Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Travis J. Brown
Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, & Engineering
How can we learn to be more effective innovators? What exactly makes a technology innovative? What is the process for taking a technological innovation and building a financially viable startup based on it? These are topics which are often discussed as being mysterious and, in turn, unteachable.
This course will teach students the process of innovation, specifically in respect to technological innovation. Students will be required to ideate technological concepts given a set of constraints and an opportunity space. In addition, students will be required to take a business concept from inception to implementation, at least to the degree required to define the product specifications and develop a pitch deck. Concepts covered will include abductive reasoning, problem framing, pattern recognition, trend analysis, business-hypothesis-driven experimentation, iterative product releases, and validated learning. Students will also learn the importance of systems and design thinking as they relate to building and managing a startup holistically.
The focus of the course will be for students to get their ideas off of paper and into the market. Students will generate a proposal for their technological innovation and a plan for their startup concept throughout the seminar. The seminar will culminate in a pitch competition, which will require students to pitch their startup concept plan they developed through the course to their peers who will evaluate the technological innovativeness and commercial viability of their concept. Discussions based on assigned readings and lectures will provide an incremental approach to developing a technological innovation and strategizing the commercialization of that innovation.
This course is eligible for honors credit through Hutton Honors College.
Catalog Information: HON-H 240 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY