printer friendly pageSTRAMGT 110Q: Making Sense of Strategy
Get the strategy right, and the chance for success is great. Nowhere is this more evident than in today's world of major challenges. Strategy is at the heart of problem solving and achieving objectives, yet few people can define strategy, much less understand how to conceptualize, design, and execute effective strategies that yield the best outcomes.This course will meet once a week to focus on interesting and engaging case studies, each of which illustrates a key ingredient of strategy. Some are well-known historical events, while others are less obvious, but all have a strategic lesson to share. They are quite diverse, from the planning of a high-risk rescue in the Colorado Rockies, to a product crisis in a Fortune 50 company, to a little-known failed military mission of WWII, to a commercial airline disaster. The ability to think through challenging and varied scenarios is both instructive and mind-stretching. There will be some pre-reading on each case study and there may be a field trip for students to put their lessons into practice. The course is designed to be highly interactive; all to enable students to unravel the mystery and power of strategic thinking. Students will also have the opportunity to select and analyze a case reflecting interests of their own. This course can help students not only prepare for a career in a range of fields, but also as they meet the challenges of their current coursework. Problem-solving skills are central in every walk of life; this seminar can help students build a stronger foundation for sound decision-making.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Demarest, D. (PI)
STRAMGT 306: Food, Health & Nutrition Entrepreneurship
Americans spend nearly 7% of their income on food items and another 5% on food services annually (US Census). Food spend is at the intersection of two of the most important industries in the US: health care and agriculture. Food production today supports the food consumption causing our extraordinary burden of disease; 75 cents of every dollar of the $4.8 billion spent annually on health care is for diet-related disease. The health care system accounts for over 17% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture and agriculture-related industries contributed 4.8% to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012. This course focuses on the shifting landscapes across these industries and subsequent market opportunities in food, health, and nutrition. The course is designed for students with a broad interest in the food or health systems and/or who are interested in careers in related fields. We will examine the food system from three points of view: the consumer, nutritional science, and policy. The class will focus on solving for consumer needs from the perspective of a health-promoting entrepreneur. The class will involve lecture, discussion, and prominent guest speakers who are entrepreneurs themselves or industry leaders.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Epstein, M. (PI)
STRAMGT 309: Strategies of Effective Product Management
This is a course about exploring the methods and processes for product management, largely in technology companies, and a look at what can lead to the most effective ways to coordinate customer needs, ensure accurate product development, and how to develop and use the appropriate tools needed to successfully sell products and services to customers from the perspective of the Product Manager. The course covers ways to think about product management depending on the type of product being delivered (new product introduction vs. reinvigorating an existing product) and also the skills and tools used by product managers for effective product management.nnThis course is an extended version of
STRAMGT 509.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Goldberg, A. (PI)
;
Siegel, R. (SI)
STRAMGT 321: Create a New Venture: From Idea to Launch I
This is an integrated lab course in Entrepreneurship designed to teach students the process of creating a new viable venture - from idea to launch. It is a dynamic and interactive course organized around projects undertaken by teams of 3 to 4 registered students from the MSx and MBA programs, together with other graduate students within Stanford who bring expertise of particular relevance to the idea being pursued. This course is designed not only for students with immediate entrepreneurial aspirations, but also for any student considering starting an entrepreneurial venture at some point in his or her career. The course is a two quarter class, with admission to the class by team and idea. In the winter quarter, teams will research, craft, and morph their idea into a viable business concept. In the spring quarter they will further refine their concept and develop a strategy and plan to attract financial, human and other resources. At the end of the spring quarter, teams will present their plan to a panel of experts and potential investors to simulate the funding process. The new course builds on a predecessor course S356 "Evaluating Entrepreneurial Opportunities" and encapsulates new and important research and findings as they relate to the process of new venture creation. The teaching method is primarily learning by doing (LBD) through a structured process and supported by relevant lectures. Learning is further enhanced through meetings with the instructor, coaching by experienced mentors and review by peers. Field research as well as prototype product development are integral to the course. Since admittance to S321/S322 is by team and the quality of their idea, team formation takes place during the autumn quarter. Informal student mixers and seminars will be held to facilitate team formation and idea generation. Each team of 3-4 students should preferably consist of 1 or more MSx students and graduate students from the MBA program or other Schools - Engineering, Medicine, Law, Science, Education - to bring diversity and depth to the team. The application-selection process is described on the S321/S322 website.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Rohan, D. (PI)
STRAMGT 325: Starting and Growing a Social Venture
This course is for students who may want to undertake an entrepreneurial career by starting and/or managing a social venture. It covers traditional topics in starting and growing a venture - venture creation, resource acquisition, managing growth and harvest/exit - in the context of social enterprises. It is our view that, in most ways, social ventures should be treated and managed like for-profit ventures, and this course reflects this perspective. That said, there are some important differences which are critical to understand to effectively start and manage a social enterprise. We will highlight these throughout our sessions, so while many of the lessons learned are generalizable to all ventures, we don't advise you to take this class unless you really want to learn about social ventures. All the cases and class discussions will be exclusively about enterprises and organizations in the social venture space.nnThe class deals primarily with situations from the point of view of the entrepreneur/manager, and in a couple of cases, from the perspective of the investor. Students will have a chance to assess opportunity and action in the context of actual social ventures, often in situations that are current. The course is integrative and will allow students to apply many facets of their business school education. We will have a mixture of case discussions, student-led in-class exercises, panel discussions, and guest speakers.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
Instructors:
Siegelman, R. (PI)
;
Hattendorf, L. (SI)
STRAMGT 330: Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital: Partnership for Growth
