This document discusses the vision and values of entrepreneurship at the Founder Institute. It provides an overview of the stages an entrepreneur goes through at the Institute, from idea generation to graduation. The bulk of the document focuses on defining the essence of an idea, explaining that an idea must provide value to humans by addressing at least one element of human progress or happiness, such as superpowers, disruption, association, aspiration, protection or escape. An idea is defined by how it will be implemented, what human problem or purpose it addresses, and why it increases human happiness. Successful ideas anticipate future sources of happiness and either discover or propose new means of fulfilling human needs.

1. VISION
&
VALUES
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
BOUND
RICARDO
DOS
SANTOS
FOUNDER
INSTITUTE
OCT
2012

2. CONTEXT
FOUNDER
INSTITUTE
START
GRADUATION
IDEA
GENERATION
IDEA
RESEARCH
&
DEVELOPMENT
IDEA
PRESENTATION
• VISION
&
VALUES
• FEASIBILITY:
ENG’G
&
DESIGN
THINKING
• DISTILLING
• HYPOTHESIS
• DESIRABILITY:
CUSTOMER
DEVELOPMENT
• ORGANIZING
• KNOWN/UNKNOWN
• VIABILITY:
COMPETITIVE
POSITIONING
• PITCHING

3. VISION
&
VALUES
TODAY’S
AGENDA
ESSENCE
OF
AN
IDEA
WHAT
YOU’RE
REALLY
SELLING
YOUR
HYPOTHESIS

4. ESSENCE
OF
AN
IDEA
WHAT
YOU’RE
REALLY
SELLING

5. WHO
WAS
THE
1ST
ENTREPRENEUR?
HINT:
HAD
THE
MOTHER
OF
ALL
IDEAS

6. WHO
WAS
THE
1ST
ENTREPRENEUR?
HINT:
HAD
THE
MOTHER
OF
ALL
IDEAS
PROMETHEUS
GAVE
MAN
A
TECHNOLOGY
SUFFERED
GREATLY
FOR
IT

7. EVERY
IDEA
IS
A
TECHNOLOGY
MEANS
TO
A
HUMAN
PURPOSE
HOW
WHAT

8. SILLY
EXAMPLE
HOW
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
BRIDGE
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER

9. SILLY
EXAMPLE
HOW
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
BRIDGE
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
TUNNEL
I
WANT
TO
START
A
FERRY
SRVC
I
WANNA
PLACE
A
GIANT
TRAMPOLIN
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER

10. 10

11. SILLY
EXAMPLE
HOW
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
BRIDGE
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
GORGE
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
HWY

12. SILLY
EXAMPLE
HOW
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
BRIDGE
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER
WHY

13. ESSENCE
OF
AN
IDEA
WHAT
YOU’RE
REALLY
SELLING

14. WHICH
IDEAS
MATTER?
THOSE
THAT
INCREASE
HUMAN
PROGRESS
AKA
HAPPINESS

15. HOW
IDEAS
MATTER
GIVE
MAN
ONE
OF
THE
FOLLOWING
KEYS
TO
PROGRESS/HAPPINESS:
SUPERPOWERS
DISRUPTION
ASSOCIATION
ASPIRATION
PROTECTION
ESCAPE

16. PROMETHEUS’
FIRE
=
PROGRESS
SUPERPOWERS:
HOT
FOOD
&
HEALTH
ASSOCIATION:
CAMP
FIRE
STORYTELLING
PROTECTION:
WEAPON,
HOMEOSTASIS

17. SILLY
EXAMPLE
HOW
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
TUNNEL
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER
WHY
ZIP
OVER
TO
THE
CITY
SUPERPOWER
HOW
I
WANT
TO
START
A
FERRY
SRVC
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER
WHY
CHEAPER
COMMUTE
ALTR’VE
DISRUPTION
HOW
I
WANNA
PLACE
A
TRAMPOLIN
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ON
THE
RIVER
WHY
PURELY
FOR
FUN
ESCAPISM

18. SILLY
EXAMPLE
#2
HOW
MOUTH
STRIPS
WHAT
HEAL
PIZZA
BURNS
WHY
U’RE
EXTREMELY
IMPATIENT?
SUPERPOWER
HOW
TAKEOUT
WHAT
HOOTERS
WHY
U
LIKE
THE
FOOD?
STUPIDITY

