QUOTE OF THE DAY
"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way." Mark Twain
SUMMARY
So, you want to start a business, become a successful entrepreneur, make tons of money, retire in your late 20s, and spend the rest of your life playing video games in your m̶o̶m̶'̶s̶ 10 million dollar mansion. Or, perhaps, you want to learn how billionaires & elite athletes perform at the highest level? Or, you are simply asking yourself why are so many people making such stupid decisions (seriously, all the time?!)
Or, perhaps, you want to know how companies use psychology to manipulate you into buying their products even though doing so doesn't seem to increase your long-term happiness? Or, maybe, even if you don't want to admit it to anyone else, you want to challenge yourself to be more creative or figure out your personality strengths?
Or, perhaps, you are one of those history nerds that is curious to find out who were the baddest entrepreneurs of all time?
If you are interested in any of these questions, then you are at the right place! Be sure to thank me when you are relaxing on your private yacht off the coast of the British Virgin Islands!Before we start, however, make sure that you read carefully the syllabus. Also, take some time to explore this website. Pay particular attention to the course requirements (links on the left). Here you can also find most readings and assignments organized by topics so that you can stay up to date with the class.
REQUIRED READINGS:
- Syllabus [download here]
- Explore class requirements on the course webpage (see the menu on the left).
- The Richest Entrepreneurs Say You Need to Write Better [read here]
- How Bill Gates Remembers What He Reads [read here] [also his love for reading]
OPTIONAL READINGS:
- Priceless: The Non-pecuniary Benefits of Schooling [read here]
- Is a College Degree Worth It? [read here]
- Learning and Earning [read here]
- The Maker Movement Taking Over America. Here’s How. [read here]
- The Rational Optimist [get the book from Amazon] [or watch here] [Bill Gates review]
ASSIGNMENTS:
Start thinking about your own business ideas. You will have to propose your business idea later in the course, so it's a good idea to start thinking about it early. If you don't know where to start, you can use the following short guide I created for a previous class [download here].
Classroom Discussion: Personal Introductions (come to class prepared to discuss the following):
For this week’s discussion, please come to class ready to tell me a little bit about yourself. I would like to get to know each one of you better so I can tailor the course to fit your interests, strengths, and experiences better. A few questions to get you started: (1) what is your name and how do you prefer to be called; (2) where are you from; (3) what are you studying at Baylor (major); (4) what do you intend to do after you graduate; (5) why are interested in taking this course (i.e., why are you interested in entrepreneurship) and what do you expect to get out of this course; (6) have you ever started a business before (if so, what kind of business and what was your experience); (7) who is your favorite entrepreneur (and why); (8) what are your strengths and interests (e.g., creative, curious, good with numbers, graphic design, leadership, etc.); and, finally, (9) what is something unique/fun about yourself (i.e., unique experiences, hobbies, etc.)
I encourage you to share as much as you are comfortable with (if you prefer to share something with me that is important to understanding who you are, but would prefer that it remains private from your classmates, please send me a message).
Feel free to be creative with this submission. You can attach a picture of yourself (a headshot, with your pet, doing a favorite activity such as playing a sport, or something cool you've created/done in the past). You are also welcome to post a video answering these questions instead of doing a written post.
Finally, make sure to reply to two of your peers! (that's 40% of your grade).
I look forward to getting to know all of you this semester!