CEO Roundtable

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CEO Roundtable
SBIR COMMERCIALIZATION WORKSHOP

• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Richmond, Virginia
• July 31st, 2003
• Joseph Discenza, President and CEO, SmartCrane,
  LLC
• Ken Sunshine, CFO, Aurora Flight Sciences
  Corporation
• Rich Martin, President and CEO, Noesis, Inc.

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President George W. Bush
You know, the role of government is not to try
to create wealth. The role of government is to
create an environment in which people can realize
the American Dream. And part of the American
Dream is to be able to own your own business, to
be able to say, I want to start my business, I
want to nurture my business, I want to grow my
business. Its the wonderful thing about America
that if youve got an idea, it doesnt matter who
you are or where youre from, that experience
ought to be available to everyone.
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Peter F. Drucker
Whenever you see a successful business, someone
once made a courageous decision.
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Joseph Discenza, President and CEO, SmartCrane,
LLCKen Sunshine, CFO, Aurora Flight Sciences
CorporationRich Martin, President and CEO,
Noesis, Inc.
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Business Concepts and Methods for SuccessOne
CEOs Perspective
SBIR COMMERCIALIZATION WORKSHOP

• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Richmond, Virginia
• July 31st, 2003
• Rich Martin, President and CEO, Noesis, Inc.

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Outline of Todays Presentation

• Determine what you want to do and why.
• Determine how you want to do it.
• Determine who you want to do it for.
• Your goal TO SUCCEED!?
• The entrepreneurs quandary.
• How do you determine if you are succeeding?
• Some resources you can go to.

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The First Step Is To Determine What You Want To Do

• Strategic Planning 101

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Five Successful Elements

• Identify your objective
• Determine the nature of your business and company
  ownership
• Define your companys market and your place in it
• Devise a method for penetrating and capturing
  your target markets
• Develop an effective management team and
  organizational structure

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Five More Successful Elements

• Prepare a Financial Plan
• Establish Professional Alliances and Advisors
• Set up an accountability system to measure the
  overall effectiveness of your plan
• Develop what if scenarios
• Bring it all together and inspire your team

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The Second Step Is To Determine How You Want To
Do It
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Techniques as Tools (that have worked for us)

• Management Approach
• Attracting and Retaining A High Q Workforce
• Forming Effective Teaming Relations
• Customer Contractor Relations
• Understanding Your Customers Processes

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The Third Step Is To Determine Who You Want To Do
It For

• And how you really fit into their processes

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Understanding Your Customers Processes

• All Customers have to deal with
• Technology Wants
• Program Schedules
• Budgetary Schedules
• Political Considerations

Consider these processes as legs that have to
be BALANCED to allow effective work to be done
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Your Goal is to have your customer ask?

• Can you help solve my problems sooner?
• Can you help with other problems?
• How much will it cost?
• How much more risk may need to be assumed by us?
• Can you help us sell this technology to our
  customers?

THESE ARE LEADING INDICATORS FOR A PHASE III!!!
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Achieving One Goal Leads to Another - Success!

• How do you do it?
• Understand your customers processes
• Understand your customer and needs
• Develop an effective internal process for
  deciding what to bid and not to bid
• Establish an Effective Management Structure
• Partner
• Know when to stop reseaching, its not just about
  technology, Business 101 is critical for success!

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The Entrepreneurs Quandary

• Should you raise venture capital or seek angel
  investors, friends, and family?, or should you
  pursue SBIR/STTR?
• Are you willing to share or relinquish control to
  a professional CEO or manager?
• Why do so many entrepreneur-led companies run
  into trouble when they become established
  firms?
• How would you deal with under-productive
  principals?
• How would you lay-off a friend?
• How do you stay focused?
• How do you define success or failure?

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How do you determine success or failure?

• Three Common Problems
• Lack of Clear Goals
• Define your goals
• Define your strategy to achieve the goals
• Decide how to measure achievement
• Scarce time and money
• Lack of Accountability

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Resources You Might Find Useful

• VA CIT has launched a startup guide for
  entrepreneurs in the state. Refer to
  www.innovationavenue.com
• The U.S. S.B.A. Refer to www.sba.gov
• Various federal agency Offices of Small and
  Disadvantage Business Utilization
• The Small Business Technology Coalition. Refer
  to www.sbtc.org
• Any university Office of Technology Transfer

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