VISION  &  VALUES  ENTREPRENEURSHIP  BOUND  

 

RICARDO  DOS  SANTOS      

FOUNDER  INSTITUTE  OCT  2012  

CONTEXT  

FOUNDER  INSTITUTE  START   GRADUATION  

IDEA  RESEARCH  &  DEVELOPMENT  IDEA  GENERATION   IDEA  PRESENTATION  

•  FEASIBILITY:            ENG’G  &  DESIGN  THINKING  •  DESIRABILITY:      CUSTOMER  DEVELOPMENT  •  VIABILITY:                    COMPETITIVE  POSITIONING  

•  DISTILLING  •  ORGANIZING  •  PITCHING  

•  VISION  &  VALUES  •  HYPOTHESIS  •  KNOWN/UNKNOWN  

TODAY’S  AGENDA  

ESSENCE  OF  AN  IDEA  WHAT  YOU’RE  REALLY  SELLING  

YOUR  HYPOTHESIS  

VISION  &  VALUES  

ESSENCE  OF  AN  IDEA  WHAT  YOU’RE  REALLY  SELLING  

WHO  WAS  THE  1ST  ENTREPRENEUR?      HINT:  HAD  THE  MOTHER  OF  ALL  IDEAS  

WHO  WAS  THE  1ST  ENTREPRENEUR?      

PROMETHEUS  

HINT:  HAD  THE  MOTHER  OF  ALL  IDEAS  

GAVE  MAN  A  TECHNOLOGY  SUFFERED  GREATLY  FOR  IT  

EVERY  IDEA  IS  A  TECHNOLOGY  

MEANS  TO  A  HUMAN  PURPOSE  

HOW   WHAT  

SILLY  EXAMPLE  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  BRIDGE  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  

SILLY  EXAMPLE  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  BRIDGE  I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  TUNNEL  I  WANT  TO  START  A  FERRY  SRVC  

WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  I  WANNA  PLACE  A  GIANT  TRAMPOLIN  

10

SILLY  EXAMPLE  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  BRIDGE  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  

TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  GORGE  TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  HWY  

SILLY  EXAMPLE  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  BRIDGE  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  WHY  

ESSENCE  OF  AN  IDEA  WHAT  YOU’RE  REALLY  SELLING  

WHICH  IDEAS  MATTER?  

THOSE  THAT  INCREASE  HUMAN  PROGRESS  AKA  HAPPINESS  

HOW  IDEAS  MATTER  GIVE  MAN  ONE  OF  THE  FOLLOWING  KEYS  TO  PROGRESS/HAPPINESS:  

SUPERPOWERS  ASSOCIATION  PROTECTION  

DISRUPTION  ASPIRATION  ESCAPE  

PROMETHEUS’  FIRE  =    PROGRESS  

SUPERPOWERS:    HOT  FOOD  &  HEALTH  ASSOCIATION:    CAMP  FIRE  STORYTELLING  PROTECTION:    WEAPON,  HOMEOSTASIS  

SILLY  EXAMPLE  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  TUNNEL  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  WHY   ZIP  OVER  TO  THE  CITY  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  START  A  FERRY  SRVC  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  WHY   CHEAPER  COMMUTE  ALTR’VE  

HOW   I  WANNA  PLACE  A  TRAMPOLIN  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ON  THE  RIVER  WHY   PURELY  FOR  FUN  

SUPERPOWER  

DISRUPTION  

ESCAPISM  

SILLY  EXAMPLE  #2  

HOW   TAKEOUT  WHAT   HOOTERS  WHY  

HOW   MOUTH  STRIPS  WHAT   HEAL  PIZZA  BURNS  WHY  

STUPIDITY  

SUPERPOWER  U’RE  EXTREMELY  IMPATIENT?  

U  LIKE  THE  FOOD?  

BUSINESS  IDEAS  NEED  ONLY    1  ELEMENT  OF  HAPPINESS  

SUPERPOWERS   ASSOCIATION   PROTECTION  

BUSINESS  IDEAS  NEED  ONLY    1  ELEMENT  OF  HAPPINESS  

DISRUPTION   ASPIRATION   ESCAPISM  

WHERE  WOULD  YOU  PLACE  THESE  CELLPHONE  GIANTS?  

DISRUPTION  

ASPIRATION  

SUPERPOWERS  

ASSOCIATION  

WHERE  WOULD  YOU  PLACE  THESE  CELLPHONE  GIANTS?  

DISRUPTION  

ASPIRATION  

SUPERPOWERS  

ASSOCIATION  

?  

Disrupted  the  PC,  but  now  what?  

