FirmLevel of observation

1
Innovation Observatories
Technology Venture Observatory (TVO)

• Firm-Level of observation analysis
• Broad faculty participation, Multi-Disciplinary
• Viewing various Phases of Venture Development
• Covering the Emerging Technology spectrum
• Shared research training, interview
  best-practices
• Common database practices
• Support personnel

2
Scaling Beyond Historical Effortse.g. SPEC _at_
Stanford
Industry Breakdown for Companies Participating in
SPEC
http//www.gsb.stanford.edu/spec/2.html
http//www.gsb.stanford.edu/spec/pdfs/paper1.pdf
3
Infra-Structural Mechanisms

• Masters Research Seminars
• Coordinated Special Projects / Lab
• Team UROPs
• Deans Research Fellows
• Course Connection
• Structured Theses

4
Example TVO Faculty Research Agendae

• Organizational Culture Evolution, HR Practices,
  Talent Dynamics
• Entrepreneurial Financing Reputation
• Founder Strategy
• Intellectual Social Capital
• Growth Strategies
• Comparisons Between Sectors

5
Mapping Faculty in Disciplines to Phases of
Venture Development
TVO
6
Mapping Sloan Faculty to MITs Strategic Tech
Sectors
TVO
7
MIT Sloan Faculty at Various Levels of Systems
Analysis
Economy Sector Firm Group Individual
Geography Market/Tech Organization Theme Idea
Global Development
Business Dynamics
Technology Roadmapping
Technology Entrepreneurial Strategy
TVO
Venture Capital
Emerging Technology Ventures
Creative Communities, Social Networks
Virtual Customer Initiative
Decision Psychology
8
TVO Research Positioning
Aggregate Surveys
N Number Of Companies Surveyed
TVO
Ethnographical
Richness of Detail
9
MIT-Linked Venture Communities

• MIT 50K Entrepreneurship Competition alumni
  (1989-present) 100 companies, 1,200 proposals
• MIT E-Lab Companies (1996-present) 400 companies
• MIT TLO-Licensed Startups (1986-present), 200
  companies, 5-15/year
• MIT Alumni-founded Companies (1865-present),
  5,000 world-wide, 1-200/year

10
Possible Technology Venture Communities

• VC Portfolios, by Fund, by Geo, by Sector
• Emerging Technology Sectors
• Peer University spinoffs
• Corporate Venture relations

11
Organizational Dimensions of Venture Communities

• Phase of company growth
• Technology Sector
• Founder affiliation characteristics
• VCs, by reputation, round of investment

12
Systematic Database Building

• Driven primarily by Faculty-led inquiry
• Common baseline, high-standards bar for
  interviews empirical methods
• Cross-comparable datasets
• Extreme Longitudinal endurance 5, 10, 20 years
  inquiry
• Collaboration with visualization
  conceptualization experts at MIT, e.g. Frankel

13
Aspiring to Answer the Most Compelling Technology
Venture Questions

• Success What are dimensions of success?
• Urgency How achieve these sooner rather than
  later, to greater vs. lesser extent?
• Differentiation How are ventures similar and
  different?
• Endurance What are enduring success factors?
• Improvement Can we improve education
  inspiration of tomorrows innovative technology
  venture leaders and global citizens?

14
TVO Summer 2002 Plan

• Building general research infrastructure
  processes
• Clarify Research Agenda
• Short
• Medium
• Long term
• Speculate about TVO Seminar or Coordinated
  Project
• Crank on Short-Term effort
• 50K
• MIT alum

15
Proposed TVO Activity

• Informal Masters Research Seminar
• 5-9 Focused Industry Categories
• 24-100 Companies per Category
• 1-3 Interviewees per Company
• Set up throughout Summer
• Fall Semester interviews
• 3-10 interviews per week
• 1-3 students per interview
• 15-30 students total
• 12 weeks total

16
Entrepreneurial Culture Observatory(proposed)
Professor Diane Burton Fall 2002 This Special
Project Lab will explore entrepreneurial culture
through the phases of technology venture
development from birth through boom, buyout,
/or bankruptcy. We are especially interested in
talent dynamics, HR practices, and how
entrepreneurial cultures are formed. Students
will explore compelling questions via structured
interviews systematic inquiry with emerging
growth Company executives in several technology-bu
siness sectors, including wireless, medical
devices, MEMS, neurotechnology
nanotechnology. Independent Project Credit and
Thesis follow-up opportunities are offered
encouraged.
17
Observing Organizational Evolution

• Organizational employment-related problems
  challenges faced by startups?
• Typical development patterns for entrepreneurial
  firms? Differences vs more established firms?
• How do employment policies practices evolve
  over time?
• How do policies practices influence subsequent
  deployment performance?