Welcome to MS&E 273 Fall 2011
This course provides a learning experience that simulates the process of starting a high-tech company. Students work in teams on a business plan for a start-up and present it to a panel of experienced Venture Capitalists. Course instructors, experts themselves in new venture creation, present the key issues involved in evaluating market opportunities, designing profitable business models, producing a solid business plan, raising capital, addressing legal considerations and developing a winning team.
The class limited to graduate students only.
The class must be taken for credit.
Apply for the 2012-2013 TA Position! (Deadline 3/19/12)
Online Application Form
MS&E 273 Technology Venture Formation is hiring a course assistant (50%
CA) for the Fall of 2012 and 2013. Perspective applications MUST commit
for both terms.
MS&E 273 is a structured, interactive and hands-on introduction to
technology entrepreneurship. The fast-paced course provides graduate
students a chance to identify a venture opportunity, write a business
plan and present to a panel of top-tier venture capitalists. Students of
the course often go on to found successful startups. The course mentors,
professors and guest speakers are all seasoned veterans of the Silicon
Valley startup scene.
The CA will support the professors in course planning and work closely
with student teams to develop their ventures. This is a fabulous
networking opportunity and teaching/learning experience for students
interested in entrepreneurship. A successful CA applicant should ideally
have the following qualifications/experiences:
** Start-up or Venture Capital experience preferred **
- PhD student (3rd or 4th year, post-quals preferred)
- Must be able to commit to at least 2 years (fall quarter).
- Prior work experience beyond summer internships in the areas of
med-tech, biotech, clean tech, consumer electronics, or IT/internet technologies.
- Prior experience pitching to angel or venture capital investors and/or listening to
and evaluating professional business pitches.
To apply for this position, please fill out the online application form
and send your resume to Theresa Johnson theresa.johnson@stanford.edu
MS&E 273 Alumni Quotes
"A ton of work, and a great class!"
"I will recommend this class to someone who wants to be an entrepreneur. This is a great class, exciting, but also, it is a lot of work, and if you don't love [entrepreneurship], you won't like it."
"I absolutely would recommend this class to other students interested in starting a business. I think the class did a great job of focusing on the key aspects of starting a business without belabouring any point. It was fast-paced and challenging, which I like, and intense. It really opened my eyes to a whole world I was ignorant of before."
"I would not recommend this to anyone who is not serious about it or does not have the time commitment. That fosters really bad team relations and is unfair to other teammates. I was glad to see that you made that very explicit in the beginning, so there were no surprises."
"This was the best class I have taken at Stanford. [...] I learned a lot in the lectures, which is irregular for a non-homework type class, and learned even more working with my team. I spent probably double the time I have ever spent in any other course."
This class alone made coming to Stanford worth it!
MS&E273 is hands down the best way to learn what life in a startup is like…This was the most useful class I took throughout my two years at Stanford…I'm putting learning into action by pursuing my own startup.
The experience of 273 has helped immensely in our ability to write and present a focused and relevant plan for the company.
Beyond thetangible advice or skills learned, my biggest takeaway from the class was the impetus to stop talking about an idea and actually take steps to execute it.
The class provided a very realistic experience for entrepreneurial students to build a business plan from scratch and pitch to top-tier VCs.
The class provides a balanced mix of lectures, speakers, and hands-on work. It’s a great launchpad for aspiring student entrepreneurs and equally valuable for those who have entrepreneurial plans later in their lives.
Course Policies
See the FAQ for more general policy and course information.
Students
- MS&E 273 is only open to graduate students at Stanford.
- There are no remote options for this course - you must take MS&E 273 on campus.
- You must take the course for credit. You may not audit MS&E 273.
Attendance and Participation
- There are only ten weeks in this course, which is barely enough to cover the essentials of this topic area.
If you anticipate missing more than one class, we recommend that you take another course and wait on this one.
More than one unexcused absence may result in a full letter grade penalty.
- If you expect to miss a class, please let the teaching assistants know ahead of time via email.
- It is our practice to spread participation over the class; we may cold call upon you. It is however never our intention to embarrass anyone -- if you are not prepared, let one of us know before class and we will not call on you.
- We will do all that we can to use class time effectively and ask you to do the same. This includes starting and ending on time. The teaching assistants will take
attendance in the first five minutes of the class and we will end on time. Do not take this class if you are habitually late!
- Given the importance of class participation and its grading, we will try to memorize your names quickly.
We ask that you use a name card during every session of the quarter. This is an absolute requirement. You should put your name on the
front and back of the card to make it easier for everyone to see.
- Please silence your cell phones before coming to class.
Communications
- Feel free to discuss the course and your learning progress with the instructors at any time. We are always happy to discuss items of interest.
The teaching assistants are also available for questions you have about any issue.
- In preparation for case discussion, group interaction is acceptable and strongly encouraged. Notes or papers from other courses may not be used.
The work to be turned in for this class must be original and may not be used for any other class.
- When contacting a mentor or someone else whom you have been introduced to by one of the teaching staff for this course, please make sure to do the following:
- Copy the member of the teaching staff who gave the contact to you on the email.
- Be concise with your request and be respectful of their time. As an example, asking them to reply to you ASAP or within 24 hours in not acceptable so be sure to plan ahead to allow for a reasonable amount of time for a reply.
- Use polite language and you MUST send a thank you email to them once they have helped you with your request.
- Our distinguished guest speakers are aggressive, successful, and articulate. Interrupt and ask them questions at any time! They will be forewarned. They will display an earnest desire to help you understand new ventures.
Commitment
- This is a class for those who are motivated. It is very, very demanding. By accepting a place in the class, you simultaneously prohibit someone else from taking it and you establish obligations to your fellow business plan team members. Please accept this responsibility with serious intent. Students who become "free riders" on their team will receive at least a full letter grade penalty.
Business Plan
- Because our cases and other readings are sufficient, we do not place past business plans on reserve as samples. Confidentiality is another reason. In addition, we prohibit the use of business plan software to automatically write the plan through a "fill-in-the-blank" approach.