Nokia  seems  to  want  to  compete  w/  Android  for  Superpowers  but  MS  wants  to  Disrupt  Android  w/  faster  access  to  apps/info  (encourage  users  to  less  Sme  w/  the  phone,  and  get  back  to  the  PC?)  Is  this  really  a  good  marriage?  

THE IDEA:

PART TIME VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TO HELP HUMANS START A COMPANY

SUPERPOWERS  ASSOCIATION  PROTECTION  

DISRUPTION  ASPIRATION  ESCAPE  

WHERE  WOULD  YOU  PLACE  THE  FOUNDER  INSTITUTE  

WHAT ARE WE SELLING (WHY ARE YOU HERE)?:

HOW WHAT

THE IDEA:

PART TIME VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TO HELP HUMANS START A COMPANY

SUPERPOWERS  ASSOCIATION  PROTECTION  

DISRUPTION  ASPIRATION  ESCAPE  

WHERE  WOULD  YOU  PLACE  THE  FOUNDER  INSTITUTE  

WHAT ARE WE SELLING (WHY ARE YOU HERE)?:

HOW WHAT

✔  

To  have  his  path  made  clear  for  him  is  the  aspiraJon  of  every  human  being  in  our  beclouded  and  tempestuous  existence.    The  Mirror  of  the  Sea  by  Conrad,  Joseph  

IN  SUMMARY  YOU’RE  ENTREPRENEURSHIP  BOUND  WHEN:  

 HOW   THE  PROPRIETARY  MEANS  WHAT   THE  WORTHY  MISSION  WHY   THE  DEEP  VALUE  PROPOSITION  

WHEN   FORESIGHT  (WHY  NOW)  

GO  START  A  FIRE!  

THANK  YOU    

RICARDO  DOS  SANTOS  RICARDO_DOSSANTOS@ALUM.MIT.EDU  

APPENDIX  

TIMING  OF  AN  IDEA  COMMON  MISCONCEPTIONS  

WHICH  IDEAS  GET  FUNDED?  

THEY  ARE  THE  BEST  MEANS  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OR  THE  MEANS  FOR  THE  BEST  PURPOSE  

THEY  ALSO  ANSWER  THE  WHY    (HOW  THEY  FULLFILL  HUMAN  HAPPINESS)  …BUT  THAT’S  STILL  NOT  ENOUGH!  

WHY  IS  THIS  STUFF  STILL  SO  DIFFICULT?  

WHAT  SET  PROMETHEUS  APART?  

FORESIGHT  

IDEAS  THAT  GET  FUNDED  ANTICIPATE  THE  NEXT  SOURCE  OF  HAPPINESS  YOU  DISCOVER  IT  OR  YOU  PROPOSE  IT  

 HAS  TO  BE  WITHIN  THE  ADJACENT  POSSIBLE  

THE  ADJACENT  POSSIBLE  

TODAY   WHAT’s  NEXT  

SILLY  EXAMPLE  

HOW   I  WANT  TO  BUILD  A  BRIDGE  WHAT   TO  GET  HUMANS  ACROSS  THE  RIVER  WHY   TO  SAVE  1  HR  COMMUTE  TIME  WHEN   OTHER  BRIDGE  IS  NEAR  SATURATED  

TIMING  OF  AN  IDEA  COMMON  MISCONCEPTIONS  

COMMON  MISCONCEPTIONS  #1  

YOU’RE  A  VISIONAIRE  IF  YOU  HAVE  AN  IMAGINATIVE  IDEA  AND  WORTHY  MISSION  

YOU’RE  A  VISIONAIRE  IF  YOU  ANTICIPATE  A  SOURCE  OF  UNHAPPINESS  AND  FIX  IT  

COMMON  MISCONCEPTIONS  #2  

VC’S  FUND  MOONSHOOTS  VC’S  FUND  THE  SECOND  TRIP  TO  THE  MOON  -­‐  VISIONAIRES  FUND  THE  FIRST  

COMMON  MISCONCEPTION  #3  

VISIONAIRES  ONLY  FUND  SOCIAL  CAUSES  THEY  FUND  ANYTHING  THAT  THEY  FEEL  

MAKES  HUMANS  HAPPY  LIKE  PROMETHEUS,  THEY’RE  WILLING  TO  SUFFER,  JUST  A  LITTLE  LESS  THAN  YOU  

COMMON  MISCONCEPTION  #4  

THE  PURPOSE  OF  ENTREPRENEURSHIP  IS  TO  GET  RICH  THE  PURPOSE  IS  TO  CREATE  SOMETHING  

THAT  MAKES  HUMANS  HAPPY  YOU’LL  SUFFER  PLENTY  LONG  BEFORE  YOU  GET  RICH  

–  THE  TRICK  IS  NOT  MINDING  THAT  IT  HURTS