1. Naeem Zafar SCET, College of Engineering IEOR191 Class 13
The Wrap Up
Naeem Zafar
SCET, College of Engineering
IEOR191 Class 13

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Agenda
Preparing for VC Pitches
Final deliverables
Keynote Speaker: Alex Mehr, co-founder Zoosk
Class supplemental evaluations
Perspectives from teaching team
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3. Plans for Final VC Pitches
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Questions
Any unanswered questions
Last class review
Suggestions for improving this course?
Grading! --Graduate students identify yourself
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5. Setting the Right Expectations
Do VCs know that we may not start this company?
What to wear?
Being on-time & getting lost
Q&A with investors
What to bring
Team interactions
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Alex Mehr
Co-founder & ex-President of Zoosk, one of the world’s largest online dating platforms, a top 10 grossing App in the Apple App Store
Alex founded Zoosk in 2007 alongside Shayan Zadeh, while attending the MBA program at the University of California, Berkeley
After emigrating to the U.S. from Iran, Alex received a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland
Grew up in Iran and attended Sharif University of Technology
Alex previously worked as an engineer for NASA and collaborated on several manned and unmanned space flights
Author of more than 25 peer-reviewed published articles on Theory of Complex Systems, Risk Management, Design Optimization
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7. Perspectives from Your Teaching Team
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8. Please do fill out class evaluations
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Entrepreneurship
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Entrepreneurship: Thinking differently to create a business opportunity where other don’t see one!
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12. Entrepreneurs Come in All Sizes
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13. Own Journey & Lessons Learned
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14. Personal History
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15. METU
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16. Brown University 79-81 Arrived in USA on Jan 28, 1979 with $300
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17. Brown University: Electrical Engineering
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First Job
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19. Life in American Midwest
Learn social skills, build network & reputation
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20. Starting First Company
XCAT founded in 1985 by 4 engineers
Designed a simulation accelerator in total stealth mode
No market/customer discovery
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To Silicon Valley 1988
Quickturn ~10 people
Hardware emulation for chip design verification
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Hardware Emulation
New industry created
400 people, $150M sales
Lesson Learned: find customer with their hair on fire!
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23. Fingerprint Sensor Company
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1st CEO Gig
Korean investors
Survival during nuclear winter of
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25. 2nd CEO: Silicon Design Systems
Israeli company in chip design services business
Transformed to software EDA company
Raised $10M
Lesson: Role of a CEO
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26. 3rd CEO: Pyxis Technology
Texas-based, venture backed company in ‘05
Raised $9.6M in series B
Lesson: frugality
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Back in the Game 2010
Technical team seeking CEO
Found right timing & right team
Lesson: Timing is the most important criterion
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999 Days to Exit
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New Chapter
IoT company
Real-time environmental monitoring
Predictive failure of machinery
Taking SV style entrepreneurship to the East Coast  Brown University
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Your Own Journey
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Your Own Journey
Not all of you will start a company
But ~60% of you will be involved in a startup company within 5 years
You will ask better questions & not be afraid
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32. How to Prepare Yourself
A post series-B (or C) funded startup (50 to 100 people) can be a better learning ground
Focus on forming your “team” now
Learn! -- your education has just begun!
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VentureForAmerica.org
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34. Mentorship

35. Mentorship

36. How is Your LinkedIn Profile?

37. What is authenticity mean in business?

38. Authenticity Being real Do not need to oversell yourself
Focus on building a professional profile over time
Integrity …. In communication, work , business transactions

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The Startup Process
Value of this course is to get full spectrum of a startup life
Ask: Have I grown in my own thinking?
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40. We Are all Entrepreneurs

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Why Entrepreneurship
You make the rules
You create the culture
Make the culture where you want to work
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42. Entrepreneurship is Freedom!
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Summary Take Away
End goal is almost never the money
It is a life style choice that you make!
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44. End is Just the Beginning
Now you have the entrepreneurial mindset
How do you want to live your life?
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45. Thank You for a great semester!
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46. Please complete evaluations now!
& the supplemental evaluations
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