The cow estro meter could be done at lower risk using existing technology. Adapting what is already known, would fit on the competitive risks missing in the presentation.

Getting the device classified as an implant is costly, and is a time barrier, although it raises the bar on barriers to competitive entry, which investors will like, a competing technology could go another route and come in substantially lower.

My two big concerns, would be compliance time to market, under pressure from competitive threats – where existing technology (less invasive) is deployed at lower total cost – very real!

One thing I’d like to see emphasized in this material is serendipity and opportunism. You’ve used a war metaphor (“no plan of campaign survives first contact with the enemy” translated to markets), and that is both popular in business and makes sense given your military background.

But one dynamic in the marketplace is that sometimes your plans are ruined, but not in an adverse way, but by a bigger opportunity than you were going after initially. That’s serendipity… markets are sometimes win/win. Maybe combat situations have such serendipity too, I wouldn’t know (looking for a minor enemy leader and finding osama or hitler??)

Venkat

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2009/ca2009072_489734.htm

She writes :

“I have come to believe that much of what my colleagues and I taught has caused real suffering, suppressed wealth creation, destabilized the world economy, and accelerated the demise of the 20th century capitalism in which the U.S. played the leading role.”

“As Harvard—along with many other business schools—now tries to understand what went wrong, it’s essential that everyone involved in business learns how to be the future. There are turning points in history when it’s time to salvage what is valuable from the old and put our energies into constructing a new model based on new rules. ”

“The old rules taught you to ask, “What is my product or service, and how can I sell it to you?” With that question, adversarialism was baked into the DNA of the buyer-seller transaction.”

The new rules ask, “Who are you? What do you need? How can I help?”

“Business is no longer just about the product. Now it’s about solutions for the individual. Economic value is hidden in consumers’ unmet needs and is released by providing people with the means to fulfill those needs.”

I completely agree with your approach, especially the “Lessons Taught”.

We have been running a unique undergraduate BSc Business Enterprise programme at the University of Buckingham (UK’s only independent University) since January 2006. See http://bit.ly/6LFmpJ.

During the programme our students start and run their own business, as an integral part of their honours degree.

Within 4 months of starting the two year programme, the students pitch for up to GBP 5000 “seed-corn” capital and if successful, they then run the business for the next 18 months.

Our students, like yours, have to “get out of the building” to be successful! They soon find out what it is like to deal with potential customers, suppliers, partners and government organisations!!

The level of their degree is not subject to the success of their business, but they way they prepare their business plan, the quality of their “pitch” for finance and the way they run their business are all marked and do count towards their honours degree.

Our students also learn that they must work hard, as it is not easy to start and run a business and study to achieve an honours degree in just two years!

We also find that our young students grow up quicker compared with those who are only taking theoretical degrees in business. They are also better at reflecting on and questioning theory.

I would be pleased to exchange experiences, if you are interested.