Department of Computer Engineering

College of Engineering
Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa

Course Syllabus

ENSC 20103: Technopreneurship 101

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to theories, concepts, and applications of technology-based entrepreneurship which

covers research and development, ideation, feasibility and market validation, business planning, and
execution.

Prerequisite: None Credit: 3 units

B. COURSE RATIONALE

This is a required course for engineering students designed to provide them with the conceptual
gateway on venturing to a career in research and development and/or technology-based
entrepreneurship by introducing them to:
1. concepts on technology and entrepreneurship
2. research and development, and innovation;
3. the nature of customers, market position, and competitive advantage;
4. Intellectual property and technology licensing;
5. Basic financials and accounting
6. Formulating business model and executing the business plan
7. The social and global responsibility
C. LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon the completion of this course, the student is expected to be able to:

1. Understand and experience the entrepreneurial process from the generation of creative
ideas,

2. Understand the market needs or provide a solution to a key problem,

3. Explore the feasibility and creation of a business enterprise,

4. Implementation of creative ideas into real products and/or services, and

5. Experience the dynamics of participating on a business team, create and present a business
plan for a technology idea. All of the objectives and the activities of the course should
provide the background, tools, and life skills to participate in the entrepreneurial process
within a large company as an engineer, in a new venture, or as an investor.

D. COURSE PEDAGOGY
Ideally, the course will be conducted in twelve (12) three-hour class meetings that will be held from
7:30 AM to 10:30 AM every Monday (Schedule will vary). Given the remote learning setup, we’ll
keep the synchronous meetings to a maximum of 6-7 meetings. Each meeting will be dedicated to a
lecture session that includes discussions on concepts, recitation, and practical exercises (by
group/individual). Before coming to class, every student is expected to study the set of readings for
all the sessions of each class meeting to prepare questions that he/she should raise during the class.

The Google Classroom “ENSC 20103” has been created for the course that can be used for
consulting with the professor, communicating with classmates, and disseminating course materials.

The class will also be divided into groups of 4-5 students (depending on the total class number) that
will serve as study groups for discussing the readings and for undertaking the required Final Project
and group course work.

Additionally, students will have to undertake the following activities as a required major final output:
● (By group) Interview of a Start-up Founder/CEO (See Annex B)
● (Individual) Term Paper that investigates any of the following topics: (See Annex C)
○ State of Philippine Start-up Ecosystem
○ Importance of Intellectual Property for a Tech-based company
○ What makes a successful Filipino company?

Finally, a Final Project Presentation: Business Pitch (See Annex D) shall be conducted at the end of
the semester to test the students’ ability to apply all the lessons learned throughout the course.
 E. COURSE OUTLINE – DETAILS

Technopreneurship 101 (1st Semester AY 2021-2022)

Date Course Topic Note
W1 and W2 Introduction: Technology and Entrepreneurship

W3 Innovation and Ideas

Value Proposition

W4 Customers
Markets and Competitive Advantage

Interview of CEO/Technopreneur/Start-up Founder

W5 Introduction to Intellectual Property

- Copyright
- Trademark
- Trade Secrets
- Patent

Term Paper

W6 Execution and Business Plan

W7 and W8 The Product and Service

Business Model

W9 and W10 Financial Analysis and Accounting Basics

Raising Capital

W11 Ethics and Social Responsibility

Globalization

CULMINATION ACTIVITY: Business Pitching

F. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Each student must accomplish the course pre-work thru this link: bit.ly/cmpe30032eba

Additionally, the class president must submit a virtual seat plan that contains 2x2 photos
of students, their full names, and contact number.
2. Learning Management – A google classroom has been created for the whole class. Once all
students have accomplished the required course pre-work, the professor will release a
Google Sheet Class Tracker, which the students have to update whenever they attend a
session or submit a requirement.

A note on emailing the professor: Students are encouraged to revisit their business
communications class. Kindly follow email norms by writing the subject of your email and
use of proper salutations.

3. Software Requirements: Synchronous sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Students have
the liberty to decide whether to join the class via phone or a computer.

4. Class participation & attendance – Class attendance is encouraged and active participation
in class discussion is expected of each student. In the event that a student has difficulty in
participating in the synchronous session due to various reasons, it is expected that a notice is
sent to the professor prior to the class.

