CS183B @ Penn: The Kickoff
Ideas, Product, Team, Execution. Class is now in session.
A group of 76 students gathered in the First Round Capital offices last Thursday night to watch Sam Altman’s inaugural “How to Start a Startup” class. Given the all-too-common struggle of attending lecture, it was quite astounding to see the turnout for a non-credit class, taking place late at night. As the lights dimmed, the crowd hushed and listened attentively when Sam began.
Welcome to CS183B.
After lecture, the crowd broke off into ten discussion groups, each led by a student TA. The crowd ranged from undergraduates, to MBAs, to non-Penn students and covered a wide spectrum of entrepreneurial experience. For many, it was the first time that discussion, not tied to a specific corporation or work experience but instead a shared interest and passion, occurred between the different demographics. The community and conversation that kept the room abuzz for an extra hour after the lecture, and led to many of the takeaways shared below.
Takeaways
A small group of people that love your product is better than a large group of people that like your product! — Cristina Sorice
Often, the best ideas are the ones that seem like bad ideas at the time. But because they’re “bad” ideas, there’s also less competition and a more of a need for you to do something about it. — Discussion Group 2
Recruit your first set of users manually and constantly ask for feedback. — David Ongchoco
It seems that finding a growing target market with potential can be at odds with a particular entrepreneur’s passion/idea. Reconciliation is to work on problems/ideas that you care about that can address a growth market. — Anu Maheshwari
Your team is super critical — there has to be a shared passion and dedication. You don’t want to be the only person working day and night to make your dream a reality so make sure your team is in it with you! — Karan Hiremath, Discussion Group 1
Even though each person can only do one unit of work alone, in a group, he can do much more. It’s one of the driving forces behind more collaborative work, but it’s also a double edged sword. Just as good collaboration would multiply productivity, a mediocre employee would certainly decrease productivity. — Justin Kim
Thanks for coming out everyone, and don’t forget to join the Facebook group to keep tabs on our events and discussions. The next viewing party will be next Tuesday at First Round Capital from 7:30 to 9 PM.
Big thanks to First Round Capital for the facilities, and Weiss Tech House for sponsoring the food!
