Innovative Entrepreneurs - Leadership of High-Tech Companies

The objective of the module is to inspire and motivate the participants coming from various disciplines for an entrepreneurial career, and to give them a basic understanding about founding and managing technology- and growth-oriented companies. To serve this purpose, the module provides an introduction to the topic of (effectual) entrepreneurship, as well as guest lectures by outstanding founders, entrepreneurs, managers, and investors on selected topics, such as:

1. The entrepreneurial ecosystem
2. Founding of companies for students and scientists
3. How to develop an idea into a market-ready product
4. Financing of startups
5. Corporate growth
6. Creating and managing an entrepreneurial culture
7. Strategic business management
8. Innovation management
9. Corporate finance
10. Business succession

Moreover, for self-motivated participants, there is ample opportunity for personal development through interactive workshops, closed networking events.

Upon successful completion of this module, participants will be able
Upon successful completion of this module, participants will be able to...
- understand the entrepreneurial mindset
- recognize and develop personal strengths
- develop and implement personal ideas
- understand Design Thinking methodology

Moreover through guest speakers’ lectures and optional workshops participants will be empowered to:
- realize opportunities and challenges associated with the founding and managing of technology- and growth-oriented companies;
- create a personal roadmap for entrepreneurial success.

Thus, students familiarize with topics like opportunity recognition, innovation management, growth, leadership, and the facets of entrepreneurship. In doing that, they are enabled to see, realize, and experience the multiplicity in the everyday life of an entrepreneur, entrepreneurial personalities, as well as entrepreneurial skills and motivations.

- Knowledge: No special requirements, willingness to participate
- Abilities: Identifying opportunities; proactiveness; communication; commitment
- Skills: openness; analytical thinking; visual thinking; self-motivation; networking

As guest lecturers, each week an outstanding founder, entrepreneur, manager, or investor, spanning a wide-ranging industrial spectrum, is hosted to report on their individual entrepreneurial careers.

At the end of each lecture, the participants can actively engage in discussions with the guest speaker during an open session.

Moreover, in context of a workshop, the participants venture their own personal qualities and skills to understand in a structured way their own entrepreneurial identity. In doing that, they focus on their individual strengths and resources to develop a plan to be entrepreneurial.

The module also provides participants with ample opportunity to network with people from the entrepreneurial environment of TUM.

- Lecture slides downloadable
- Online discussion forum (e.g., for questions and feedback on guest lectures)
- Hand­outs (distributed online)

Read, S., S arasvathy, S., Dew, N., Wiltbank, R., & Ohlsson, A. V. (2016). Effectual Entrepreneurship. Taylor & Francis

The grading is based on project work. Participants choose an individual challenge running over several weeks during the semester. Each student has to write a reflection paper (max. 1500 words) on their experiences during the project work.