COURSE NUMBER: MBA290T.1A

COURSE TITLE: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Telecommunications and Media (Part A)

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2.0

INSTRUCTOR: Reza Moazzami

E-MAIL ADDRESS: rezam@haas.berkeley.edu<mailto:rezam@haas.berkeley.edu>

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: http://bspace.berkeley.edu

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00 – 6:00PM during Spring A (January 19 – March 9)

PREREQUISITE(S): None.

CLASS FORMAT (Will there be lectures, cases, or a mixture?): Case studies and first-hand accounts from guest speakers.

REQUIRED READINGS (Not a list of specific readings but a statement of whether you will use a textbook, cases, course reader, readings on reserve, or a mixture.): Cases, reader, additional electronic material.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE (midterm, final, paper(s), project(s), class participation, or a mixture): Case writeups, class participation.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

MBA 290T.1A and MBA 290T.1B (and the respective cross-listed engineering courses ENG 290.4 and ENG 290.5) when taken in sequence are intended to be the ‘capstone’ strategy and general management course for students interested in pursuing careers in the global telecommunications and media industry.

MBA 290T.1A/ENG 290.4 meets January 19 through March 9 while MBA 290T.1B/ENG290.5 meets March 11 through May 6.

Target audience:

- Students pursuing careers in the global telecommunications and media industry, including both those who are new to the industry as well as those who have had prior experience in this industry.

- Students pursuing careers in services firms (e.g. management consulting, investment banking, investment management) focusing on telecommunications and media will also find this course highly useful.

Learning Objectives:

- View the telecommunications and media industry through the eyes of the general manager/CEO (whether at a start-up or an industry giant).

- Identify and evaluate market entry strategies for new products and services.

- Understand how to evaluate strategic options and their consequences.

- Understand the perspectives of various industry players and be able to anticipate how they are likely to behave under various circumstances.

Technology, competition, and user expectations are transforming the global telecommunications and media industries.

New technologies are enabling novel means of delivering services and threatening traditional business models.

It is now easier and cheaper than ever for an entrepreneurial team (whether in a startup or an established company) to develop and mass distribute innovative new products and services. Yet it is more difficult than ever to build a large scale sustainable business around these innovations.

The strategic choices made regarding how an innovation is introduced into the market and the nature of the innovator’s role in relation to the rest of the ecosystem matter.

The course is fundamentally about strategy and general management but we will draw from a variety of disciplines including public policy, law, marketing, economics, finance, and engineering to identify the key issues, analyze the potential options and understand the consequences of the decisions made by management. Students will examine both successful and not so successful situations to understand the opportunities and challenges in creating viable businesses in the 21st century telecommunications and media industry.

FAQ:

1) How does this course differ from other courses at Haas?

- Some courses teach functional skills for performing tasks: accounting, marketing, corporate finance, product management, etc.

- Some courses present theoretical tools and frameworks for analyzing situations: economics, strategy, game theory, innovation, entrepreneurship, etc.

This course applies concepts from many of your prior courses as well as introducing some potentially novel/unfamiliar concepts to a specific context, the telecommunications and media industry: past, present, and future. Our goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of this industry to the point that when presented with a specific case, you will be able to analyze the situation with nearly the same rigor and depth as the general manager/CEO in the case. In fact, in some cases, you will be analyzing the situation together WITH the real-life general manager/CEO in the case.

2) I already have years of experience in telecom/media. Is this course useful for me?

Yes, you are one of the core constituencies for this course. You will gain much broader and deeper insight into how the industry functions, the perspectives of key players in the industry, how key players interact with one another, and the strategic issues/dilemmas facing management. You will also view your prior experience and the issues you encountered with a new perspective.

3) I am starting my own telecom/media company.  Is this course useful for me?

Yes, you are another one of the core constituencies for this course.  You will gain insight into how to build those critical first relationships with key players in the industry, how to anticipate how various players will likely react to an innovative new product or service, and how to build a large-scale sustainable business around this innovation.

4) I am not an engineer.  Will I be able to keep up?

In many cases, yes.  Although we will cover many technology sectors and emerging technologies in case studies, this course is NOT intended to serve as a technology tutorial nor will we spend time 'geeking' out on new technologies.  We will delve into the technology only to the extent necessary to understand the choices facing the general manager.  Supplementary technology tutorials will be provided as reference in some cases.

5) I am not a business major.  Will I be able to keep up?

Prior exposure to microeconomics, accounting and finance is helpful.  Supplementary reading is provided to those who are not familiar with accounting/financial terminology (e.g. how to read a financial statement).

6) Why are there two courses?  Should I take the first course or the second course?

You will benefit the most from taking the two courses in sequence, effectively taking a 4-unit course (although they will still count as two distinct courses for grading purposes and for those satisfying the requirements for the MOT certificate).  The weekly schedule/syllabus for each half of the semester is still being finalized.

7) How has the course/instructor been rated in the past?

Here's student feedback from earlier semesters:

"Most classes have either breadth or depth - this is one of the only classes at Haas that has had both and I feel privileged to have taken it."

"Best professor at Haas hands down."

"He's taught the two best classes I have had at Haas."

8) Still have questions?  Email the instructor:  rezam at haas

MODIFICATIONS TO COURSE FROM ITS MOST RECENT OFFERING (Describe any significant revisions, including those made in response to student feedback.): Course is now four units for full semester, instead of three in response to student feedback about workload.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Reza Moazzami has over fifteen years of experience as an engineer, entrepreneur, and investor in the communications industry. He received B.S. with highest honors, M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley, and an MBA from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds eleven patents and has been a speaker at numerous technology industry conferences and leading universities.