Session 19: Personal Business Plans

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Summary

This session allows students to share elements from their Personal Business Plan (PBP) and how entrepreneurship and innovation could play a role in their personal and career paths. This exercise is further motivated by the book by Professor Noam Wasserman at USC called Life is a Startup. The book’s introduction and first chapter can be found here and Inc. Magazine’s summary can be found here.

Quote of the Day: “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” 

Theodore Roosevelt

Required Readings 

(Policy on Required Readings)

  • “The Secret Sauce of Silicon Valley” from What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 by Tina Seelig (available on Canvas)
  • “What’s Your Why?,” from eCorner (video), Gabriel Parisi-Amon, Nebia

Recommended Readings/Viewings

(for inspiration only)

Study Questions 

(Policy on Study Questions)

  1. What are one or two particularly meaningful highlights of your Personal Business Plan? Please be prepared to share in class.
  2. Do you need to get an MBA in order to be a successful entrepreneur and innovator? Why or why not? What is the potential value and relevance of a co-term (co-terminal masters degree) to augment your bachelors degree?
  3. Skim these sites for how to learn more about entrepreneurship and innovation at Stanford in coming year(s):

Online Assignment 

(Policy on Online Assignments)

Please submit your Personal Business Plan assignment via canvas before 8 AM the day of class. This is an individual exercise and is required. See the Personal Business Plan page for more details. Be prepared to share your “six-word memoir” during the class session itself.