DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
University of Toronto
CSC454/2527S: The Business of Software
January-April 2001
Assignment B: Plan v1
Handed Out: 15 January 2001, 6 p.m.
Due In: 22 January 2001, 5 p.m.
Marks: 2%
Each team will submit to the class listserv a one- or two-page description of the idea chosen for the business plan. Each submission SHOULD also include the name, phone number, and email address of each team member.
The following hints may be useful in developing your submission:
• Think seriously about every idea already proposed by each member. Don’t be afraid to throw some out, but also don’t hesitate to adopt one that appears to be dynamite.
• Think about Drucker's Sources of Innovative Opportunity, and new hardware and software paradigms, and look for an idea that exploits some of these notions.
• Look for a way to leverage what is currently happening with the Internet.
• Think about what you know well and who you know. See if there is a way to leverage your knowledge, your expertise, and your connections, especially the knowledge and expertise.
• Think about something you have done that you are proud of, for example, a CSC318 project. See if your project could form the basis of a business idea.
• Think about the last few times you were frustrated, and said… "if only…" See if removing the source of the frustration could form the basis of a business idea.
• More generally, test any idea you have in terms of a potential market, in other words, who the customer would be for the product or service, what the "user benefit" would be, and what the customer might be willing to pay.
• Put all the ideas you have on the board. See if you can turn an idea around to form a better idea. See if there are connections linking them that improve them.
Your submission should clearly explain the idea and why you have chosen it, stressing how it leverages your knowledge and expertise. It should describe in one sentence who the customer would be and in one or two sentences why the customer would want your product and service. You should also attempt a first formulation of a one-sentence mission statement for your company.
If you are still considering several ideas, or have variants of an idea that seem interesting, please mention them briefly in point form at the end of your submission. You still have wiggle room to change your idea into a better one.
Note: THE TITLE OF EACH LISTSERV SUBMISSION SHOULD REFLECT THE IDEA, not Assignment B. Also please indicate if you are still searching for team members.