It focuses on managing and building these businesses into enduring great companies. Although venture initiation is covered in some discussions and cases, the emphasis is on building companies that are past the initial start-up phase. Students are expose to some of the practical realities, transition points, issues and dilemmas that are particularly relevant to smaller companies. Short-term survival tactics are discussed. This course covers the aspects of entrepreneurial finance, including leveraged buyouts, venture capital, commercial lending, the informal investor market, initial and secondary public offerings, investor expectations and negotiations, and non traditional source of financing.
Emphasis is on the financing elements that make deals succeed.
There also is analysis of established companies and internal corporate ventures, as well as startup companies. The purpose of the entrepreneurship seminar is to examine new developments in entrepreneurship practice. An important recent trend is to view entrepreneurship as a series of task that must be performed well for success. The seminar will use real world cases from the Harvard Business School to investigate the entrepreneurship process, beginning with opportunity recognition and evaluation and ending with harvesting and distributing value. Depending on the needs and career goals of the students, final projects may include writing research papers, case studies, proposals or feasibility studies.