This 3 unit course is a case study based course designed for those students interested in entrepreneurship and/or investing. The partnership (and interaction) between the entrepreneur and the investor is a very important dimension in the growth of many start-ups. This course examines the entrepreneur and investor relationship from both the entrepreneur's and the investor's perspectives.n nFrom the point of view of the entrepreneur -- we look at how an entrepreneur can select the most suitable investor and match the investor to the growth trajectory of their company. Students will learn how and when to approach investors as well as the positioning of their company to the investment firms' portfolio strategy. Each year we have a range in students' entrepreneurial experience and their enthusiasm. Many students begin the course with a business idea (an original idea for this course or a business idea used in another GSB course). Other students will use a "borrowed" business idea from a recent start up to test the waters of the entrepreneurial experience. The course gives all levels of entrepreneurs the opportunity to understand the current investing environment in class and in the field. Students have enjoyed connecting with members of the entrepreneur & VC community as they interact with the guest speakers and complete the course projects.n nFrom the point of view of the investor -- we look at the rapid evolution of the investor sector; in particular, why entrepreneurs have many more investor alternatives today compared to several years ago. It is important for entrepreneurs (and future investors) to understand investors' motivation and process. We will explain how investors are differentiating their firm in an "entrepreneur's market", look for their next opportunity, their investment selection process and how investors plan to work with the entrepreneur after the investment. nnThe course is geared for multiple audiences: the student who is considering an entrepreneurship or investment career path, the student who "experimenting" with entrepreneurship for the first time or the entrepreneur who is seriously exploring a start-up idea (and perhaps has already formed a team). Each student audience will benefit from the candid guest speakers discussion as to what happens behind the scenes (e.g. in the investors' partners meeting) and at the negotiating table between the entrepreneur and investor.nnThe course is case study based with engaging class discussions led by your two teachers who collectively have over 70 years of experience as venture capitalists. The course includes frequent guest speakers (both entrepreneurs and investors) who will give alternate and candid off the record details about their experiences. nnClass participation is integral to a successful exchange of ideas; therefore, we encourage class participation and it will count as 50% of your total grade. The other 50% of the grade is based on individual papers, a short presentation to the class, and your individual contribution to a presentation project to an investor panel. Notably, this year's course allows students to choose their role as the entrepreneur, investor or angel adviser for the final presentation to the VC panel (in contrast to previous years' requirement, this year students will be graded for their individual contribution rather than as a team for the final group project).
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Ziebelman, P. (PI)
;
Glynn, J. (SI)
STRAMGT 335: Entrepreneurial Approaches to Education Reform
In this course, students will investigate opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial ventures trying to make a positive impact in public education. The course requires a basic level of understanding of the U.S. K-12 public school system. The first session will analyze the structure of the public education as an industry, with a special emphasis on understanding the achievement gap. Subsequent sessions will explore challenges in increasing efficacy, ensuring financial sustainability, and scaling for entrepreneurs who have sought to change student outcomes, solve pain points, and innovate. The course will feature a variety of ventures (including schools, education technology, training, and supplemental services) and organizational models (for-profit, not-for-profit, and benefit corporation). This course is suitable for students aspiring to be entrepreneurs, leaders in entrepreneurial organizations, leaders in educational organizations, Board members, donors or investors. (Note: this is not a "how-to" course on starting an entrepreneurial venture.)
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Lee, G. (PI)
STRAMGT 340: POWer: Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital from the Perspective of Women
This seminar will showcase women entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. We will explore the challenges and opportunities they encountered in starting and growing their ventures, and the personal and professional choices they have made. The sessions will include cases, readings, videos, panel discussions, role plays and breakout groups with the entrepreneurs and vc¿s. The class will help you understand and build your entrepreneurial and growth mindset. You will leave the class with an individual roadmap and tools to help you be entrepreneurial throughout your career. Men are encouraged to enroll.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Mandelbaum, F. (PI)
;
Raimondi, A. (SI)
STRAMGT 351: Building and Managing Professional Sales Organizations
The focus of this class is on the challenges and key issues associated with the creation and management of a professional sales organization. Our emphasis is developing and managing the selling effort of business-to-business and business-to-consumer capital goods and services. There will be relatively little emphasis on sales technique (i.e., students should not expect a course on "How to be a Better Salesperson"). The course is organized to follow the development of the sales function from strategic inception through to execution and implementation: choosing a go-to-market model (e.g., direct sales, no/low touch, VARs, OEMs, hybrid models); building and structuring the sales organization (e.g., sales learning curve, organizational structure, allocating territories and quotas); and managing the sales force (e.g., hiring/firing, compensation, forecasting, culture). We will address these topics in the context of both early stage ventures and later stage enterprises.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 4
STRAMGT 353: Entrepreneurship: Formation of New Ventures
This course is offered for students who at some time may want to undertake an entrepreneurial career by pursuing opportunities leading to partial or full ownership and control of a business. The course deals with case situations from the point of view of the entrepreneur/manager rather than the passive investor. Many cases involve visitors, since the premise is that opportunity and action have large idiosyncratic components. Students must assess opportunity and action in light of the perceived capabilities of the individuals and the nature of the environments they face. The course is integrative and will allow students to apply many facets of their business school education. Each section will have a specific focus, please select the instructor(s) with your interests: Leslie, Bowman - High tech ventures; Ellis, Saloner - Diverse types of ventures; Foster, Brady - Diverse types of ventures; Reiss, Chess - Very early stage ventures.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 4
Instructors:
Ellis, J. (PI)
;
Foster, G. (PI)
;
Leslie, M. (PI)
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more instructors for STRAMGT 353 »
Instructors:
Ellis, J. (PI)
;
Foster, G. (PI)
;
Leslie, M. (PI)
;
Reiss, P. (PI)
;
Bowman, K. (SI)
;
Brady, S. (SI)
;
Chess, R. (SI)
;
Saloner, G. (SI)
;
Speiser, M. (SI)
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