MS&E 70N: How Ventures Work
General Education Requirements
Not currently certified for a requirement. Courses are typically considered for Ways certification a quarter in advance.
This seminar is expected to be in high demand. If you rank it as your first choice for priority enrollment, please be sure to apply for a second and third choice seminar for the quarter. You are also encouraged to write an additional statement for your lower ranked selection(s) so those faculty learn about your interest.
Course Description
Welcome to Stanford, birthplace of amazing organizations! In this course, we will focus on learning about new organizations, especially ventures. By ventures, I mean new firms that are seeking high growth and substantial impact. Major companies like Nvidia, Google, and Moderna got their start as ventures. So, ventures are not small businesses like local restaurants, dry cleaners, and boutique shops. Small businesses are often essential pillars of their local communities, but are not seeking high growth and impact. Ventures are also distinct from large corporations that have existing strategies, many employees, and public-company responsibilities. Rather, ventures are their own unique type of organization—a type that you might join when you leave Stanford.
Guided by accessible research, we will take a “deep dive” into the strategy and organization of ventures. This includes strategies in a variety of businesses, ranging from ecosystems and platforms to physical goods and social entrepreneurship. It also includes how entrepreneurs use experimentation, problem solving and other forms of learning to figure out (or not) successful strategies. It covers key challenges like making fast decisions, forming networks, and raising money. Along the way, you will learn about various technologies and about how ventures “work”.
Although the emphasis is on technology-based ventures, this course applies to ventures in general and to many large organizations, especially innovative ones. So you will learn skills and concepts that are broadly useful. Specifically, the course blends economics and organization theory with a touch of cognitive psychology. It is also a window on conducting academic research. The ultimate intent of this seminar is to give you an exciting introduction to Stanford that blends theory, research, and real-world insights about organizations like ventures where innovation and impact matter.
Meet the Instructor: Kathleen Eisenhardt
“I am so pleased that you chose Stanford! I am excited to teach a small seminar on a topic that I enjoy and expect that you will too. My approach is to blend theoretical concepts from research with real-world applications in a fun and friendly class where everyone brings their 'A' game. I hold the S.W. Ascherman Chair in the School of Engineering. My research sits at the nexus of strategy, organization theory and entrepreneurship where I focus on high-velocity markets and technology-based firms. I am currently studying exceptional growth firms. If you are curious, you can take a look at my most recent book, Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World. It was designated a top read by the media including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Bloomberg Business. When I am not at Stanford, I am enjoying family, friends, and the fabulous walking and hiking around Stanford, the Sierras and the San Juan Islands.”
