Technology Entrepreneurship: Course Overview



BUAD 301Technology EntrepreneurshipCourse SyllabusFall, 2015 (REVISED: 9/24/15)Professor:Dr. Justin I. MillerMonday/Wednesday, 3:30 - 4:50 PMOffice:Bridge Hallbasement levelSection #: 14643REmail:justin.miller@marshall.usc.edu Popovich Hall, Room 112Office Hours:Wednesday 2:00-3:00, and by appointment (please always email to schedule, even for appointments during regular office hours)Technology Entrepreneurship: Course OverviewBUAD 301 provides an overview of business fundamentals, and is aimed at engineers and scientists who are interested in commercializing technology. Topics in this course include developing, testing, and adapting business concepts; financing the technology enterprise; market challenges faced by entrepreneurs; organizational issues; global and legal considerations affecting technology-based ventures. This course helps students understand the role of entrepreneurship in the allocation and distribution of scarce resources for the creation of wealth and prosperity, and the entrepreneurs’ influence on contemporary issues. Students will develop a realistic perspective of the skills entrepreneurs must master, and come to understand the diverse skills they must attain in order to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations.If you are interested in continuing with further studies in the Greif Entrepreneurship Program, this course serves as a pre-requisite to BAEP 452 Feasibility Analysis. Learning ObjectivesUnderstand the fundamental concepts, theories, principles, and practices employed in the field of entrepreneurship, as well as the role technology-related entrepreneurship plays in the global economy and in societyDevelop an in-depth understanding of the new venture establishment process - the activities, challenges, and opportunities involved, including ethical and international issuesDevelop your critical thinking, idea generation, and decision-making abilities by analyzing situations and formulating strategies for complex entrepreneurial casesLearn what contributes to an idea becoming a successful venture, and how to reject seemingly brilliant ideas that lack business potentialDevelop your team leadership skillsDevelop your communication skillsTo achieve these objectives, a combination of methods will be used in the course, including lectures, problem-solving exercises, case studies, individual and group projects, and guest lectures. Course MaterialsRequired Text“The Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The costly myths that entrepreneurs, investors, and policy makers live by.” Shane, Scott A. (2008). Yale University Press: New Haven, Connecticut. This book is available through Amazon (Kindle edition is approximately $10)Required CasesThere is a course packet available from Harvard Business School Press. I have custom created this reading packet for our class, and it is available in digital form. After you purchase the packet you will be able to print the individual parts (if you want), download and save, or read the material online. You also will have the option of requesting a printed course pack from HBS (for an additional fee). The link to the course packet is: You will need to register for the Harvard Business School Press website (the link above will take you to the sign-in/registration page). After registration, you will be able to purchase the course packet. The cost of the course packet is approximately $32.Required Additional ReadingAdditional required readings will be posted to Blackboard, and are provided without chargeName CardsI will endeavor to learn each student’s name, face, interests, and background. However, you MUST display your Name Cards (tent cards) every class session throughout the semester. If you don’t have one or if you lose it, make one I can read from the podium. Failure to display your name card may negatively impact my ability to award you class participation points. Class SlidesI will endeavor to post class slides to Blackboard at the end of the week following the relevant class – I do not post slides before class. Also, please note I do not create slides for each class. Our course is rooted in discussion, not the details of a pre-printed set of slides. Just like entrepreneurship, evolution and response to the peculiarities of the current discussion are critical (and difficult to fully capture prospectively). Supplemental MaterialA recommended optional textbook: “Entrepreneurship for Scientists and Engineers.” Allen, Kathleen. (2010). Prentice Hall. Available through USC bookstore, Amazon, and the publisher: CommunicationsYou should communicate with me either in-person, or through email. My email address is justin.miller@marshall.usc.edu. When you contact me through email, please be sure to use a meaningful subject line. Meaningful subject lines include your section, and the topic of the email (i.e., MW 330PM 301, Request for meeting). Please note, I teach three sections of this course and it is not possible for me to remember to which section each student is assigned. Therefore please always include your section (for example, MW 330PM 301) in the subject line. This will alert me that you are from the Monday/Wednesday afternoon section of BUAD 301. Correct subject line information will help me to provide more appropriate responses to your emails, and to do so in a more timely manner. Course communication takes place through in-classroom announcements, emails, and Blackboard (). Most emails I send you will go through Blackboard; therefore it is imperative that you have a fully operational Blackboard account with an email address that works all the time. By default, Blackboard uses your USC email address (username@usc.edu); if this is not your primary email account, please make sure to change your Blackboard email settings or forward your USC email to an account you use actively. You are responsible for ensuring you have timely access to all information sent through Blackboard. Additionally, you are required to monitor your Blackboard account: all material posted to our course Blackboard site will be deemed communicated to you. Students are responsible for checking blackboard and managing their notification processes. I endeavor to be available to students as often as possible. Please note however: the Greif Center’s offices are currently shared due to space limitations, and so I’m not able to sit there each day. If you want to meet with me, please email me with your request and we will find a day, time, and place to connect. I am happy to join you for hot chocolate, lunch, dinner, a walk around the campus, etc., as my schedule permits.Course PoliciesClassroom DecorumName Cards: Please display your name card in front of you at every class