Assignment 11: Take an Entrepreneur to Dinner
This assignment has several purposes. We want you to start to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
- What makes an entrepreneur tick?
- How did this person come up with the idea behind his or her business?
- What was this person's background?
- Do you think you would want to start your own company?
We also want you to learn to network better, which is a big determinant of your success (or failure) as a businessperson. If you can't find an entrepreneur, call one of the portfolio companies of a successful VC firm in the Boston area. Some good VCs:
- Atlas Venture
- Battery Ventures
- Bessemer Venture Partners
- Charles River Ventures
- Flagship Ventures
- Flybridge Ventures
- Greylock Highland Capital
- Matrix Partners
- Polaris Ventures
- And there are others …
We do not want you to interview VCs; we want you to interview individuals who have started companies (extra credit if you can find a failure who can articulate why he/she failed).
The deliverable for the assignment is a 2-page double-spaced memo. The content of the memo should answer a few or all of the questions listed above. Remember that this is an individual, not a team, assignment!