Tem w2010
Tem w2010
Tem w2010
TOPIC
R&R
MATERIALS
R&R (386019)
RC Case Packet 1
R&R (Optional)
6 minute video shown in class
ASSIGNMENT
1. What factors created an opportunity for Bob Reiss and the "TV Guide Game?"
2. What were the risks and rewards faced by Bob Reiss and other participants in the enterprise?
3. What actions did Bob Reiss take that led to the success of the "TV Guide Game?"
4. Would this approach have worked for Parker Brothers or Milton Bradley?
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TOPIC
Aravind
MATERIALS
Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India: In Service for Sight, The (593098)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. Evaluate the enterprise that Dr. V has built. What is the business model and what makes it successful? What
operational metrics are key to an understanding of the Aravind business model?
2. Assess the opportunity for growth. What do the results at Aravind's T-Valley and Theni hospitals suggest about the
challenges that growth will present?
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TOPIC
Vermeer
MATERIALS
Vermeer Technologies (A): A Company Is Born (397078)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. What decisions did Charles Ferguson make, and what actions did he take, from late 1993 through January 1995 to
build an enterprise that attracted an offer from a group of venture capital firms to invest $4 million for 51% of the
company?
3. In January 1995, what can go right and what can go wrong for Vermeer? As Charles Ferguson, what would you do to
seize the opportunities and mitigate the risks?
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TOPIC
Beta Golf
MATERIALS
Beta Golf (898162)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. What is your assessment of the Beta Golf opportunity? Be sure to use the P-O-C-D framework (People, Opportunity,
Context, Deal).
2. Should Beta Group pursue the golf market as a commercial opportunity for HXL technology? If so, of the four choices
for exploiting the technology described on pages 9 & 10 of the case, which would you choose? Why? In what order?
(Assume that Beta Group plans to target the irons market first, and that they suspect they can achieve 10% market
penetration.)
3. Given the response from Callaway, what should Zider and Krumme do next?
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TOPIC
Anasazi
MATERIALS
Anasazi Exclusive Salon Products, Inc. (295111)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. How attractive is the Anasazi venture?
3. How does that model create value for each of the key constituents (e.g., the salon, the stylist, and the consumer)?
4. What should Sue Krukonis do? What recommendations should she make at the upcoming board meeting?
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TOPIC
ZipCar
MATERIALS
Zipcar: Refining the Business Model (803096)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. Evaluate this potential venture and the progress that Chase has made.
2. What is the business model, and how has it changed between December 1999 and May 2000? What do the data
from actual operations in September say about how the business model is playing out in practice? Does this data give
you comfort or concern? We suggest that to answer these questions, you analyze the case in terms of revenues, costs,
and contribution per member per month and the things that drive those ratios.
3. What actions should Chase take as a result of the September operating results?
4. What is the strongest argument Chase could make to a potential investor about the attractiveness of the venture?
What, specifically, should her elevator pitch be at the Springboard forum?
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TOPIC
Skyhook
MATERIALS
Skyhook Wireless (809-119)
ASSIGNMENT
1. How have the co-founders' decisions about resource management, funding, and their go-to-market approach
influenced Skyhook's strategic options as of August 2007?
3. Why has Skyhook failed to close deals with large companies to this point? What lessons can Skyhook management
draw from the unsuccessful experiences with Microsoft and Nokia?
4. What should Ted propose to Steve Jobs: Should he demand a significant payment from Apple or offer to pay Apple
for access to its customer base? Under what conditions should Ted be willing to walk away from the Apple opportunity?
(Assume that in 2008 Apple will sell 9 million Macintosh computers, 60 million iPods, and 10 million iPhones, all of
which can be WiFi enabled).
5. Which of the three strategic alternatives presented on page 10 would you recommend? Would the outcome of the
Apple negotiation influence your response?
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TOPIC
Keurig
MATERIALS
Keurig (899180)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. What is your assessment of the Keurig venture?
