MGMT 927

December 2014
Management 927
The New Enterprise
Spring 2015

Time:

Alternating Weekends

Instructor:

Al Danto

Office (e-mail):

(aldanto@rice.edu)

Office Hours:

By appointment

Textbooks:
Blank, The Four Steps to the Epiphany K & S Ranch, 1997. ISBN 978-098200509
Williams and Napier, Essentials of Entrepreneurship, T&NO Book Company, 2011. ISBN# 0965073726. (WN).
Clifton / Bharadwaj Entrepreneurial Strengths Finder Gallup Press ISBN: 978-1-59562-82-8
(Students will also complete the online Entrepreneurial Strengths Finder and Entrepreneurial
DNA self-assessment test)
Optional Reading
Stanley, Stop Acting Rich and Start Living Like a Real Millionaire John Wiley
& Sons 2009 ISBN# 978-0470482551
Ries, The Lean Startup Crown Business Books ISBN: 978-0-307-88789-4
Grading:
The grade for The New Enterprise course will be assigned according to the following
formula:
Written Cases / Problems (4)
Peer Evaluation
Class Participation
Life of Meaning (LOM) mid-term report
Life of Meaning (LOM) final report
Investor Presentation

40
10
10
10
10
20
100

If you would rather take a final exam than complete the LOM project, then you may do so. The
final exam will be a case similar to the ones you prepare for class. The final exam will cover all
topics covered in the class. The exam will count 20% of the course grade. The exam will be due
at noon on the last day of final exams.
At the end of the term, each student will be asked to complete a Peer Evaluation Form for Team
Assignments indicating the contributions of other members of their team. These evaluations will
be used in determining the course grade. A copy of the form is attached to the syllabus.
1

MGMT 927

December 2014

Purpose and Scope:

This course is designed for students who may wish to initiate their own businesses at
some stage in their careers. The course will explore various pathways to entrepreneurship and
new ventures including:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Sweat Equity and starting a business with limited capital

Venture capital financing
Friends, Family and Angel financing
Using debt financing including SBA loans
Acquiring an existing business
Other Ventures: Joint Ventures, Customer Financing, Partnerships, Crowd
Funding, Franchising and other alternatives to start a New Enterprise.

The life and career of an entrepreneur is a very personal journey and the specific goals,
rewards, and returns are unique to each person. Not everyone is suited to be an entrepreneur. A
major goal of the course will be for the student to decide if he/she is able to adjust to the
challenges of starting and running a new company. The rewards of creating a business will be
cataloged along with the negative aspects, so students can be made aware of potential pitfalls.
Entrepreneurship combines the entire spectrum of managerial problems that the Jones
School student explores in other courses. The course will consider the role of the entrepreneur in
starting a new enterprise. The technological, economic, marketing, and managerial decisions
that he/she must make will be examined together with legal, taxation, and financing problems.
The process of finding products and services for a new venture will be scrutinized, and methods
of developing a viable entity will be analyzed. We will address such questions as these:
How do you find ideas and opportunities that fit the entrepreneur?
What are the economics of entrepreneurship?
Why start a new company?
What risks and rewards do entrepreneurs face?
What are the economic, legal and people aspects of starting a new company?
What are the latest trends in business planning?
How the management problems of a new venture different from a large corporation?
How do you capitalize on your success if your business makes it?
The use of real world cases and lessons from guest speakers will also play an important
role in the course. We will use cases from the Harvard Business School and cases and examples
of Jones School Alumni. Cases should be prepared in detail for in-class analysis. A summary of
four of these cases (designated in the syllabus) should also be written prior to the class when that
case is discussed (four pages, 12 point font in an outline format with one page used for
numerical data analysis). Students will work in groups of five on each Case or Case Problem
assignment. The Honor Code will apply otherwise. Students will also work in groups to develop
a business opportunity and use the tools learned in the class to determine if it is a viable venture.
They will present the opportunity to an investor panel. See the attached pages on the Honor
Code, Cell Phone and Laptop Classroom Policies.
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is
requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential.
Students with disabilities should also contact Disabled Student Services in the Ley Student Center.

MGMT 927

December 2014

OUTLINE FORMAT FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL CASES

I.

Background of Principals.
A.
B.
C.

II.

Identification of Business Opportunity.

A.
B.
C.

III.

Experience.
Suitability as entrepreneurs.
Financial capabilities.

Specific opportunity.
Economics of business.
Industry analysis.

Specific Issues Posed by Case.

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Viability of business.
Marketing.
Operations.
Financing.
Legal.

IV.

Recommendations.

V.

Data Analysis.

