We act our way into a new way of thinking"
- Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
Critical to the entrepreneurial process is an orientation and commitment to action. In building new
ventures and exploring new markets, action is more important than thinking because it provides
early feedback about whether technologies work, whether customers will like it, and whether business
can be profitable.
This Spring's Business Development Clinic is focused on converting ideas into action--with the recognition
that those actions will in turn improve the original ideas. Students should take this class if
they are interested in starting a new venture, or experiencing what it takes to turn their ideas about
a potential venture into actions that they can learn from and build on. Such experiential learning
provides critical skills in later entrepreneurial efforts--either in startups or launching new ventures
from within large organizations.
Enrollment in Business Development Clinic I, 298-2 Winter Quarter
is not a prerequisite; having an idea (your idea can belong to a team) and the willingness to learn
what it takes to turn that idea into something real is.
Working with faculty, with the UC-Davis Technology Transfer Center, and tapping a wider network
of entrepreneurs and experts, students will work in interdisciplinary teams and in close contact with
faculty and industry mentors to explore the range of possible strategies for successfully commercializing
their new venture.
As in the Winter Business Development Clinic, the students are expected to contribute to the success
of the other teams. Reflecting the cross-disciplinary and integrative nature of the work, this
course will be taught concurrently by three faculty.
We have arranged a terrific panel of guest speakers who will discuss their experiences in founding,
working in, and supporting new ventures (see below). The course will focus on the direction and
progress of individual team projects, with status updates weekly, and culminating with a final presentation
of the venture. Each class will mix speakers, lecture, and team status updates.
Students enrolling in the BusDev Spring Clinic should come to the first class with the following:
1. An idea you would like to pursue as a real company/business
2. A preliminary “Action Plan” you think you'll need to accomplish by the end of the quarter
to demonstrate that the opportunity is real.
This course builds on student-initiated business ventures, which teams will bring with them on the
first day of class. These ventures should be conceptually mature – meaning the teams are prepared
to immediately develop an action plan and, throughout the quarter, take concrete steps to
advance their venture.
Course Faculty:
Andrew Hargadon, Professor and Director, UC Davis
Center for Entrepreneurship
AOBIV, Room 163 | 530.752.2277
Scott Lenet, co-founder and Managing Director of DFJ Frontier
Cult of Done Manifesto (.jpg)
Writing a Job Description (PDF)
Building the Team (PDF)
Writing a Press Release (PDF)
The schedule and deliverables of each student project will be determined by the action plan (see
below), which will be developed, presented, and refined in the first week of the term.
Class time will follow a common format. The first half will be devoted to presentation and discussion
of student work, the second half to lecture. Each week, teams will present on the status of their
projects, outstanding issues, and next steps.