2. What is Keurig's business model? How attractive is the model to each of the following participants in the Office
Coffee market:
3. What recommendations would you make to Nick Lazaris to assure the success of Keurig?
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TOPIC
Mason & Shepherd
MATERIALS
Sheila Mason & Craig Shepherd (803095)
RC Case Packet 1
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Law, Bagley & Dauchy (3rd Edition)
"Leaving Your Employer"
Spangler distribution
ASSIGNMENT
1. Evaluate the situation in which Mason and Shepherd find themselves with respect to their existing employers. What
legal and ethical issues do you see, and how would you advise them to proceed?
2. What is your assessment of the non-disclosure agreement and the venture capitalists' refusal to sign it?
4. What actions should Mason and Shepherd take in order to terminate their employment relationship with their current
employers and undertake their prospective new venture?
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TOPIC
Yieldex
MATERIALS
Yieldex (A)
ASSIGNMENT
1. If you were advising Doug Cosman, would you recommend that he accept the offer from Turn to acquire Yieldex?
Why or why not? In responding to this, you may wish to consider scenarios for the evolution of the company. For
instance, a relatively rosy scenario would be that:
a. Yieldex completes a Series A along the lines proposed in the case at a share price of $.50.
b. It completes a Series B at 2-times the amount of the A round at 2-times the share price.
c. It completes a Series C at 2-times the amount of the B round at 1.5-times the share price of the Series B.
d. The company exits at whatever value you assume, in whatever time frame you wish to assume, with whatever
probability you deem reasonable.
e. Of course, you could repeat this exercise under more and less optimistic scenarios.
2. Assuming Cosman rejects the Turn offer, what deal should he strike with Tom Shields? What is fair? Does Shields
deserve 50% of the equity? Should he be considered a co-founder? Why or why not?
3. If you do not like the deal in the case, what alternative would you propose?
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TOPIC
Precise Software
MATERIALS
Precise Software (204157)
RC Case Packet 1
ASSIGNMENT
1. Why is Precise in trouble? Was it a good investment from the beginning?
2. What mistakes did Gemini make in putting together the management team?
3. What are the constraints on starting a high technology company in Israel? How do you overcome those constraints?
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TOPIC
Z Corp.
MATERIALS
Z Corp. (801210)
RC Case Packet 1
"Define the Battle: Positioning." Chapter 6 in Crossing the Chasm, by Geoffrey A. Moore,
p.148-156
ASSIGNMENT
1. Create an "elevator pitch" for the Z402 System that meets Moore's criteria (see p. 154 of the reading). Who is the
target customer for your pitch? How does the Z Corp offering compare to your target customer's most likely alternative?
2. How big is the Z Corp opportunity? Prepare a four-year sales plan for Z Corp with annual dollar sales and unit sales
volume projections for 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 that you would recommend at the Z Corp Board meeting. What is
the 2001 sales level that you would recommend to the Board:
a. 10m/yr
b. $10-$20m
c. $20-$30m
d. $30-$40m
e. $40-$50m
f. >$50m/yr
3. What are the odds that you will follow these different scenarios:
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Syllabus for The Entrepreneurial Manager
(c) you fall beneath your recommended 2001 sales level by 25%?
What events could occur that would make these different scenarios unfold? What could you do to influence those
events?
4. Which sales channel would you adopt to launch your sales plan? Why?
a. Direct
b. CAD Distributors
c. Machine Tool Resellers
TOPIC
DMG
TOPIC
AME Learning
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Syllabus for The Entrepreneurial Manager
TOPIC
KiOR
MATERIALS
KiOR: Catalyzing Clean Energy
ASSIGNMENT
1. How big is the KiOR opportunity? What assumptions are required for the opportunity to be viable and what
challenges will the company face? What could go wrong here?
It would help the class discussion if we could use some common assumptions:
<dd>Do all calculations for market size and economics of biofuel using gallons (1 barrel is equal to 42 gallons)
<dd>Assume that the cost of producing 1 gallon of oil is $1
2. How should KiOR build out the company? How do you view the relative advantages of a licensing versus an
integrated production model for commercializing the technology?
