This could be described as not your typical MBA or Engineering course, however, for those who participate it can be one of the most interesting, rewarding and challenging programs in their academic career. The opportunity to meet with highly successful and well respecting business people and to leverage their experience is really unique. This program has a long history at Stanford University and has produce many well know companies like EXCITE and PAYPAL. 2007 was the first year this program was introduced at UBC and both the professor from Stanford and the UBC students agree it was exciting and highly successful. If you have a desire to learn what it takes to start a technolgy based company engaging Venture Capitalists in a real and powerful learning experience don't miss this class.

Course guidelines

(1) This is a demanding course and it is important to commit the necessary time to cover essentials of this topic area. If you anticipate missing more than one class, we recommend that you take another course and wait on this one. More than one unexcused absence may result in a full letter grade penalty.

(2) If you expect to miss a class, please let the teaching assistants know ahead of time via email. It will be your responsibility to find out from your classmates or the teaching assistants what material was covered, what additional assignments were made, and to obtain any handouts you may have missed.

(3) You are expected to be prepared for every session. It is our practice to spread participation over the class; we may cold call upon you. It is never our intention to embarrass anyone -- if you are not prepared, let one of us know before class and we will not call on you.

(4) Given the importance of class participation and its grading, we will try to memorize your names quickly. In order to do that, and to allow the speakers to be able to call you by name, we ask that you use a name card during every session of the quarter. This is an absolute requirement. You should put your name on the front and back of the card to make it easier for everyone to see.

(5) Feel free to discuss the course and your learning progress with the instructors at any time. We are always happy to discuss items of interest. The teaching assistants are also available for questions you have about any issue.

(6) In preparation for case discussion, group interaction is acceptable and strongly encouraged. Notes or papers from other courses may not be used. The work to be turned in for this class must be original and may not be used for any other class.

(7) Given the pace of this course, whether you hope to become an entrepreneur or only wish to gain a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship, we will do all that we can to use class time effectively and ask you to do the same. This includes starting and ending on time. The teaching assistants will take attendance in the first five minutes of the class and we will end on time. Do not take this class if you are habitually late! This is discourteous and disruptful to everyone.

(8) Our distinguished guest speakers are aggressive, successful, and articulate. Interrupt and ask them questions at any time! They will be forewarned. They will display an earnest desire to help you understand new ventures.

(9) This is a class for those who are motivated. It is very, very demanding. By accepting a place in the class, you simultaneously prohibit someone else from taking it and you establish obligations to your fellow business plan team members. Please accept this responsibility with serious intent. Students who become "free riders" on their team will receive at least a full letter grade penalty.

(10) Because our cases and other readings are sufficient, we do not place past business plans on reserve as samples. Confidentiality is another reason. In addition, we prohibit the use of business plan software to automatically write the plan through a "fill-in-the-blank" approach.

(11) Please, please turn off all cellular phones, beepers, pagers, etc. before coming in to class so you will not disrupt the flow of the class.