/THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS

Executive MBA Class of 2008

Course Syllabus

Course Number: MAS 6v03 Title: Entrepreneurial Ventures

Instructor: Richard F. Tozer (Lecturer)

Consultant to Management
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd., #300
Dallas, Texas 75219
214-521-3440
rftozer@hotmail.com

Course Description:

The entrepreneurial process of starting and developing a new business will be explored
within the contexts of both newly founded organizations and established corporations.
Such topics as innovation, the decision to start a venture, planning, feasibility analysis,
marketing, financing, and governance will be explored using case discussions, readings,
and interactive activities. A business plan term paper will be an option. This is an
integrative survey course only for students enrolled in the Executive MBA Program.

Learning Objectives:

• To encourage you to begin to think like an entrepreneur.

• To bring to life the excitement and potential of new ventures.
• To identify the concepts, practices and process commonly used to create new
ventures.
• To integrate, apply, and practice the concepts developed in all previous EMBA
courses.

Methodology:

This course will be taught as a traditional Harvard Business School style case discussion
course using Harvard cases, Babson cases, and additional case and discussion material
developed by the instructor. Optional background reading will be available and helpful,
but not required.

Each class meeting will have a theme, which will be explored in discussions of two or
more cases. Each student will be expected to come to each class prepared to discuss each
case.
Means of Assessment:

This is a 2-credit hour course required for graduation.

Course grades will be based on

Class participation 1/3

Written homework 1/3
Exam 1/3

If students choose to write a business plan term paper, no written homework or exam will
be due and the term paper grade will replace the written homework and exam grades.

Each of these components will be graded A, B, C, or F (with +’s and –‘s), however the
final course grade will not include a plus or minus.

Class participation grades, of necessity, will be somewhat subjective. As in real life, it

will be the student’s responsibility to participate frequently and in memorable fashion.
At a minimum, every student is expected to participate in every case discussion.

Standards for grading the term paper will be made available individually to students who
select that option.

Written Assignments:

Homework: Each weekend, each student will prepare one, one page paper analyzing
one of the cases to be discussed that weekend. You may select the case which is most
interesting to you. Suggested questions to be addressed for each case are included in the
case, or listed at the end of this syllabus. Additional cases can be written up for extra
credit. Papers will be due at the beginning of the class in which the case is to be
discussed.

One page means one side of one piece of paper 8 ½ x 11 inches. Any additional text will
be disregarded, however facts, figures, charts, etc. may be attached as exhibits, just as
they are in most of the cases. Effective one page papers generally use all the space
available, are single spaced, are densely packed with facts, figures, analyses, etc., and
are written in a compelling manner. These should be regarded as if they were memos
to be sent to your boss’s boss recommending a course of action that would have a major
positive impact on your career.

Exam: The exam will be written in class on the last meeting date. One-third of the
exam will address the key ideas of the course; two thirds will be an analysis of a case
distributed that afternoon.
Term Paper Option: The term paper option will be due on the last class weekend before
the international trip. Given students’ other responsibilities, writing a business plan
starting fresh in the time available is extremely difficult, and should not be entered into
lightly. If you want to take this option, you must submit your topic in writing before the
end of our second class on Saturday, January 5th. Standards for the optional business
plan term paper are presented in the separate document titled Business Plan Standards in
the supplemental material booklet. See also the following article, Practical Tips: How
to Write a Business Plan While Retaining Your Sanity.

Attendance:

Classes are regarded as business appointments; attendance is expected unless there are
compelling reasons not to attend. If so, please let me (or Teresa) know before class.

Materials:

There is more material here than any single person is likely to use. Students are expected
to read (and come to class prepared to discuss) each of the cases assigned along with
whatever of the suggested background reading they find interesting and useful.

You are not expected to read everything. Read only what you need.

• XanEdu course packet of cases and articles from Harvard and Babson.

• Supplemental booklet of cases and articles assembled by or written by the

instructor.

• Selections from William D. Bygrave and Andrew Zacharakis, Editors, The

Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship, Third Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2004.
Referred to as B. A compendium of articles by respected faculty members from
leading business schools.

