Informatics Entrepreneurship 2
Informatics Entrepreneurship 2 (
IE 2) is a course offered at the
School of Informatics,
University of Edinburgh, during the
Spring Semester .
IE 2 is a follow-on course to Informatics Entrepreneurship 1 (
IE1), and the latter is a pre-requisite for students wishing to take IE 2 for credit. It involves undertaking a rigorous business planning process for the development of a high-technology business in the area of Informatics.
Inspired by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, this course is offered in cooperation with the
University of Edinburgh,
Stanford University,
Scottish Enterprise, and is part financed by the
European Union.
Description
IE 2 is a 10-credit
Level 11 course offered
only to PG students in Informatics (unless special permission is taken from the school) who have undertaken the IE1 course offered in the Autumn Semester at the University of Edinburgh.
Credit Points |
10 |
Credit Level |
11 |
Acronym |
INF-5-IE2 |
Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections |
e-commerce, Systems Analysis & Design |
Table 1: IE 2-Credits
Study Pattern |
Study Format |
Hours |
Lectures |
20 |
Tutorials |
2 |
Non-timetabled assessed assignments |
60 |
Private Study/Others |
18 |
Total |
100 |
Table 2: IE 2 – Study Requirements
Content
Using the opportunity assessment constructed in IE1, students will, during the course of IE 2, produce a detailed business plan for a high-technology business in the Informatics area. The work performed will include: further market analysis, competition research and analysis, building competitive advantage, the development of marketing strategy including sales plans, the building of a human resource strategy and management plan, business modeling, presentation development and
pitching, and projecting the financial performance of the new venture.
Deliverables
The outputs of the course will include a fully developed business plan including financial and executive summary, and a slide-based presentation. These documents will compliment a team presentation to a panel of venture capitalists and business angel investors. Some student teams may be positioned to pursue proof-of-concept funding. A written examination will cover specific technical, financial and theoretical aspects of the course.
Assessment
Students taking IE 2 for credit are assessed on two parameters, as shown in the table below.
Assessment Weightings (%) |
Assessment |
% |
Written Examination |
60 |
Business Plan |
40 |
Total |
100 |
Table 3: IE 2 - Assessment Criteria
Contact
Any questions regarding the course may be directed to
John Lee. If your query is urgent, please direct it to the
ITO.
Times and Registration
Students who wish to take the course for credit are required to register with the
Informatics Teaching Office (ITO). Please notify the ITO even if you are
auditing the course.
The class enrolment list may be found here (list to be added once enrolment for 2007/08 commences).
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Evaluate business opportunities and challenges in growing ICT markets.
- Conduct background research in order to identify emerging opportunities.
- Identify and analyse competition using Porter’s five forces model.
- Formulate strategies for starting and growing a new venture.
- Analyse complex environments and operations in startup business cases.
- Identify the characteristics of a solid business plan to investors.
- Model financial statements, including five year projections, for a business plan.
- Write a credible formal business plan, executive summary, and slide presentation.
- Evaluate and apply human resource management strategies.
- Describe the marketplace and processes for early stage financing of high risk ventures.
- Understand the use of various mechanisms of finance: equity, debt, leasing, bootstrapping, grants.
- Understand the benefits of programmes offered through organizations such as the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Enterprise, other local institutions that assist startup entrepreneurs and SMEs.
Syllabus and Reading
The table that follows outlines the topics addressed as part of this course, and the recommended reading for each topic.
The textbook (TB) for this course is Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise.
- Lecture 1: Introduction to IE 2
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 2: Market Research
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapter 1
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 3: Resources through the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Enterprise, and other institutions
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapter 13
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 4: Design and Marketing Strategy
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapters 6, 7 and 8
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 5: Selling
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapters 9 and 10
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 6: Business Modeling and Strategy
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapters 2-5, 13, and Appendix A
- William Sahlman: How to Write a Great Business Plan
- Handouts on Scottish Enterprise (SE), Edinburgh Pre-Incubator Scheme (EPIS), ETF, Edinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC), Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) and others
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 7: Human Resource Strategy
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading:
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapters 12, 14, 15 and 20
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 8: Presentation and Pitching
- Date: T.B.D.
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 9: Accounting and Finance
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 10: Marketing, Branding, and Building Competitive Advantage
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapter 11 and the Wordigo Case Study
- Randy Haykins, Case Study
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 11: Financing The Venture
- Date: T.B.D.
- Required Reading
- Richard C. Dorf and Tom Byers: Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, Chapter 16, 17, 18 and 19
- Optional Reading
- Lecture 12: Optional: Building a Network
- Date: T.B.D.
- Optional Reading