Part 1: Founder’s Journey
What road are you embarking upon in starting a company, and what obstacles threaten your success? What else and who else will you need? These are the themes that are explored by Ken Zolot in the MIT seminar The Founder’s Journey which we recommend to you.
In this session of Nuts and Bolts we will hear journey stories from a panel of founders assembled by Ken:
- Alli Davanzo, cofounder and head of operations at Encora Therapeutics
- Louis DeRidder, stealth-mode startup about to spin out of a MIT Lab
- Peter Godart, cofounder of Found Energy
Reading
Wasserman, Noam. “The Founder’s Dilemma." Harvard Business Review. February 2008.
Speaker
Ken Zolot, senior lecturer, MIT School of Engineering; professor of creative entrepreneurship, Berklee College of Music
Ken is an active advisor to numerous organizations involved in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship, including TechStars, Deshpande Foundation, Fintech Sandbox, MassChallenge, and FIRST Robotics.
Video
Watch the video of the Founder’s Journey on the Nuts and Bolts website.
Part 2: How Are You Going to Make Money?—The Business/Venture Model.
You have determined who wants your product or service. Now the most important question: “How Do You Make Money?” or for non-profit ventures, “How Do You Create a Sustainable Venture?” This session will discuss business/venture models. What are some common models, and when are they most appropriately used?
Readings
- Christensen, Clayton, and Michael Raynor. The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth. Chapter 2. Harvard Business Review Press, April 9, 2024. ISBN: 9781647826789.
- Taghavi, Aram. "‘The Innovator’s Dilemma’ by Clayton Christensen—Video Book Summary." YouTube. 2015.
- Harvard Business Review. “Disruptive Innovation Explained." YouTube. 2012.
We also recommend:
- Osterwalder, Alexander, and Yves Pigneur. Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. John Wiley and Sons. July 13, 2010. ISBN: 9780470876411.
Speaker
Rich Kivel, serial healthcare industry entrepreneur; venture investor
Rich is managing director of GrayBella Capital LLC., a VC/PE investment fund focused on biotech, healthcare, and technology companies in Europe.
Slides
Session 2, Part 2 Slides (PDF)
Video
Rich Kivel discusses the next steps once you’ve decided on a product or service to create. He explains business/venture models that are commonly used.
