From: Ram [mailto:ram@nathanresearch.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 12:42 AM
To: ‘ram@nathanresearch.com’
Subject: TYE Dallas 2012-2013 Coaches – The format/outline for Class Schedule, Your roles etc..

 

Dear Coaches and Instructors for the TYE program,

 

As we gear up to the next round of several weeks of classroom instructions/coaching for the TYE program, I would like to orchestrate the flow for the program in the following format, considering the unique audience we have in the program. Please review this format and let me know if you have questions/comments. I have made a few schedule changes as well based on everyone’s availabilities..

 

Overall flow/thought process

  1. Would like to have a simple theme for each session and have all these themes to be interrelated
  2. The theme sequence for the lecture sessions in September will be as follows – THINK – DESIGN (plan)– SELL- FULFILL (make/ship) – COUNT – CHECK  (can’t get out of my ‘supply chain’ mode of thought). I will explain below.
  3. Each session will be structured roughly as follows

a)      I will introduce the theme, some story around that theme and the main speaker

b)      The speaker will weave the theme into the presentation

c)       We will feature a case study from a young entrepreneur and emphasize the day’s theme

d)      We will conclude with a short exercise around that theme (set up by the young entrepreneur)

  1. The workshop sessions in October will typically be as follows

a)      Meet as a full group, get updates, discuss common issues/challenges

b)      Hear from a guest speaker (maybe)

c)       Split up into individual groups and work on the idea with the coach

  1. Final presentations

a)      Schedule/Rules/guidelines to be communicated later

 

Full schedule

 

Saturday, 8/25/12 – Theme  – ‘Think’ (already concluded).  

–          Introduced the idea of entrepreneurship,

–          Discussed what the motivators are,

–          Saw how we conceive/conceptualize  ideas from simple life experiences

–          Looked at the history of the program and others’ past experiences

 

Sunday, 9/2/12 – Theme – ‘Design’

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, introduce theme, speaker (Ram)

  • Design could mean several things – designing a product/service, designing/planning the details of a business,

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Eric Engineer)

  • Once you have an idea, how do you go about ‘Designing’ a plan around it
  • The various steps you will have to be prepared to ‘design’
  • Just what is the product, what is the market for it, what is the problem and how is it being solved, how is the business going to make money and what do you with it – keep it and grow it or exit ?

–          2:00 pm – 2:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (Jennifer Conley)

  • Intro to the ALU Gravity Center and the Foundry and how it supports young entrepreneurs
  • How it serves as a great prototyping facility for new designs
  • Tour of the facility

–          3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  (Aditya V – Case study)

  • What went into ‘Designing’ the product – the bag – considerations, challenges
  • What amount of planning /designing the details of the business was done
  • A simple ‘design’ exercise ?

 

Sunday, 9/9/12 – Theme – ‘Sell’

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, introduce theme, speaker (Ram)

  • Importance of selling – whatever it might be – an idea, a product

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Pawan Jaggi)

  • How do you identify who you have to sell to,
  • What you are going to sell (whether it is an idea, product)
  • How you are going to sell ‘sell’ your idea
  • Tips / tricks, dos and don’ts
  • Channels for selling ? (case study – Ambrado ?)
  • Importance of effective communication (case study of GoAmbition?)

–          2:00 pm – 2:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (Trey Bowles)

  • The Sales process in a startup
  • Challenges and how you overcome them

–          3:00 pm – 3:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  (Dallas Crilley  – Case study  – to be confirmed)

  • How did I go about marketing myself ?
  • Speeches
  • Networking
  • A simple ‘sales’ exercise ?

 

Sunday, 9/16/12 – Theme – ‘Fulfill’

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, introduce theme, speaker (Ram)

  • Importance of fulfilling – making a product, delivering a service

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Sudy Bhardwaj)

  • Identifying how a product or a service flows through the supply chain
  • Value creation at various steps
  • Native vs outsourced manufacturing/service delivery
  • Operations team – hiring, developing and maintaining (case study – jackalopejobs ?)
  • Pitfalls in operations

–          2:00 pm – 2:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (Jay Reddy)

  • The supply chain/operations processes in a startup
  • Challenges and how you overcome them

–          3:00 pm – 3:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  (Param Jaggi  – Case study  – ecoviate ?)

  • Talk briefly about the idea, how it came about
  • How did I go about finding how to get my product made  ?
  • How am I running the company ?
  • What tips/tricks do I have to offer ?
  • A simple ‘operations’ exercise ?

