Elective
In this course, students develop an understanding of the resources, skills, and planning required to launch a new product or service. Through lectures, case studies and visiting talks, the course addresses critical factors such as: ideation, competition and competitive advantage, financing requirements, corporate culture, product positioning, customer identification, and market segmentation.
I took this study-away course during the summer of 2019. I’ve always wanted to learn more about entrepreneurship and technology commercialization in Silicon Valley, so this course was an amazing opportunity for me to learn from inspiring academics, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, product managers, and engineers working in some of the world’s most innovative companies. The most valuable thing I took away from this course was a better, more holistic understanding of how technology companies operate, develop products, and seek/obtain capital to turn concepts to reality. I gained a better appreciation for the various roles and positions, as well as what it takes to work in the rapidly-changing technology industry. Furthermore, through site/company visits, I developed a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the different companies, as well as nuances in areas like company culture, mission, and organization.
Duke in Silicon Valley 2019 Blog Post