5. Course Requirements, Group Exercises, Homework- Each student is required to come up

with an output that includes but is not limited to term papers and case studies. These
outputs can be accomplished either as an individual or as part of a group depending on the
nature of the activity.

a. Noncompliance to instruction(s): Students who fail to follow instructions (ie. File

format, email heading) shall also be deducted 20 points on a scale of a 100 point
system.
b. Submission Format: (Please see Annex A.) Depending on the topic and submissions,
the professor will provide further guidance and instructions about the submission.
c. Submissions: All submissions must be in PDF format and uploaded in the Google
classroom.

6. Group coursework – The class is divided into groups of about 4-5 members each (depending
on the class size.)

a. Business Pitching – Each group must undertake a Business Pitch activity where they
will present their business ideas to a panel of experts. As a culminating activity, this
measures if students are able to apply the concepts they learned within the
semester

i. Each group is expected to consult with the professor regularly while

developing their business plan.
ii. Submission of business ideas shall be at the beginning of the second half of
the semester. Further instructions will be provided by the professor.
 G. COURSE GRADING

A student’s final weighted score in the course will be computed based on the following
weight distribution: 

Course Component Weight

1. Class participation & 10%
attendance
2. CEO Interview 30%
3. Term Paper 20%
4. Final Presentation: Business 40%
Pitching
TOTAL 100%

The student’s final numerical grade will be determined based on the following table of
equivalences:

Percentage PUP Grade

97-100 1.00
94-96 1.25
91-93 1.50
88-90 1.75
85-87 2.00
82-84 2.25
79-81 2.50
76-78 2.75
75 3.00
65-74 5.00
INC (Incompelete)
W(Widthraw)
D (Dropped)

H. REQUIRED COURSE READINGS

New Venture Creation (9th Edition) by Stephen Spinelli Jr. and Robert Adams
Annex A

Individual Submission Format

Exercise/Homework/Term Paper/Case Study
[Your Name]
[Course, Year and Section]
[Date of Submission]

Title
Annex B

CEO/Startup Founder Interview Guidelines

Listening to other people’s experiences allows us to uncover insights and discover how our own story
could be tangential or closely related to those we listen to. It could also provide us with ideas of the
paths we can take in order to be successful by our own definitions. Hence, treat the CEO interview as an
opportunity for you to explore possibilities in pursuing a Technopreneurship career.

Instructions:

1. The team will produce a video content that tells a story of a Filipino Executive. While it is
encouraged that the executive has a proven track record of leading a technology based company,
you have the liberty to identify and select the interviewee based on his/her availability
regardless of his/her industry background.

2. Skills required in order to deliver this task include researching, video editing, storyline writing,
and project management. You must also possess competencies such as relationship building and
client orientation, critical thinking, bias for action, and working collaboratively.

3. Below are the suggested questions that you can ask the interviewee. It is recommended that the
team discuss first the storyline and the narrative of the interview before choosing the questions
that they would want to ask. It is also REQUIRED that research about the CEO/Founder has been
conducted prior to invitation.

● Profile:
○ Name
○ Educational Background (high school; college; postgraduate)
○ Professional Background (work experience)
○ Profile of Business/businesses (company name, type of organization, years in
existence; products and product lines; markets (local and export); Net worth of
Assets (optional)
● Key Questions:
○ How did you become an entrepreneur/businessman? Did your parents groom
you to be one from a young age? Did you have someone who mentored you?
Did you aspire to be an entrepreneur while growing up?
○ What were your motivations for being an entrepreneur? (money?; freedom to
do what you want? Achievement? Prestige? Need to test your capabilities and
validate oneself? Opportunity to help others by creating jobs? Need to solve a
social problem or change the world? Etc.)
○ What made you decide to go into your particular line of business? (passion and
interest? Compelling opportunity? Fit with one's competencies and skills?
Directives from your parents?);
 ○ What did you find interesting about your current industry?
○ How do you select opportunities (for new businesses or for new markets/ clients
and products/product lines?)
○ How do you evaluate a market opportunity? What are your criteria for deciding
to exploit an opportunity? How do you factor in returns versus risks in your
opportunity evaluation? Have you had failed ventures in the past? Did you
experience setbacks in your business? What lessons did you learn from these
failures? Why do you think you were able to recover from your initial setback/s?
○ How do you develop specific product ideas? How do you generate business
ideas in general? What are your sources for business ideas (social media?
Travelling to other countries? Attending conferences? Among others?)
○ Are you a member of an industry association? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of being part of industry associations?
○ Do you network with government, non-government and academic agencies?
Based on your experience, what are the advantages and disadvantages of
networking with these organizations?
○ What do you think are the major barriers to entrepreneurial success in the
Philippines? What do you think is the government doing that does not help
start-ups? What is the government doing that can help start-ups? How do you
think the government could help further?
○ What advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur?
4. The video must be uploaded as an UNLISTED video on Youtube. The link to the video must be
sent to edcel.artificio@gmail.com using the Subject Line: CEO Interview_Course, Year and
Section_GroupNo. (e.g. CEO_Interview_CE3-2_Group1)
Annex C