3. What benefits do the different locations bring to KiOR as it tries to commercialize its technology? Based on these,
where would you recommend the board to locate the firm?
4. Based on your own experiences, what factors do you think lead some countries to have better environments for
commercializing startups? Should governments play a role in trying to promote entrepreneurship or let large companies
do the innovating when the environment for startups is not as favorable?
End of Getting Started: Fundamentals for the Entrepreneurial Manager (Sub-module II)
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TOPIC
E Ink
MATERIALS
E Ink: Financing Growth (800252)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
1. What is the nature of the opportunity confronting E Ink?
3. What partnerships should E Ink be pursuing? How should E Ink structure these relationships?
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TOPIC
Sirtris
MATERIALS
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer (808112)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
Please note the following CORRECTION to the case:
The $20 million upfront payment in the third bullet of Exhibit 9 should read $75 million.
1. At the time Westphal joined Sirtris, what is your assessment of the odds that the company will ever generate
substantial revenues? If you were Westphal, would you have left Polaris for Sirtris?
2. Should Sirtris do the deal with the pharmaceutical company? Why or why not? If you do recommend a deal, which
equity stake (20% or 51%) would you prefer?
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TOPIC
Incept LLC and Confluent Surgical
MATERIALS
Incept LLC and Confluent Surgical
ASSIGNMENT
1. If Amar Sawhney and Fred Khosravi will not amend the terms of the Confluent license agreement, should Charles
Warden make the investment?
2. If you were advising Charles, what suggestions would you have for him regarding how to manage the risks he would
be taking on if he proceeded with the deal? Do you have any recommendations for deal structures that might resolve
the impasse?
3. What principles have guided the creation of Incept? Why do you think Amar and Fred chose to structure Incept the
way they have? Do you believe that Incept will be a successful vehicle for commercializing Sawhneys hydrogel
technology?
4. This is another example of a platform technology; we have come across several others in TEM. Comparing the
Incept model to, say, that of E-ink, in what ways is the Incept platform similar and in what ways is it distinct? Might a
similar business model work in both cases?
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TOPIC
edocs
MATERIALS
edocs, Inc. (A) (200015)
RC Case Packet 1
VC 101
This powerpoint presentation covers the material in the Note on Private Equity Securities.
ASSIGNMENT
This case concerns the negotiation of a venture capital investment between the founders of edocs and Charles River
Ventures. edocs (Kevin Laracey) and Charles River (Jonathon Guerster) must decide what terms they would like to
negotiate.
Each student will be assigned to a team of 4-6 students and asked to take the perspective of either edocs or Charles
River Ventures in a negotiation exercise. (Each team will consist of at least two representatives from each group).
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3. Negotiation exercise
Complete the assignment posted to your iSite. After the exercise, one edocs member from each team should also
complete the poll.
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TOPIC
Parenting
MATERIALS
Parenting Magazine (291015)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
This case describes a set of decisions confronting Robin Wolaner, who is negotiating with representatives of Time, Inc.
about investing in a project to launch a new magazine called Parenting. The negotiations have reached an impasse.
On page 23 of the case, in item F-1 of Exhibit 7, you can assume the $xxx amount offered by Time, Inc. was $35
million.
1. How do you assess the potential venture that Wolaner has identified? What are the underlying economics of her
business model?
2. How much money does Wolaner need? From whom should the capital be raised?
3. Is the proposed deal with Time, Inc. reasonable? From whose perspective? What changes, if any, should be made
to the deal?
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TOPIC
Honest Tea
MATERIALS
Honest Tea (201076)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
1. How is Honest Tea doing? What milestones would you utilize to gauge performance?
2. How much financing does the company need? For what purposes?
3. Who has the company approached for financing in the past? Were they the right investors?
5. What sources of financing should Goldman and Nalebuff explore for the current round, and how should the financing
be structured?
