• 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

Technology Venture Observatory(TVO)

Innovation Observatories

Scaling Beyond Historical Effortse.g. SPEC @ Stanford

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/spec/pdfs/paper1.pdf

Industry Breakdown Absolute Number Percent Computer related 87 50.9%

Telecom related 34 19.9%

Medical related 25 14.6% Semiconductor related 12 7.0%

Manufacturing 10 5.8%

Research 3 1.8%

Total 171 100%

Industry Breakdown for Companies Participating in SPEC

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/spec/2.html

Infra-Structural Mechanisms

1. Masters Research Seminars2. Coordinated Special Projects / Lab3. Team UROPs4. Dean’s Research Fellows5. Course Connection6. Structured Theses

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

…

Mapping Faculty in Disciplines to Phases of Venture Development

Strategy

MTIE

Org/HR

Finance

Marketing

Operat’ns

Prod DevIdeation Invention Incorporation Investment

sSales Profitabilit

yEscalation

TVO

Mapping Sloan Faculty to MIT’s Strategic Tech Sectors

Info Tech Bio Tech Tiny Tech Complex Systems

Develop’tInnovations

Strategy

MTIE

Org/HR

Finance

Marketing

Operat’ns

Prod Dev

TVO

MIT Sloan Faculty at Various Levels of Systems Analysis

Economy

Sector

Firm

Group

Individual

Geography

Market/Tech

Organization

Theme

Idea

Technology RoadmappingTechnology &

Entrepreneurial Strategy

Virtual CustomerInitiative

Emerging TechnologyVentures

Global Development

Venture Capital

Decision Psychology

Creative Communities,

Social Networks

Business Dynamics

TVO

TVO Research Positioning

N = NumberOf Companies

Surveyed

Richness of Detail

AggregateSurveys

Ethnographical

TVO

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

Possible Technology Venture Communities

• VC Portfolios, by Fund, by Geo, by Sector

• Emerging Technology Sectors• Peer University spinoffs• Corporate Venture relations

…

Organizational Dimensions of Venture Communities

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

…

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…

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 tomorrow’s innovative technology venture leaders and global citizens?

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

Proposed TVO Activity• Informal Master’s 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

Entrepreneurial Culture Observatory

(proposed)

Professor Diane BurtonFall 2002

This Special Project Lab will explore entrepreneurial culture throughthe phases of technology venture development from birth through boom, buyout, &/or bankruptcy. We are especially interested in talentdynamics, HR practices, and how entrepreneurial cultures are formed.

Students will explore compelling questions via structured interviews& systematic inquiry with emerging growth Company executives in severaltechnology-business sectors, including wireless, medical devices, MEMS,neurotechnology & nanotechnology.

Independent Project Credit and Thesis follow-up opportunities are offered & encouraged.

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?