Term Paper
An undergraduate student must demonstrate his/her ability to discuss a broad range of topics. Your term
paper is a reflection of your ability to effectively flesh out concepts and theories in Technopreneurship.

1. The student can choose to investigate any of the following topics below:
○ State of Philippine Start-up Ecosystem
○ Importance of Intellectual Property for a Tech-based company
○ What makes a successful Filipino company?

2. Kindly refer to the template prescribed in Annex A for this submission. Additionally, the
credibility of your paper will be measured based on the research you’ve conducted. Hence, it is
important to include your references using the APA format.

3. Your submission will be assessed using the following guide:

Criteria Weight

Content 40%
Concept involved
Relevant facts, information identified
Accuracy

Discussion 40%
Application of concepts to facts, information
Logic and clarity
Brevity
Conciseness

Conclusion/Thesis 10%
Supported by / logically follows a discussion

Language 10%
Grammar
Diction
Syntax

Total 100%
Annex D

Business Plan
1. Introduction: The project case prototype is a culmination of your journey of learning and
gaining insights on ENSC 20103. You are encouraged to formulate a business plan you believe is
feasible and that interests you so you can find the work enjoyable.

2. Objectives: Formulating a business plan and writing its corresponding paper as a

requirement is essential for learning. It is a principal tool available for us to clarify and refine our
thoughts, encourage critical thinking, enhance our ability to navigate our environment and make
business decisions based on informed decisions and calculated risks.

In undertaking this project, keep in mind that the ultimate goal is for you to examine, reflect and
find meaning in your experience. And hopefully, you take this beyond the classroom as you set
up your own company.

3. Expectations: I expect that for an undergraduate student level of research output, much
thought and effort is being given. Documentations will come in two forms (1) The presentation
file which you will use on Business Presentation Day and (2) The actual document which shall
follow the suggested outline indicated on item four of this document. I encourage you to consult
me as you develop your topic, more so if you encounter challenges.

4. Suggested outline of the Business Plan

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Description of the Business Concept and the Business Opportunity and Strategy.
Target Market and Projections.
Competitive Advantages
The Team.
The Offering.

II. THE INDUSTRY AND THE COMPANY AND ITS PRODUCT(S) OR SERVICE(S)
The Industry.
The Company and the Concept.
The Product(s) or Service(s).
Entry and Growth Strategy.

III. MARKET RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Customers.
Market Size and Trends.
Competition and Competitive Edges.
Estimated Market Share and Sales.
Ongoing Market Evaluation.

IV. THE ECONOMICS OF THE BUSINESS

Gross and Operating Margins.
 Profit Potential and Durability.
Fixed, Variable, and Semi-variable Costs.
Months to Breakeven.
Months to Reach Positive Cash Flow.

V. MARKETING PLAN
Overall Marketing Strategy.
Pricing.
Sales Tactics.
Service and Warranty Policies.
Advertising and Promotion.
Distribution.

VI. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Development Status and Tasks.
Difficulties and Risks.
Product Improvement and New Products.
Costs.
Proprietary Issues.

VII. MANUFACTURING AND OPERATIONS PLAN

Operating Cycle.
Geographical Location.
Facilities and Improvements.
Strategy and Plans.
Regulatory and Legal Issues.

VIII. MANAGEMENT TEAM

Organization.
Key Management Personnel.
Management Compensation and Ownership
Other Investors.
Employment and Other Agreements and Stock Option and Bonus Plans.
Board of Directors.
Other Shareholders, Rights, and Restrictions.
Supporting Professional Advisors and Services.

IX. SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPACT

Issues of Sustainability of the Venture.
Impact on the Environment.
Impact on the Community and Nation.