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TOPIC
Jim Sharpe
MATERIALS
Jim Sharpe: Extrusion Technology, Inc. (Abridged) (603084)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
1. Assess this venture from Jim Sharpe's perspective.
2. How has Jim Sharpe purchased this venture? What are the implications of this financial structure?
3. What should Jim Sharpe do on his first day as owner of Extrusion Technology, Inc.?
4. What should his action plan be for the first six months? The next twelve months? What should his priorities be?
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TOPIC
Huffington Post
TOPIC
Creative Capital
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TOPIC
Tennant
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TOPIC
Manchester Bidwell
MATERIALS
Manchester Bidwell Corporation (A) (806111)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
1. Is MBC?s Pittsburgh operation successful? Why?
4. How likely do you think it is that Bill Strickland will be able to achieve his goal of 100 centers like MBC through the
U.S. in say, ten years?
5. As an advisor to Strickland, what would you recommend he do to make it more likely that he can achieve his goal?
6. What questions would you have the Bridgespan group address in its proposed consulting study for MBC?
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TOPIC
Noodles & Company
MATERIALS
Noodles and Company
ASSIGNMENT
1. Evaluate Noodles? opportunity. What factors have contributed to its success to date?
2. What has its growth strategy been to date? What growth options do they have for the future? What
recommendations would you make?
3. What role should franchising play in the company?s growth? What are the specific advantages and disadvantages of
the franchising model for Noodles, including the financial, economic, and organizational consequences?
4. Watch the 3:28 min Noodles & Company video clip posted above.
5. Complete the Noodles & Company Poll (posted above) by 6am on Friday 4/24.
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Syllabus for The Entrepreneurial Manager
Realizing Value
TOPIC
Endeavor
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TOPIC
Knoll Furniture
MATERIALS
Knoll Furniture: Going Public (202114)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
1. Should Lynch take Knoll public? Does he have a choice?
2. What are the benefits to Knolls management and employees of going public? Are they large? What are the costs?
4. What are the implications for Knoll and its employees if it decides to go public?
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Syllabus for The Entrepreneurial Manager
TOPIC
Indica
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TOPIC
GSKs Acquisition of Sirtris: Independence or Integration?
MATERIALS
GSK's Acquisition of Sirtris: Independence or Integration? (809-026)
ASSIGNMENT
1. Moncef Slaoui and Andrew Witty must sell the acquisition of Sirtris to two key constituencies: the GSK board of
directors, and Chrisoph Westphal and the senior team at Sirtris. How would you make these pitches (and please be
prepared to do so)?
2. If you are Christoph Westphal, how do you feel when you get the call from Slaoui? What terms are you most inclined
to negotiate?
3. The vast majority of startup exits during the past decade have been through acquisitions by larger companies. What
is likely to change at Sirtris after the acquisition? More generally, how do entrepreneurial companies change after they
are acquired? Is there a role for an entrepreneur like Westphal in a very large company like GSK?
4. Put yourself in Slaouis position. How should you manage the integration of Sirtris? Now think about this same
question from the perspectives of Westphal and Dipp?
5. Think about the new discovery organization GSK has created. In many ways, this organization represents a major
departure from how big companies usually operate. What are the significant differences? What do you think of this
model for large companies in general?
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TOPIC
Kate Spade
MATERIALS
kate spade (800002)
RC Case Packet 2
ASSIGNMENT
1. Evaluate Kate Spade's progress to date. How has the team done in identifying and pursuing the opportunity?2. What
are the key factors for success as the company moves forward?3. Which, if any, of the options would you recommend
the company accept/pursue? Why? What are the company's alternatives?
4. What will it take for Kate Spade to achieve its stated goal of $100 million in revenues?
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Conclusion
TOPIC
Wrap Up Lecture
ASSIGNMENT
1. Review the cases and notes discussed in this course.
TOPIC
FINAL EXAM
End of Conclusion
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