Technology Product Entrepreneurship
CS9.424Ramesh Loganathan + Prakash Yalla•Monsoon 2025-26•4 credits
Last-Week Revision Pack
Every item below is something you should be able to recall cold by exam morning. It is not a study list — it is a triage list for the final 5–7 days.
How to use this page (last 5–7 days)
- Day −7 to −3:Read every item top-to-bottom. For any item you can't expand into a 2-minute explanation, open the linked unit/chapterand re-learn it. Don't move on until you can recall the item without looking.
- Day −2 to −1: Re-read only — speak each item aloud. If you stumble, mark it mentally and drill it twice more.
- Exam morning:Skim once, fast. Don't deep-dive anything. The goal is retrieval priming, not learning.
What each tag means and what to do with it
- CheatsheetA pointer to a fast-skim page in this course. Open it and re-read in the order suggested. 2–5 minutes per item.
- High YieldA topic almost certain to appear on the exam. Allocate revision time proportional to its expected mark weight — not equal time per item. Drill until you can answer without notes.
- Weak AreaA topic the cohort historically struggles with. Treat as high-priority and verify your understanding by explaining it aloud or writing a one-paragraph answer.
- FormulaAn equation you must reproduce verbatim. Write it out from memory once per day until exam day. If you can't derive it, also re-read the relevant chapter.
- Memory TriggerA "if you see X → reach for Y" cue for the exam room. Memorise the mapping; you'll only have seconds to recall it under pressure. Pair with the linked framework.
- DerivationA multi-step proof or derivation. Write it from blank paper — not just read. Re-do until you can produce it in under 5 minutes.
- Common MistakeA specific error the cohort routinely makes. Memorise the correction and the right phrasing — this is the cheapest mark you can save.
Track your progress:mark the page "Finished" (top-right) once you can recall every item below without looking.
The pack (25 items)
3 Cheatsheet · 12 High Yield · 5 Memory Trigger · 5 Common Mistake
CheatsheetSteve Blank: a startup is a temporary org searching for a repeatable, scalable, profitable model.CheatsheetStartup DNA = Innovation × Scalability × Uncertainty. Drop any pillar → different org.CheatsheetFour phases: Idea→Hypothesis | Problem-Solution Fit | PMF | Go-To-Market. Capstone: investor pitch.High YieldIdea Hexagon: six formulas — X^d / X+Y / X↑ / X↓ / X++ / X̄. Memorise all six.High YieldOxygen Test → Five Filters (Problem/Market/Solution/Team/Business Model). Veto, not voting.High Yield5Ws Who-What-When-Where-Why. Why is the keystone.High YieldPainkiller = High Magnitude × High Frequency. Vitamin = otherwise.High YieldBML loop: IDEA → BUILD (MVP) → MEASURE → LEARN → (Persevere or Pivot).High YieldVPC: 1 Jobs, 2 Pains, 3 Gains, 4 Products & Services, 5 Pain Relievers, 6 Gain Creators. Fill in this order.High YieldBMC nine blocks in three zones: Front Stage (CS/CR/CH), Back Stage (KP/KA/KR), Box Office (CS), VP centre.High YieldSTP three verbs: Identify (Segment), Determine (Target), Create (Position). Feeds 4Ps.High YieldAHA Grid: Contenders (top-left, high benefit, low price) = disruption sweet spot.High YieldUSP Defensibility 4 tiers: Easy → Difficult → Cannot. Climb to Tier 1/2.High YieldSWOT: Internal vs External × Helpful vs Harmful. Make at least one SO/ST/WO/WT connection.High YieldFind Your USP Venn: Winning zone (Brand × Consumer, not Comp) ✅. Avoid Losing zone ❌.Memory TriggerPitch = Act I (FOMO ignition) + Act II (FOLS calming).Memory TriggerGET OUT OF THE BUILDING. — Steve Blank's Validation Board mantra.Memory TriggerFall in love with the problem, not the solution. — Uri Levine.Memory TriggerIn a great market, the market pulls product out of the startup. — Marc Andreessen on PMF.Memory TriggerValue is always relative to the Next Best Alternative.Common MistakeTreating Phase 1 deliverable as a product. It's hypotheses.Common MistakeConfusing Problem-Solution Fit (Discovery's output) with Product-Market Fit (Validation's output).Common MistakeConfusing Weakness (internal) with Threat (external) in SWOT.Common MistakeReasoning ad-hoc instead of naming the framework. Always cite.Common MistakeFilling frameworks with vague content. Specificity (numbers, named entities) scores marks.