This is version 0.00004.
Last change 04/04/2008–moved Sustainability to the top of the topic areas.
The Purpose of Syllabus #1
Syllabus #1 is for independent entrepreneurs and small businesses. It contains resources that we believe are good foundational reading material. The articles marked with an asterisk (*) are highly recommended, the others are great but not as mission-critical.
The first section is a short history lesson. In the mid-90s an earlier generation of entrepreneurs headed out onto the savannas to hunt and gather on their own, but they were creamed by the Great Drought of 2001 and were forced back into various sedentary arrangements. Times are different now but it doesn’t hurt to start with a sense of the history of the independent lifestyle.
The other 4 sections are Finance, Marketing, Design and Sustainability. Each of these sections has three main articles, which drill down into points that we think are useful, and one or more additional articles.
Our goal is to introduce you to common issues such as:
Sustainability
- Cradle to cradle industries that inspire
- Venture capital for sustainable enterprises that aim to make the world a better place
Finance and Economics
- Managing capital in a bootstrapping environment
- Developing an understanding of the big (financial) picture: interest rates, liquidity, global finance, etc.
Marketing
- Basics of permission marketing to build communities
- Information on branding and strategy to help you differentiate your offerings
Design
- How design thinking helps strategy formation
- Information on design schools and new forms of learning
There are no tests or assignments. However, we would love to have your feedback.
Remembering Free-Agent Nation: Work and Life 10 Years On
Our first syllabus begins with a a history lesson. The readings from Fast Company below chronicle the first cultural and economic impulse to independent forms of work. The current cultural movement surrounding coworking and independence in creative work is in many ways a deferred vision finally made real. As these articles indicate, many people envisioned and hoped for structures of independence before the crash of 2001. It is a credit to both the original visionaries and the current generation of independents and coworkers that cultural impulses over 10 years apart are now being connected via imagination and technology.
This Organization is Dis-Organization
Creating a Design-Centric Culture
The (Free Agent) Declaration of Independence
Sustainability
Sustainable enterprise is no longer a luxury or fringe concept. It is an imperative. The fringe now is made up of those people who believe that global climate change is a communist conspiracy. Many firms–from GE, to P&G, to Google, to Whole Foods–build sustainable practices into their corporate strategies, and manage to win in their industries (not despite but) because they have institutionalized long-term thinking.
*New Clout for Cradle to Cradle Design
*Extracting Energy From Chemical Waste
*Al Gore’s $100 Million Makeover
Greener Gadgets Isn’t an Oxymoron
Designing Sustainable Leadership
Using Nature as a Design Guide
Finance
Any business sits on top of an understanding of the numbers. There really is no way around it. This is why we start with core articles and readings about finance. First are a few fundamental pieces, meant to help provide a framework for Finance for Startups, and following these are some interesting pieces that cover current finance/economic themes and problems in the global economy.
Some Basics
Standard & Poor’s: Money & Markets
Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting
Further Readings
*Worries Grow About the True Value of Repackaged Debt
The Pitfalls of Financial Globalization Grow Clearer
John Kay on Finance and Strategy
Marketing/Strategy
Small business, like large business, must connect with users and markets. Understanding user values and experiences, and building business strategies that are responsive to those needs and values lies at the heart of successful enterprises. Linked below are a few basic readings around Marketing and Marketing Management (such as the 4 P’s of Marketing–Product, Place, Price, and Promotion), which are followed by several Fast Company articles that explore more creative approaches to marketing.
Some Basics
Readings
*Creating a Blue Ocean of Innovation
A CEO Manning the Phones each Day?
Creative Artists Confront Sales Anxiety
Design
One of the emerging points of common sense in today’s business landscape is an understanding of the current and increasing importance of design-led innovation to corporate strategy. Design is both a way of viewing the world and a very precise methodology for acting in the world. The articles here reflect both examples of design-focused strategies as well as educational offerings that are aimed at both young, graduate-aged students as well as mid-career corporate employees looking to drive innovation in their ranks.
Pushing the Boundaries of Design
Getting Schooled in Innovation
