Technology Product Entrepreneurship
CS9.424Ramesh Loganathan + Prakash Yalla•Monsoon 2025-26•4 credits
High-Yield Topics
If time is short, study these first.
Steve Blank's startup definition (verbatim)
2-5 markseasy
Almost every paper opens with this. Quote it; dissect the four key words.
Three pillars of Startup DNA (Innovation × Scalability × Uncertainty)
3-5 markseasy
Definition question + distinguish startup from small business / clone / corporation.
Four-phase journey with deliverables
5-10 markseasy
Synthesis questions reward citing the journey explicitly.
Idea Hexagon (six dimensions with formulas)
10-15 marksmedium
Apply-to-scenario questions: 'Generate 6 variants from this seed.' Each dimension is gradeable.
Oxygen Test + Five Filters
10-15 marksmedium
Apply to a case study — walk the idea through each filter, name the verdict, justify.
5Ws framework (Why = keystone)
5-10 markseasy
Defining a problem at Level 3; 5Ws appears in every Phase 2 question.
Stakeholder Ecosystem (seven roles)
5-10 marksmedium
B2B / organisational sales questions; name all seven and apply to a scenario.
Magnitude × Frequency × Population = Painkiller
5-10 markseasy
Phase 2 quantitative implications question. High Freq + High Mag = Painkiller.
Build-Measure-Learn loop with MVP definition
5-10 marksmedium
Phase 3 cornerstone; draw the loop, annotate MVP and Persevere-or-Pivot.
Steve Blank's four stages of Customer Development
5-10 marksmedium
Distinguish Problem-Solution Fit from Product-Market Fit; name the question at each stage.
Earlyvangelist Pyramid (five tiers)
5 markseasy
'Who is your first customer?' — point to the apex tier.
Value Proposition Canvas (six slots + Uber example)
10-15 marksmedium
Draw the canvas, fill all six slots for a given scenario, draw arrows showing pain-reliever-to-pain mapping.
Value relative to Next Best Alternative
5-10 marksmedium
Pricing question; cite the principle and apply to a scenario.
Business Model Canvas (nine blocks + three zones)
15-20 marksmedium
Large drawing-and-applying question; expected on every paper.
Lean Canvas (four substitutions vs BMC)
5-10 marksmedium
Compare-and-contrast; name what gets replaced and why for startup uncertainty.
STP (Segmentation → Targeting → Positioning)
5-10 markseasy
Phase 4 spine; three verbs (identify, determine, create).
AHA Grid (Benefits × Price 2×2)
5-10 marksmedium
Plot competitors; identify Contenders as the disruption sweet spot.
USP & Defensibility four-tier ladder
5-10 marksmedium
Moat analysis: locate competitive advantage at the right imitability tier.
Find Your USP four-zone Venn (Winning/Risky/Losing/Who-Cares)
10-15 marksmedium
Apply to a competitive scenario; assign strategic options to zones.
SWOT with cross-quadrant connections (SO/ST/WO/WT)
10-15 marksmedium
Don't just fill quadrants — make at least one connection across them.
Cross-phase connections (VPC ⊂ BMC; Validation Board ↔ canvas; 5Ws Who → STP; Painkiller → Contenders)
10-15 markshard
Synthesis question payoff — demonstrates course mastery.
FOMO / FOLS pitch architecture
5-10 marksmedium
Pitch design question; Act I ignites FOMO, Act II calms FOLS.