MGMT 927

December 2014

Date

Topic

Jan 23

Lecture #1

Speaker

Case Study
Readings:

Feb 7

Written Case
Due

Assignment
Week #1
Class Expectations / The Entrepreneurial Process
Entrepreneurial Pathways
Introduction to Life of Meaning Project
Corporate Structures & Legal Issues
Attorney: Saeed Tellawi
R & R Case / Class Discussion (No Written Case Due)
WN Chapters 1 / 11
So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur, Acton
Stars, Steppingstones and a Hero Journey: Finding a Calling in
Business, Acton
Life of Meaning: Stars and Steppingstones Project (includes
Brainstorm You) Acton
Introduction to Interviews, Acton reference document
R & R Case
Week #2
Icedelights Case Discussion / Written Case

Speaker

Entrepreneurial Strengths / Weaknesses / DNA

Joe Abraham

Readings:

Icedelights Case
Entrepreneurial Strengths Finder / Entrepreneurial DNA Assessment

Feb 20

Lecture #2
Speaker
Written Case
Due

Readings:

March 6

Lecture #3
Speaker
Written Case
Due
Readings:

Week #3
Finding Opportunities / BEST Analysis / Customer Discovery
Jan Goetleguk Omni Virtuix
Steve B. Belkin Written Case / Class Discussion / Video

Steve Belkin Case

WN Chapters 2 / 3
Handout: Why the Lean Start Up Changes Everything
Four Steps to the Epiphany Chapter #3
Week #4
The Lean Canvas / MVPs / Customer Validation
Blake Roberts EMBA to Entrepreneur My Personal Journey
Heather Evans Written Case Due / Class Discussion / Video
Heather Evans Case
Four Steps to the Epiphany Chapter 4 & 5

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December 2014
Week #5

March 21
Live Case
Study
Readings

Written
Problem Due

Reinventing the Global Lithium Supply Part A and B

A Method for Valuing High-Risk, Long- Term Investments: The
Venture Capital Method
Third Money and Venture Capital Finance Problem Due
Week #6
Entrepreneurship through Acquisition
Business Valuation / Finding and Acquiring a Business
Building and Exiting an Entrepreneurial Company

April 4

Readings:

April 18

Venture Capital / Valuing High-Risk Long Term Investments

Luka Erceg
Reinventing the Global Lithium Supply

Presentations

Wirefab Case
WN Chapters 14 / 15 / 16
Business Valuation Handouts
Four Steps to the Epiphany Chapter 6
Week #7
Student Lean Canvas Investor Presentations
Class Wrap Up

LOM final report or final exam is due no later than noon on May 1st.

MGMT 927

December 2014

PEER EFFORT EVALUATION FORM FOR TEAM ASSIGNMENTS

Team Number: _______

Your Name: _____________________________________

Your ID: __________

Course Number: _______

Course Name: ____________________________________

Date: _____________

Section Number: _______

Your Signature: ___________________________________

Please use this form to rate the effort made by each team member in your team in participating and working on team
assignments for this course. Each team member should complete and return this form to the professor. Please check
with your instructor for the due date. Once these forms have been turned into the faculty member, they cannot be
changed.
Please rate each member of the team (other than yourself) on a scale of 0-10 points, with 10 being the best. Your
evaluation should focus only on your team members effort and participation in relation to mutually agreed
upon responsibilities, and not the quality of their work or their skill sets. Your rating should be based on the
following guidelines:
1.
2.
3.

Cooperation by the individual with team members in setting goals and executing tasks.
Effort made by the individual to complete agreed-to tasks and to meet deadlines.
The individuals overall participation in the teams tasks.

Your feedback is critical, and will be used by the professor in determining the individual team members grades for
team assignments. If two or more team members give an individual a low score, then the professor may use the
information to lower the grade of that individual for team assignments. The information you provide here will be
kept in strict confidence by the professor and the school and will not be made available to other team members. We
also expect you to not share this information with anyone else.
Please fill in the names of your team members and record your peer effort rating for each:
Name of the Individual Team Member
(Do not include your name)

Your Peer Effort Rating

(0-10 points; 10 is best)

1. _______________________________________

____________

2. _______________________________________

____________

3. _______________________________________

____________

4. _______________________________________

____________

5. _______________________________________

____________

6. _______________________________________

____________

The faculty member may want to consider whether you or your team has openly discussed any problems with
individuals whose peer effort rating is noticeably lower. Have you had such a discussion? ___ Yes ___ No
Please use this space to provide additional comments as needed:

MGMT 927

December 2014

Cell Phone Classroom Policy

It is the policy of the Jones School for students to turn their cell phones off during class.
A faculty member may relax this policy in some situations. For example, if a student talks with a
faculty member prior to class and indicates the need to have their cell phone in vibrate
position, then the faculty member may grant the students request. An example of such a
situation would be if a student had a family member in a serious medical situation.

Laptop Classroom Policy

It is the policy of the Jones School for students to place their laptop computer in the closed
position while class is in session.
A faculty member may relax this policy in some situations. For example, if the faculty member
wants the students to have computers open for instructional purposes, that is an appropriate use
of a laptop computer during a class.