 

Sunday, 9/23/12 – Theme – ‘Count’

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, introduce theme, speaker (Ram)

  • Money – what it is all about – creation of wealth but it is a byproduct, importance of capital, financial health of companies

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Dayakar Puskoor)

  • How do I know how much I need
  • What are the sources of money
  • How do I go about approaching people for money
  • Debt vs Equity financing
  • What are my responsibilities

–          2:00 pm – 2:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (Shameer Soni/Dilip Shah)

  • How do I plan the financial performance of the company
  • Revenue, Income, Cash flow
  • Basics of financials – Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet
  • Valuing your company
  • Finding suitors
  • Exit plans

–          3:00 pm – 3:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  (Sid Upadhyay  or Dennis Thankachan– Case study  – needs to be confirmed )

  • Talk briefly how they planned for the revenue streams
  • How they built it ? Bootstrapped or financed ?
  • How did they go about getting valuations
  • How do they decide whether to grow or exit  ?
  • A simple ‘financials’ exercise ?

 

Sunday, 9/30/12 – Theme – ‘Check’

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, introduce theme, speaker (Ram)

  • Administration, Legal aspects of business building

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Jim Shields/Shameer Soni)

  • How do you structure your business
  • Important immediate things vs later priorities
  • Contracts, Agreements
  • Corporate Governance

–          2:00 pm – 2:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

  • What values do you and your business stand for ? Business Ethics

–          2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (Krish Dhanam)

  • Importance of ethics in business
  • Social responsibility
  • With success and wealth comes a greater calling
  • Not-for-profits  vs For-profits

–          3:00 pm – 3:05 pm – Introduce speaker (Ram)

–          3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  (Sarah  – needs to be confirmed )

  • Social change through entrepreneurship
  • Leadership is another trait of entrepreneurs – they dream things that are ‘difficult to do’

 

Sunday, 10/7/12 – Workshop 1

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, introduce theme, speaker (Ram)

  • How it all comes together, format of the next 4-5 weeks

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Sai Subramaniam)

  • How does it all  come together –think-design-sell-fulfill-count-check
  • Things to keep in mind along the way
  • Failure and what to learn from it
  • Strategy
  • Team building/collaboration

–          2:00 pm – 2:15 pm

  • Team formation

–          2:15 pm – 2:30 pm

  • Coach assignments among teams – Ram, Dayakar, Adam, Sudy, Shameer, Sai, Dilip

–          2:30 pm – Breakouts and workshops

 

Sunday, 10/14/12 – Workshop 2

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, check progress, importance of teamwork and collaboration  (Ram)

  • Progress Check

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Pratima )

  • Importance of networking and collaboration
  • Use of a platform

–          2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

  • Breakouts and workshops

 

Sunday, 10/21/12 – Workshop 3

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, check progress (Ram)

  • Progress Check

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Guest Speaker – Optional – TBD )

  • TBD

–          2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

  • Breakouts and workshops

 

Sunday, 10/28/12 – Workshop 4

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, check progress (Ram)

  • Progress Check
  • Define competition format and judging process

–          1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – (Guest Speaker – Optional – TBD )

  • TBD

–          2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

  • Breakouts and workshops

 

Sunday, 11/4/12 – Final Presentation

–          1:00 – 1:15 – Assemble, welcome, present judges, rules & guidelines

  • ‘All are winners’

–          1:15 pm – 3:45 pm – (Competition)

  • Competition

–          3:45 pm – 4:00 pm

  • Tabulation of results

–          4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

  • Award ceremony
  • Closing remarks

 

Hope this helps in providing some direction/guidelines on the topics to be covered, the manner they need to be covered and how it all can flow well together. I think it will be fun and exciting, and look forward to working with each of you on this program.

 

Any questions/comments, please let me know.

 

Regards

Ram

214-507-0015

 

 

From: Ram [mailto:ram@nathanresearch.com]
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 4:27 PM
To: ‘Ram’
Subject: TYE Dallas 2012-2013 Class – Follow up from 8/25 kickoff

 

Hi TYE Class, Parents and Coaches,

 

Great kickoff event on Saturday, as I am sure you will all agree . Hope you all enjoyed the introductions (and for some, re-introductions!), comments from our guests via video feed from TiE Global/Silicon Valley , the perspective from last year’s participant/winner and the exercise to get us all started/warmed up.

 

As agreed, we have revised the schedule (also posted at this link)  and will start meeting on Sundays from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the same location – Gravity Center  .

 

If you have not already registered as a student member, please do so by following the instructions previously sent ( through this link ) and if you have questions, please contact Lisa Chung at lisajchung@yahoo.com.

 

I tend to tweet interesting articles I read on business trends, technology, economy etc. You can follow me along if you like (link below). We may bring up some of these topics for discussion when we meet.

 

Look forward to seeing you all next Sunday.

 

Cheers

Ram

 

Ram Viswanathan

Nathan Research Inc.

214-507-0015

ram@nathanresearch.com

www.nathanresearch.com