COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA295T.1

 

This course is cross-listed with the Full Time MBA Program. Please note that this course description is from Fall 2011. This should only be used as a reference.

 

COURSE TITLE: Business Model Innovation and Entrepreneurial Strategy

 

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2

 

INSTRUCTORS: David Charron

 

EMAIL ADDRESSES: david.charron@berkeley.edu 

 

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Tuesdays 6:00 – 9:30PM for first 10 weeks of the semester (8/23 – 10/25)

 

PREREQUISITES: EWMBA Core

 

CLASS FORMAT: Primarily case discussions, with lectures and guest speakers

 

REQUIRED READINGS:

We do not have a textbook for the class, but will draw upon readings from several sources along with the case material, all of which will be available electronically.  The course requires a great deal of reading and synthesis of historical contexts and patterns with current market conditions in the pursuit of anticipating opportunities.  Every attempt will be made to provide time in the class for discussion of current issues in new ventures and market changing events and companies. 

 

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: 

The main requirements for this course are class participation (case preparation and discussion) and three projects.  The first two projects will be assessments of specific venture business models of your choosing, and the third will be an individual paper (10-15 pages) analyzing the business model of a student-selected venture, due at the end of the semester. 

  

ABSTRACT OF COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

 

This class explores innovation of the business model as a strategy for new venture creation and growth.  We will see that the business model, the set of assumptions that fundamentally underpin a business, can dramatically affect the venture’s chances of durable success. 

 

The class presents an integrated view of the business model to teach how to characterize and analyze competitor businesses and how to efficiently construct and test business models that will succeed in the market.  The course explores how business models differ across industries and phases of a firm’s growth – from high-tech to social ventures and from the earliest start-up phases through realization and maintenance of significant value.  The course provides students with the skills and knowledge to rapidly assess and shape business models to their advantage in constructing new enterprises that have the potential to scale. You will learn about specific business model decisions that entrepreneurs make when building a company and how they drive the value capture process.

 

This course uses case studies, with short lectures and occasional guest speakers to reinforce frameworks and showcase actual business examples.  Your preparation, attendance and active participation is critical and required for success in the course.  You will be provided with opportunities to present to the class, and the class will have the opportunity to provide feedback during the presentation.  Our goal is to make you comfortable with discussing business model innovation in any context.

 

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

 

DAVID CHARRON – Mr. Charron is acting Executive Director of the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and lectures at the Haas School on entrepreneurship, new business formation and technology commercialization. He is also Executive Director of the Lester Center’s affiliated new business student incubator, the Berkeley Entrepreneurship Laboratory.  Mr. Charron has been working in the field of technology commercialization and entrepreneurship for 20 years; and has held positions in technology licensing and commercialization with Xerox PARC, MIT and Stanford University.  In 1995, he co-founded Scientific Learning Corporation, a publicly-traded neuroscience/software company.  He has been active in many other entrepreneurial ventures and consults to startups, inventors and entrepreneurs.  He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business.