meetingTardiness: Arriving late or leaving early disrupts the learning experience for other students; please inform me ahead of time if you must leave earlyDress Code: When we have a guest speaker, please dress business casual (no hats, shorts, etc.)Eating: No eating in the classroomPhones: Please remember to turn off cell phones while in the classroom – phones may not be used in the classroomElectronic Submission of AssignmentsOther than for in-class assignments, or as specifically directed by me in posted assignment instructions, student deliverables will be submitted online through Blackboard. I will provide a separate instruction sheet for each assignment. The instructions in the assignment sheets are controlling and supersede any other communications about assignments. Use of Computing Devices in the ClassroomUse of laptops is permitted in my class, but solely for class-related purposes. Note: Detailed note taking is not required for success in my course – rather, participation is required. To the extent the use of laptops distracts you from participating, such use is to be avoided. If you’re updating Facebook, playing Angry Birds, bidding on EBay auctions, trading options with your brokerage account, etc., you are a) not getting much out of the class discussion, b) not participating in the class discussion, and c) interfering with your classmates’ ability to gain valuable insights from the class discussion. Therefore, if you need to be doing any non-class related activities, please sit in the back row. And please do not make it a habit. If your use of computers in the classroom starts to distract me, or if other students start complaining to me, I will ask you to leave. Use of phones is not permitted in class – in any mode. I reserve the right to confiscate phones used in class. Video and audio recordings are not permitted to be made in class due to copyright and privacy issues. I reserve the right to confiscate recording equipment used in the classroom. Statement for Students with DisabilitiesAny student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. Please let me know as soon as possible if you will be requesting accommodation through DSP. A letter of verification for approved accommodations must be obtained from DSP; please be sure that letter is delivered to me early in the semester so I may make the recommended accommodations. DSP is located at Grace Ford Salvatori Hall, Room 120, and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. For more information visit usc.edu/disability. Non-native English SpeakersStudents whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute ; ALI sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international students. Please also inform me directly, so I may attempt to make appropriate accommodation. NOTE: non-native English speakers must still fully participate in the course, including in-classroom discussion. NOTE ALSO: I will not utilize a more lenient grading standard for the written work of non-native English speakers.Emergency Preparedness/Course ContinuityIn case of a declared emergency and if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic means for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies. Please make sure you have access to the course in Blackboard; this will be crucial in an emergency. USC's Blackboard learning management system and support information is available at blackboard.usc.edu. GradesGrading PlanThe course grade will be based on the following components, weighted as indicated: Class Participation (Instructor Evaluation):10%(individual)Team Participation (Team Evaluation):10%(individual)Pitch Presentation:5%(individual)Team Contract & Team Photo:5%(team)Business License Application, Taxpayer ID Application, Name Search20%(team)Primary Market AnalysisBusiness Model Analysis10%15%(team)(team)Final Presentation Kickstarter Campaign Video10%10%(team)(team)Team Ballot5%(individual)Grading PoliciesLate WorkStudent work must also be submitted on time; late assignments will be marked down according to the following schedule. 1-24 hours late = 15% drop in assignment grade24-48 hours late = 30% drop in assignment grade48+ hours late = no score, fail on assignmentPlease Note: This is true for both individual assignments and for team assignments. Late team assignments will result in lower grades on that assignment for all team members, regardless of fault for tardiness. This means you are each responsible for the success of your team and teammates – pay attention and make sure your teammates are accomplishing assigned tasks. Make-up Assignments/Extra CreditMake-up assignments must be pre-approved, in writing, by me. This means you must talk to me prior to missing an assignment. Failure to schedule a make-up ahead of time will result in denial of a makeup opportunity. Make-ups will only be considered on a case-by-case basis, and only in the advent of unavoidable time conflict. I do not award extra credit. Note: It is not possible to reschedule the final project. Expectations Regarding Written WorkYou should think of your written (as well as your spoken) presentations in this class as placing on you similar demands to those made in the business world. As such, your work should be clear, meaningful, and easy to comprehend. Written communication is a critical skill, and if you are not good at it now, use your college experience to improve – it will do you a world of good. If you need guidance in composition, I strongly recommend The Elements of Style by Strunk and White (any edition): you can find it online as a free PDF. Additionally, USC has writing tutors available to assist you. Please use these resources. Written submissions that are difficult for me to understand are likely to receive low grades. I have no desire to be a part of the ‘grammar police,’ but I do expect professional work quality – just as will be expected by your future employers, investors, and others who actually care about your success. Requests for Re-gradingIf you feel I made an error in the grading of any assignment, you may, within one week of the date the assignment is returned to you, request I re-grade that assignment. To request a re-grading, please speak to me personally. If I agree to regrade your assignment, I will provide you instructions on what I need in order to complete the regrading activity. Grade CalculationsClass ParticipationIndividual EvaluationThe requirement for class participation in this course reflects important aspects of organizing and running a small business – your efforts do not stand alone, and your ability to work with others has a significant bearing on your potential for success. You will not succeed in the market by sitting and waiting for opportunity, customers, or capital to come looking for you! You must be good at proactively communicating and you are expected to demonstrate same in this course. As such, you must participate in the classroom discussion – through actively raising questions, and actively providing answers. We each contribute our own insights, and we get stronger through exposure to more people’s ideas. I make ever attempt to be fair and avoid any bias in noting participation. However I do believe that arriving on time and volunteering can only help your participation. If you manage to make it through the term without my getting to know who you are, you should expect that you are nowhere near maximizing your potential class participation points. Note: I may, at any time, randomly call on students to participate, including through the use of ‘cold-calls.’ Team EvaluationIn addition to my evaluation of your in-class performance, your participation will be evaluated by your team members, via ‘anonymous team ballots.’ The information from these team ballots represents important class-related participation that takes place outside my view. The team ballots will allow every student to provide me feedback about themselves and their teammates with respect to who (and how much they) contributed, lead, shirked, etc. Team ballots will be used to calculate individual team participation scores. Please note: turning in the team ballot is an individual assignment. Team GradesIn addition to the points awarded individually, as described above, there are also activities that will be team-based and therefore grades will be awarded at the team-level for these activities. Each member of a team will receive the same score as all of their teammates on such activities.Instructions for each of the team projects will be distributed in a separate written communication and will also be discussed in class prior to their due dates. Other PoliciesAdd/Drop Process Please follow the USC procedures for adding or dropping the course. For fall 2015, the last day to drop a Monday-only class without a mark of “W” and receive a 100% refund is September 11. The last day to drop a class with a mark of “W” is November 13 (). Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies’ Confidentiality PolicyThroughout ‘The Entrepreneur Program's’ classes and events, students will be exposed to proprietary information from other students, guest lecturers, and faculty. It is the policy of The Entrepreneur Program that all such information be treated as confidential.By enrolling in and taking part in The Entrepreneur Program's classes and activities, students agree not to disclose this information to any third parties without specific written permission from students, guest lecturers or faculty, as applicable. Students further agree not to use any such proprietary information for their own personal commercial advantage, or for the commercial advantage of any third party.In addition, students agree that any legal or consulting advice provided without your payment of a direct fee and in an academic setting must not be relied upon without the enlisted opinion of an outside attorney or consultant without affiliation to The Entrepreneur Program.Any breach of this policy may subject a student to academic integrity proceedings as described in the University of Southern California "University Governance Policies and Procedures," as outlined on SCampus, and also to any remedies that may be available at law.The Entrepreneur Program, the Marshall School of Business and the University of Southern California disclaim any responsibility for the protection of intellectual property of students, guest lecturers or faculty who are involved in The Entrepreneur Program’s classes or events. Receipt of this policy and registration in our classes is evidence that you understand this policy and will abide by it.Statement on Academic Integrity USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, (usc.edu/scampus or ) contains the University Student Conduct Code (see University Governance, Section 11.00; recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A). Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards . Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, . Should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty, the student will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review. The Review process can be found at: . Failure to adhere to the academic conduct standards set forth by these guidelines and our programs will not be tolerated by the USC Marshall community and can lead to dismissal.MisconductDiscrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity , or to the Department of Public Safety . This is important for the safety of the whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report. The Center for Women and Men provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage describes reporting options and other resources.Other ResourcesThe following are useful sources for business data and related information:Small Business Administration: US Bureau of Economic Analysis: Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Federal Reserve System: Census Bureau Trade Data: Moody's : Forbes: Investopedia: The Venture Edge: Eurostat: China National Bureau of Stats: Instructor Bio (abridged)Justin I. Miller is an assistant professor of clinical entrepreneurship at the Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Marshall School of Business, USC. Justin received his Ph.D. in management and entrepreneurship at the Stern School of Business, NYU, and has also earned a J.D. from the University of San Diego, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York, a MS in E-Commerce from National University in San Diego, and did his undergraduate work at the US Naval Academy. Justin has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship, strategic management, general management, and information technology, as well as a series of computer science courses.In addition to his academic experience, Justin has worked as a US Naval Officer, a California licensed attorney, and in the information technology/security sector. Justin has co-founded two companies, and served on senior management teams for several additional technology-based startups. He has also engaged in corporate venturing at firms in New York City and Silicon Valley. Some of Justin’s research interests include financial entrepreneurship, organizational theory, and industry emergence. His current research deals with how organizations and entrepreneurs respond to changes in their regulatory environment, with particular emphasis on both the US financial services industry, and the European chocolate industry. ................
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