Entrepreneurial Venture Biography
Individual Work: Analysis of an Entrepreneur Written Assignment
The assignment is to investigate how an entrepreneur (or entrepreneurial team) has exploited an
entrepreneurial opportunity. I am supposed to interview an entrepreneur, and are expected to use the
topics covered throughout the course to create a “venture biography.”.”
In the report, you should explicitly reference and build upon the readings listed to show how you can
build on scholarly insights to analyze and understand actual entrepreneurship. Referencing should
follow the obligatory APA formatting guidelines. You are to incorporate the key themes of the lectures
in your report and are expected to develop a critical analysis of the outcome of the interview.
Areas to investigate
▪ What was the entrepreneur’s motivation for wishing to start a particular (social) business /
▪ corporate venture and explain why he/she believed that they will succeed to reach their goals /
▪ objectives.
▪ What role did creativity & innovation play in the development of the (social) business /
corporate
▪ venture?
▪ What competitive advantage did they think they had (an have today)? Or what benefits to
society
▪ does their business have?
▪ What role does technology play in the (social) business / corporate venture?
▪ Describe the sources of finance that were used to start/grow the business?
▪ What were the challenges and risks the entrepreneur faced as he/she launched the (social)
▪ business / corporate venture?
▪ Explain how they attracted resources to their organization?
▪ Explain the business model of their venture? (Business model canvas)
▪ Explain how they attract customers to their (social) business / corporate venture (Marketing)?
▪ Outline how they grew or plan to grow the (social) business / corporate venture (Could include
▪ internationalization but not a necessity)
▪ Did the entrepreneur work through a Business Plan? Any evidence of a Lean Start-Up
approach?
▪ Describe the impact of growth on the various functional areas of their business?
▪ What would the entrepreneur have done differently in hindsight?
▪ What lessons were learned along the way?
▪ End by developing your own personal critique of the entrepreneur and the business you
analyzed.
Chapters could be organized as follows:
▪ Background to the Entrepreneur
▪ Understanding Entrepreneurship
▪ Managing the Opportunities (discovery/development)
▪ Business Modelling
▪ Business Planning
▪ Mobilizing Resources
▪ Scaling Up
▪ Reflection and conclusion
Important:
I have to show proof of contact with the entrepreneur. For example, I have to include a
photograph with the entrepreneur in the appendix. (if not possible personally then I do a skype
interview – take a screenshot – if you just do a telephone interview ask the entrepreneur to
send you an email confirming that the interview took place (date/time/duration) and include
in your appendix
