Frequently Asked Questions
This list covers the most common questions we receive about the course.
Don't see your question listed here? Feel free to email one of the TAs:
- andrewdworschak (at) stanford (dot) edu
- candel2 (at) stanford (dot) edu
Registration
I'm an undergraduate. Can I still enroll in MS&E273?
Yes. The Program is an intensive 10-week effort and requires significant time and coordination with members of the team you’ll be on. A mix of grad and undergrad participants has been shown to enhance the course. Go for it if your schedule allows.
I'm not in the School of Engineering. Can I enroll in MS&E273?
The majority of students who enroll in MS&E273 are from the School of Engineering, but we encourage students from other departments as well. Alumni have been from Computer Science, the Graduate School of Business, Law School, Medical School, and Humanities. The Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD) also provides participation for outside honors coop students.
Can I audit MS&E273?
No. This class demands a high level of commitment, therefore formal enrollment is required. Auditing doesn’t really achieve much as outside team effort is 80% of the learning.
Can I take MS&E273 for less than 4 units?
The course is listed as a 3 or 4-unit course. All students should take it for 4 units unless they have a capped number of units to work with. Regardless, you will still be required to do the same amount of work if you register for 3 or 4 units.
Team Formation
Do I need to be part of a team before I enroll in class?
No. If you have a partial/complete team you are welcome to apply for enrollment. Although we cannot guarantee enrollment, pre-formed teams are always welcomed.
Do I need to have a business idea to enroll in MS&E273?
No. However, if you do - great! Many great business ideas have been created totally in class and ended up be real companies acquired in the marketplace.
How do teams form? Will I be assigned to a team?
We do not assign members to teams. We run Spring and Fall mixer sessions, prior to class start, to create an environment to meet potential team members. Also, the TA’s will run extensive mixers in the first week of class to accelerate team formation.
How many people compose a team?
Four team members is the ideal mix to address the substantial workload and to foster learning around team dynamics. Different team constructs are considered by the teaching team depending on circumstances. This can also be a factor when SCPD students are involved in teams, both wholly outside, and hybrids of on-campus/off-campus groups.
Team Dynamics
What roles are in each team?
Each team will have a CEO, CFO, CTO, and CMO/VP of Sales and Marketing (or their equivalent). These roles usually remain unchanged throughout the quarter. Pick the role that best reflects your interests/strengths. Some teams decide to re-assign roles as team functionality evolves.
What if my team becomes dysfunctional?
One of the key attributes of a successful venture is a strong team that can work through their problems together. Be selective in choosing your teammates and be prepared to work through difficult issues.
What if one of my teammates is not "pulling his/her weight"?
Try to resolve it within your team. If the situation continues, please approach the teaching team. Final grades will also reflect individual participation and contribution.
Grading
Does everyone in the team get the same grade?
Not necessarily. Individual participation and contributions are also considered.
What kind of feedback can I expect?
This course is a bit different than typical academic courses. We are trying to expose participants to the real-world challenges of building and funding a start-up tech company. The teaching team are all highly practiced experts in actually doing this including numerous startups and venture capital track records across multiple funds. Therefore, the feedback can at times be blunt and categorized as tough love. This will prepare teams well for the final presentations to top-tier venture firms’ managing partners. A final grade will be assigned at the end of the quarter based heavily on the feedback from those VC judges. That feedback, anonymized, will be provided directly to each team. Throughout the quarter, the Teaching Team will monitor assignments/deliverables. Feedback on the assignments will come directly from the TA’s. Much of the learning will come from feedback/discussions with industry mentors, provided to each team, and from coaching/office hour sessions with the teaching team each week. The course is largely about coaching, not grading.
Can I take this class Pass/No-Credit?
No. Letter grade only.
Intellectual Property
Best Practices for Student Entrepreneurial Courses
Entrepreneurship is deeply ingrained in Stanford's culture and we have benefited greatly from it. The Stanford OTL website provides basic guidelines to faculty, students and the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) for inventions developed as a result of entrepreneurial courses taught at Stanford.
Best practices for Student Start-Ups
Both Stanford and its entrepreneurs have responsibilities to optimize technology transfer and mitigate conflict of interest (COI) when licensing Stanford intellectual property to a start-up is considered. Stanford has a rich history of translating inventions, and these practices are designed to build on that strong base.
Who owns the intellectual property?
The Intellectual Property belongs to the team as a whole. Stanford does not own a part of the company unless the team is working with a Stanford related technology (i.e. either research from one of the team members or a Stanford patent). In this case, the students are highly encouraged to discuss this with the Stanford Office of Technology & Licensing (OTL) to better understand what licensing and royalty terms would be applicable.
If I feel my idea may become a real company, what should I do?
The primary goal of the class is to teach you the process of entrepreneurship, not to start actual companies. However, if you feel your idea may become real, be sure to discuss Intellectual Property rights with your team from the beginning.
Will my Intellectual Property rights be protected when I discuss my ideas with the class?
You must be prepared to share your ideas openly with the class. It is a forum for you to "bounce" your ideas off your peers. The teaching team can also refer teams to work with legal counsel on founding team issues and IP protection if this is deemed necessary.
What if I feel that my idea will be the "next killer app" and I don't want others to know my plans?
Stealth companies that might have the next killer app will generally be much further along than the opportunities developed in this course. If you are that advanced, MS&E273 is probably not the right environment for your team. Many early stage ideas were developed into fundable companies in this course using both pre-formed teams and ones developed in-vivo. A sharing environment provides maximum learning. Secrecy inhibits it. Legitimate entrepreneurs do not steal ideas. There are no outsiders, except VC’s who might fund you, exposed to anything done inside this class.
