IEEE Foundation

A Road Map for Engineering Students Who Aspire to Start a Company

By Amanda Davis
7
Dec

From IEEE The Institute: A Road Map for Engineering Students Who Aspire to Start a Company

By Amanda Davis

When you’re out to launch your first company, questions abound: Will people buy what I want to sell? Where do I get funding? How do I build a team?

To help budding entrepreneurs find answers, IEEE Member Steve T. Cho and Aram Chavez, both lecturers in technological entrepreneurship management at Arizona State University in Tempe, wrote “A Map of Technology Entrepreneurship: Aha to Exit.” In 10 steps, and a minimum of 15 courses, students learn ways to turn their idea into a profitable venture. The steps are displayed in an infographic that provides the framework for ASU’s program, which leads to a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation. Chavez presented the map at the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society Conference, which The Institute attended.

ASU offers an entrepreneurship undergraduate program administered by an engineering school—the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering—rather than a business school. Students take the program in the order shown in the infographic.

“Many of our engineering students take courses that allow them to minor in entrepreneurship—and in these courses, they’re exposed to creating startups, filing intellectual property, building teams, launching products, and other vital skills,” Cho says.

“Our years of guiding and investing in startups has given us the template to create the map,” Chavez says. “It integrates the best practices in entrepreneurship and provides a comprehensive view of the journey.”

Read more on IEEE The Institute here.