IEM Entrepreneurial Series – value received
Our instructors (more like mentors) in the Information Engineering Program constantly request feedback from the clients as to how the program is working and what changes can be made. Dr. Dale Callahan recently asked what value we received from a re-done entrepreneurial series. I thought my response may be of some interest to a more general audience and serves to demonstrate an environment where the instructors “get it” and the program benefits. Here it is …
Going into IEM, I think I was most concerned about the Entrepreneurial series of all the scheduled classes. The whole entrepreneurial process seemed a mystery that certain gurus had discovered but us mere mortals would never really fully get. I knew that “real” entrepreneurs didn’t just build business plans and documents and file paper with the Gov. (though I figured they had to do some of that). There is a spark of something there that goes beyond the administration (like leadership – it’s something you know when you experience it, but it’s hard to put your finger on). I figured that spark would be difficult to teach so (based on past university / academia experience), I figured this class would be the admin stuff. Truly the heart of the series, as it has been run for us, is that it focused on the spark not the admin.
We are all graduate students … um clients… and without fail all successful in other studies and in life. I know I don’t always feel that way but if we step back everyone in class is a success story and darned smart too. I suspect the same thing could be said about anyone considering these classes. We have the capacity to figure out how to write a business plan or file Gov paper work. At the very least, we know how to find out who knows how to do that stuff.
I’m grateful that this series took the harder road – even when some of the assignments seemed ambiguous – by definition they have to be because each person is different and in effect this series is trying to pull out each person’s spark. It takes time to do that. It is a good move to start in the summer and continue over into the fall giving 6 months for us to focus on what we want out of life (and as any good coach does – force us to focus even when it is difficult). Sports’ training is really the same thing over and over each day and not always comfortable, but you get better inside and out each time you do it. Relationships are also built day by day. It is a fact of life – living is uncomfortable but vastly rewarding. Being an entrepreneur is not just building a new company but is having a different lens to look at life through. Regaining / discovering that lens is the greatest (unexpected) value I gained form this series.
As for specific tasks, the single hardest part and best part is developing a “business” plan for my personal situation in the ME INC project. After that, I really liked seeing examples like Patrick Cash showing that mortal humans can do it by just plugging away a little at a time. I also gained greatly from the funnel analysis as a way to organize the idea evaluation into product process. Finally, hearing about what you discovered during your business coaching experience really gives insight into the closed door world. Things like what CEOs really look for, how they think, what VC’s are really looking for, what really matters, social media and marketing, etc.
I really think the re-vamped series hit the mark.
