1. TechConnect
Spring 2014
WELCOME
Dr. Robert McNamee
Dr. Andrew Maxwell
Department of Strategic Management
Innovation & Entrepreneur Institute
Temple University

2. Todays Agenda
• 10:00 Welcome & Kickoff
• 10:20 Technology <> Jobs <> Needs Exercise*
• 12:30 Lunch
• 1:15 Value, Pains / Gains, Business Models Exercise*
• 3:25 Closing Remarks / Recap
• 3:45 Networking & Decompressing
*Exercise Format
10 minutes Exercise Setup Lecture
30 minutes Group Exercise
10 minutes Exercise Part II Lecture
50 minutes Group Exercise
30 minutes Group Presentations

3. Very few technologies (&
even less research) will be
commercialized
Crossing the Valley of Death
10 years
328 emerging firms
$250 million growth capital
Series-A Financing
[Post proof-of-concept;
signs of market adoption;
sometimes post revenue]
University
Technology
TechConnect,
Certificates, & IME MS
Some success in this space so far…
• $50k NSF I-Teams Grant
• 2013 BYOBB Two Finalists
• FMC ($53M in early stage funding)

4. Development Routes
Traditional Perspectives
• Technology Push
– Invention is pushed from R&D onto the market w/o proper
consideration to satisfying a user need
– There is no debate, this is highly unsuccessful
– Big reason that university technology is rarely commercialized
• Market Pull
– Recognition of a market need w/ consequent R&D to deliver
– However, customers frequently don’t know what they want

5. Transforming a technology
to a market culture

6. Development Routes
Contemporary Approaches
• Design Thinking [Inquiry]
– Approach to identify unstated / unrecognized customer needs
– Frequently via direct observation of behaviors
• ‘Good-pain’ & ‘The branded pleasure of Paris’
– Customer-centric Innovation is not a panacea
– Leads to homogeneity, lack of competitive advantage, etc…
– Leading firms (e.g., GE) shifting to build off of core capabilities
• Competency Trap
– Competencies (and past successes) frequently limit exploration
– Systematically exploring adjacencies is critical
– Willingness to disrupt yourself is vital

7. What is TechConnect?
• What TechConnect is?
– Applies a design thinking [inquiry] approach to build off of
technologies and competencies to recognize (diverge) and
prioritize (converge) applicable customer needs as well as
viable go-to-market paths and strategies
• What TechConnect is NOT?
– Not openly exploring customer needs or finding opportunities
– Not planning go-to-market strategies for products / services

8. TechConnect Goals
• Create a novel commercialization support process
– Rigorous process based on scientific evidence
– Achieve scale in translational grant proposals
• Transform participants thinking
– Influences technological trajectories
– Teach participants skills relevant to commercializing technology
• Builds relationships and community
– Between science & business (technologists & entrepreneurs)
– Between Temple & external partners
– Between academia, government, & corporate (tri-sector)
– Among universities throughout the region
• Transforms Temple’s culture
– To become more entrepreneurial / more translational

9. Thank you to our partners