• Jim Horan, The One Page Business Plan For the Creative Entrepreneur with CD-
ROM. The One Page Business Plan Company, 2006. A handy, interactive
guidebook for walking through the basic process of developing the core elements
of a plan for a new venture. Referred to as H.

• John L. Nesheim, High Tech Start Up, Revised and Updated, The Free Press,
2000. Referred to as N. A handbook for individuals interested in starting high
potential high technology new businesses. Available on request.
Schedule:

Session #1: Friday afternoon, January 4th.

Theme: Making the Decision.

Case Discussions: Fortress on the Charles (questions listed below); Putting A

Stop to Mom and Pop (questions on cover sheet); Entrepreneurial Leadership-
Starting A Business Worksheet (questions on page 2); and John Roughneen.
(questions on page 11).

Background Reading: B, Chapters 1 &2; The Entrepreneur’s Career Path;

Some things to think about in selecting a business or industry in which to be an
entrepreneur; How Entrepreneurs Are Different; How Successful
Entrepreneurs Decide; The Genius of the AND versus the Tyranny of the OR;
and N, Chapters 1, 2,3, & 8.

Optional Written Assignment: Assess yourself against the profile of successful

entrepreneurs in the How Entrepreneurs are Different article. Be sure to cite
evidence for each of your ratings (feelings don’t count).. Extra credit if you
use the profile form at the back to survey others who know you well.

Session #2: Saturday afternoon, January 5th.

Theme: Business Planning.

Case Discussions: Beautiful Legs by Post (questions on page 3) and

The Anderson Letter (questions on second page).

Background Reading: B, Chapters 4 and 5; H, pages 1-31, 40-41, 50-51, 60-69,

72-75, and 80; Business Plan Standards; and Practical Tips: How to Write a
Business Plan While Retaining Your Sanity; and N, Chapters 5 & 6, and
pages 87-89.

Term Paper Topics Due for Students Selecting That Option

Session #3: Saturday afternoon, January 19th.

Theme: Marketing.

Case Discussions: Clearvue (questions listed below) and Documentum

(questions in the last paragraph of the case at the bottom of page 13).

Background Reading: B, Chapter 3; Strategic Marketing Concepts.

Session #4: Friday afternoon, February 1st.

Theme: Venture Capital Financing

Case Discussions: Venture Capital Valuation Problem (questions on page 1) and

SolidWorks (questions in case).

Background Reading: B, Chapter 6, N, Chapters 7 & 9.

Session #5: Saturday afternoon, February 2nd.

Themes: Planning, Part 2 and Governance.

Case Discussions: Discovery-Driven Planning (questions listed below) and

Broadfast Router Corporation (questions page 3).

Background Reading: B, Chapters 7 & 14; N, Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14..

Session #6: Saturday afternoon, February 16th.

Course exam.

Optional Term Paper Due: Saturday, March 29th.

Suggested Questions for Fortress on the Charles

1. What is the case method of instruction?

2. Describe how it works?
3. Research indicates that over time, the case method is a more effective than the
lecture method, even in quantitative courses like accounting and operations
management. How can this possibly be true? Why does it work?
4. What are the most important things a student can do to learn by the case method?

Suggested Questions for Clearvue

1. Compare and contrast Brooks O’Kane’s entrepreneurial methods with those

prescribed in classical marketing texts.
2. What are your recommendations to Brooks as he contemplates the future?
3. Should Brooks buy Red Cross Nurse? Why (or why not)?
4. If you think he should buy Red Cross Nurse, recommend a marketing strategy for
the product.
 Suggested Questions for Discovery-Driven Planning

1. What are the five basic steps in Discovery-Driven Planning?

2. What are the advantages of Discovery-Driven Planning to someone starting a new
venture? The disadvantages?
3. How could Elizabeth Preis have used this approach in preparing to start Beautiful
Legs by Post?
4. What benefits would she have experienced had she done so?
5. Would this approach have been helpful in any of the other cases we have
discussed?

Individual Exceptions/Alternatives

If your situation is unique, if you want to do something different, or if you have any
questions, please contact me as soon as possible. Changes may be possible if you get my
approval in advance.

Have fun!

R.F.Tozer 11/30/07