everything i needed to know about entrepreneurship, i learned at the university of michigan

All I need to know about entrepreneurship I learned at Michigan

Furqan Nazeeri

3 Goals

• Makes sense to engineers• Relevant to business• Actionable

6 Lessons

• Define a mission• Evolve your organization• Know your customer• Work hard, but not too hard• Manage risk vs. reward• Insist upon a can-do attitude

Results

• 9 races in North America 5 National Championships

Define a Mission

Earn the victory

move the world.

Evolve your organization

Solar Car Team Growth

Head

coun

t

Time

Hi

Lo

FoundingPre-Money

$

Post-Funding

Start

Serendipity is the effect by which one

accidentally discovers something

fortunate, especially while looking for something else

entirely unrelated.

Self-Selection is

when individuals select

themselves into a group causing a

biased sample.

Know your customer

Hard work, but not too hard

Productivity

Prod

uctiv

ity

Time (hr / wk)

1200

Hi

Negative40 80

Manage risk vs. reward

Risk vs. Reward

Reward• Save 10 lb

Risk• Distract lead

strategist• Delay testing• Destroy the car• Lose race• Injure the driver

Measuring Risk

Prob

abili

ty

ImpactHiLo

Hi

Lo

Go Ahead – Take RisksIt gives the rest of us something to laugh at.

Mars Pathfinder

Insist upon a can-do attitude

6 Lessons

• Define a mission• Evolve your organization• Know your customer• Work hard, but not too hard• Manage risk vs. reward• Insist upon a can-do attitude

Build stuff!

http://altgate.com/

fn@altgate.comcell 617-372-2970

Thank you!