Polsky Entrepreneurship Info Session
Polsky Entrepreneurship Info Session
Computer Science graduates typically have many career paths they can consider, but often discard the entrepreneurship path because it's too “risky”. However, working for a startup (or even creating your own startup) can also be very fulfilling, with greater control over the design of implementation of a company's technology stack, and even having substantial input on the direction of the company.
In this session, members of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will tell you more about what a career in entrepreneurship involves, and various resources provided by the Polsky Center, including venture launch competitions, accelerators, post-graduate funding, mentorship, and educational opportunities. We will also discuss how to connect with startups, including those participating in the New Venture Challenge.
In this session, we will also hear from Chuck Vallurupalli, MBA '05, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, who will discuss and share a few tips and lessons learned that can help aspiring entrepreneurs during their own journey from ideation to scaleup. Chuck will use a combination of real-world examples and frameworks to illustrate:
- Different ways to generate ideas
- Approaches to assessing if those ideas can lead to gainful opportunities
- Why business models matter and simple ways to validate them
- Elements of a good minimum viable product
- Metrics that need to be optimized to achieve product-market fit
Chuck Vallurupalli is a software engineer, entrepreneur, and executive. He has founded, led and contributed to the success of several early-stage, growth and public companies. He has worked with over 150 startups and several more entrepreneurs as a mentor, Entrepreneur in Residence, and investor. He has also helped several corporations on their innovation agendas. Nothing gives him more joy and satisfaction in his professional life than seeing hardworking and committed entrepreneurs to succeed. Chuck holds an MBA from Chicago Booth and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Questions? Contact Lucas Peralta at Lucas.Peralta@chicagobooth.edu
Host: Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
