role in your company Don't be greedy.  Had XXX decided to get funding earlier, it would have been fine. A board should not consist of only inside players.  Outside perspective is necessary.
XXX	XXX	Be careful about how often you change your business model Communication should not always be just top-down
XXX	XXX	When the job market's tough, look elsewhere When you split a company between two locations, close attention needs to be paid to communication between the centers
XXX	XXX	Organizations can range from pure business units to purely functional, with much flexibility in between Organization and strategy must be closely aligned
XXX	XXX	Technology-driven companies and market-driven companies must approach strategy in a very different manner Technology-driven companies must effectively find a problem that their solution solves Clearly communicate company intentions at outset
XXX	XXX	The best way to solve conflicts is through consensus with qualification. Conflicts can often be solved by creating common goals and vision
XXX	XXX	Investors are more than their money.  You need to know that they will be around in the future when you need their strategic help and support. The dot-com craze is officially over.  Businesses, once again, need to eventually become profitable.
XXX	XXX	Business Development is persistence, sweat, and making the deal
XXX	XXX	Doing business by the idea of the AND is more effective than by the idea of the OR
XXX	XXX	The challenge in a good merger is making everyone feel valued (not acquired) and promoting effective communication on all levels of the organization