Time Schedule:
Frank Coker
LIS 549
Seattle Campus
Introduction to innovative and specialized topics in information systems, architectures, and retrieval. Prerequisite: LIS 540.
Class description
Course Title: Entrepreneurship in Technology
This course will examine the challenges of bringing new ideas and new technologies to the market. The context will be the “information perspective,” meaning we will be looking at markets and innovation that goes beyond basic technology and traditional information systems and looks more broadly at information assets, cultural expectations, absorption of technologies into lifestyles and other factors that are driving our all-pervasive information economy. Special emphasis will be placed on the factors that lead to maximum economic value for targeted markets, investors and the entrepreneur. The course will overview processes for examining potential markets, evaluating competition, identifying factors that influence adoption of new products and services, developing business plans and models, and formulating financial projections. We will then discuss the critical elements of raising investment capital and managing a start-up company. In addition we will look at the role of the founder, the formation of the start-up organization, and the key factors that allow a young company to succeed and thrive in a volatile economic environment.
We are planning for several guest speakers, including a venture capitalist, a CEO of a start-up company and a financial analyst for emerging markets. We want to emphasize interaction and participation so that all course participants get the most personal benefit possible.
If you can envision launching a new company in your future, or if you are the member of a team that is responsible for bringing a new product to market or if you just want to know more about what it means to be an entrepreneur, this is the class for you. This class will cover concepts, methods and general strategies important to entrepreneurs, but equally important, we will look at the personal implications, good and bad, risks and rewards, of pursuing business opportunities as an entrepreneur in a world driven by information and technology.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
