📝 Memo

"500 Bridges to Silicon Valley" 8-Week Program — Fast-Paced Lesson Plan designed for 6 students (plus Naka-san for help in classroom management). A good even number for 3+3 split into two teams: Blue Team vs Orange Team, for independent case study research and weekly presentation to class, as well as final group project by team.

First 4 weeks, two case studies are assigned weekly — one case for each team. Students working in two teams of 3 persons each shall have ample time to prepare, and present their assigned case by end of week. Total of 8 cases in the first 4 weeks of comparative case studies.

Last 4 weeks is for collaborative make believe "paper company design". Students work separately under two competing teams — going through weekly iterations of: (i) strawman, (ii) tinman, and (iii) ironman — over 3 weeks — followed by "紙芝居ベンチャー対決" between Blue Team and Orange Team in the final week #8. Less showmanship, more substance — but equally dramatic nonetheless, simulated and fought like war games.

Weekly cadence: MWF teaching sessions (John, in English) + TTh working sessions (Naka-san, in Japanese). Teaching sessions over Zoom, across PDT (late afternoon) and JST (morning only). Working session JST.

Why? Because if a 紙芝居ベンチャー cannot tell a simple story straight in a mock showdown of economic battle in a simulated market, then the odds of it succeeding in the real market is quite slim indeed. The real world is far less forgiving — showmanships entertain, but don't forge companies for the long run.

In 4 weeks of comparative case studies, select concepts from Business Model Canvas can be introduced — bit by bit — so that students become familiar with them by end of 4 weeks. Cases can be analyzed using Business Model Canvas as students gain increasing familiarity over the first 4 weeks.