Entrepreneurship:
Blending Business and
Engineering Skills to
Create Value
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
2
Richard Branson
Risk Taker
Visionary
Creator
Initiator
Organizer
Idea Person
Change Agent
Dr. Harry L. Reif
Businessperson
James Madison University
3
Steve Jobs – 1955-2011
Risk Taker
Visionary
Creator
Initiator
Organizer
Idea Person
Change Agent
Dr. Harry L. Reif
Businessperson
James Madison University
4
Computing - Disciplinary Themes
Agresti, William W. (2011) "Toward an IT
Agenda," Communications of the
Association for Information Systems: Vol.
28, Article 17.
Available at:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol28/iss1/17
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
5
Computing - Disciplinary Themes
Agresti, William W. (2011) "Toward an IT
Agenda," Communications of the
Association for Information Systems: Vol.
28, Article 17.
Available at:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol28/iss1/17
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
6
Business Functions
 Accounting
 Advertising
 Customer Service
 Distribution
Finance
Logistics
Marketing
Operations Management
Porter’s Value Chain
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
7
Blending Technology and Business
Thinking
Porter’s Value Chain
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
8
Creating the Blend
Essential Skills
• Technical Capability (STEM)
–
–
–
–
Science
Technology
Engineering
Math
• Business Capability
–
–
–
–
Accounting
Finance
Marketing
Operations Management
Essential Attributes
• Team Player
• Leader
• Communicator
– Oral
– Written
•
•
•
•
Creative
Abstract Thinker (Visionary)
Risk Taker
Mature (established life goals)
Most experts agree – you can teach skills, you can identify and develop attributes
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
9
Engineering + Business skills alone
ARE NOT enough!
Need GLUE to bind them together
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
10
Here’s the GLUE
(aka Character Traits)
Function of:
• Environment
• Friends
• Culture
• …
• DNA
Dr. Harry L. Reif
• Personality
• Parents
• … James Madison University
11
Ask Yourself - Where do YOU fit?
Essential Attributes
• Team Player
• Communicator
Essential Engineering/Business Skills
• Technical Capability (STEM)
–
–
–
–
– Oral
– Written
• Creative
• Abstract Thinker
(Visionary)
• Risk Taker
Dr. Harry L. Reif
Science
Technology
Engineering
Math
• Business Capability
–
–
–
–
James Madison University
Accounting
Finance
Marketing
Operations Management
12
Filling in the Gaps
Essential Attributes
• Leave your ‘comfort zone’
• Find someone that embodies the attributes – emulate them
• Make mistakes - learn from them
• Check your ego at the door
Essential Engineering / Business Skills
• Read a book
• Take a course or get a (second/third) degree
• Learn by example
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
13
Can You Do It?
Be an Entrepreneur
Dr. Harry L. Reif
James Madison University
14
Questions & Comments