Session 14:
February 19, 2009
Key Elements
of Venture Finance
Quote of
the Day
"Success is to be
measured not
so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the
obstacles which
he has overcome while trying to succeed." ~ Booker T. Washington
Summary
How do entrepreneurs
set priorities
when gathering resources? During this week, we will examine the
essential
building blocks used in putting together successful ventures. Today's
focus is on financial resources.
Required
Readings (Policy on
Required Readings.)
- Readings from the
Textbooks:
- Technology Ventures (Dorf and Byers): Ch 13 Acquiring,
Organizing, and Managing Resources; Ch 18 Sources of Capital; Appendix
A: Business Plans (choose one) (Highlights: 13.1, 13.7, 13.8, 18.5-18.7)
- Additional web readings:
- Watch the
following short video clips:
Study
Questions (Policy on
Study Questions.)
- What are the primary reasons and
benefits to create a business plan? What are the most important
sections and why? Skim one of the two sample business plans in
Appendix A of Technology Ventures, depending on your personal
preference for either information technology or life science
technology. Note the different outline and format of both plans.
- In your opinion, what is the most
important risk to reduce in a startup? Is it technology, market,
team, or financial? Why?
- How do high tech entrepreneurs finance
their ventures? What do venture capitalists do? What is the
structure of a typical venture capital firm? How does a typical
firm operate?
OAP
Assignment (Policy on
Online Assignments.)
See OAP
project page.
Recommended
Readings (Policy on
Recommended Readings. List of
readings)
