Entrepreneurship Outside the Valley
Course Number 1631
Qualifies for Management Science Track Credit
In recent years, entrepreneurship has become a global phenomenon, transcending borders and cultures. While entrepreneurial ecosystems in developed markets have been well-explored and are the topic of much of what is taught in the MBA classroom, attention is increasingly shifting towards emerging ecosystems around the globe. These regions, characterized by dynamic economies, evolving industry structures, complex legal and regulatory environments, and unique socio-cultural landscapes, present a distinct set of challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors in startups. Entrepreneurship Outside the Valley will explore how differences in context influence the strategic choices that entrepreneurs and investors face. The course will examine startups and venture capital investors in more than 24 countries across all regions.
Entrepreneurship has been shown to be a major driver of economic development in markets like Israel, India, Singapore, China, and Estonia. These success stories highlight why promoting entrepreneurship globally has become an important policy agenda around the globe. From the perspective of entrepreneurs and investors, however, little research has been devoted to providing insights into how to successfully navigate these markets. While the strategies of lean experimentation, minimum viable product, bootstrapping, and staged investment are critical to startups in these emerging ecosystems, one needs to adapt the lessons from mature markets like Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston that receive the majority of attention in the media and in the classroom. Entrepreneurship Outside the Valley will explore differences in context that affect the strategy of startups and investors including differences in industry structure and the macroeconomy, availability and access to talent, financing sources, legal and regulatory environments, local culture, and exit markets.
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