19. BUSINESS
IDEAS
NEED
ONLY
1
ELEMENT
OF
HAPPINESS
SUPERPOWERS
ASSOCIATION
PROTECTION

20. BUSINESS
IDEAS
NEED
ONLY
1
ELEMENT
OF
HAPPINESS
DISRUPTION
ASPIRATION
ESCAPISM

21. WHERE
WOULD
YOU
PLACE
THESE
CELLPHONE
GIANTS?
SUPERPOWERS
DISRUPTION
ASSOCIATION
ASPIRATION

22. WHERE
WOULD
YOU
PLACE
THESE
CELLPHONE
GIANTS?
Nokia
seems
to
want
to
compete
w/
Android
for
Superpowers
but
MS
wants
to
?
Disrupt
Android
w/
faster
access
to
apps/
info
(encourage
users
to
less
Sme
w/
the
phone,
and
get
back
to
the
PC?)
Is
this
really
a
good
marriage?
SUPERPOWERS
DISRUPTION
Disrupted
the
PC,
but
now
what?
ASSOCIATION
ASPIRATION

23. WHERE
WOULD
YOU
PLACE
THE
FOUNDER
INSTITUTE
THE IDEA:
PART TIME VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TO HELP HUMANS START A COMPANY
HOW WHAT
WHAT ARE WE SELLING (WHY ARE YOU HERE)?:
SUPERPOWERS
DISRUPTION
ASSOCIATION
ASPIRATION
PROTECTION
ESCAPE

24. WHERE
WOULD
YOU
PLACE
THE
FOUNDER
INSTITUTE
THE IDEA:
PART TIME VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TO HELP HUMANS START A COMPANY
HOW WHAT
WHAT ARE WE SELLING (WHY ARE YOU HERE)?:
SUPERPOWERS
DISRUPTION
ASSOCIATION
ASPIRATION
✔
PROTECTION
ESCAPE
To
have
his
path
made
clear
for
him
is
the
aspiraJon
of
every
human
being
in
our
beclouded
and
tempestuous
existence.
The
Mirror
of
the
Sea
by
Conrad,
Joseph

25. IN
SUMMARY
YOU’RE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
BOUND
WHEN:
HOW
MEANS
THE
PROPRIETARY
WHAT
THE
WORTHY
MISSION
WHY
THE
DEEP
VALUE
PROPOSITION
WHEN
FORESIGHT
(WHY
NOW)

26. GO
START
A
FIRE!

27. THANK
YOU
RICARDO
DOS
SANTOS
RICARDO_DOSSANTOS@ALUM.MIT.EDU

28. APPENDIX
TIMING
OF
AN
IDEA
COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS

29. WHICH
IDEAS
GET
FUNDED?
THEY
ARE
THE
BEST
MEANS
FOR
THE
PURPOSE
OR
THE
MEANS
FOR
THE
BEST
PURPOSE
THEY
ALSO
ANSWER
THE
WHY
(HOW
THEY
FULLFILL
HUMAN
HAPPINESS)
…BUT
THAT’S
STILL
NOT
ENOUGH!

30. WHY
IS
THIS
STUFF
STILL
SO
DIFFICULT?

31. WHAT
SET
PROMETHEUS
APART?
FORESIGHT

32. IDEAS
THAT
GET
FUNDED
ANTICIPATE
THE
NEXT
SOURCE
OF
HAPPINESS
YOU
DISCOVER
IT
OR
YOU
PROPOSE
IT
HAS
TO
BE
WITHIN
THE
ADJACENT
POSSIBLE

33. THE
ADJACENT
POSSIBLE
TODAY
WHAT’s
NEXT

34. SILLY
EXAMPLE
HOW
I
WANT
TO
BUILD
A
BRIDGE
WHAT
TO
GET
HUMANS
ACROSS
THE
RIVER
WHY
TO
SAVE
1
HR
COMMUTE
TIME
WHEN
OTHER
BRIDGE
IS
NEAR
SATURATED

35. TIMING
OF
AN
IDEA
COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS

36. COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS
#1
YOU’RE
A
VISIONAIRE
IF
YOU
HAVE
AN
IMAGINATIVE
IDEA
AND
WORTHY
MISSION
YOU’RE
A
VISIONAIRE
IF
YOU
ANTICIPATE
A
SOURCE
OF
UNHAPPINESS
AND
FIX
IT

37. COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS
#2
VC’S
FUND
MOONSHOOTS
VC’S
FUND
THE
SECOND
TRIP
TO
THE
MOON
-­‐
VISIONAIRES
FUND
THE
FIRST

38. COMMON
MISCONCEPTION
#3
VISIONAIRES
ONLY
FUND
SOCIAL
CAUSES
THEY
FUND
ANYTHING
THAT
THEY
FEEL
MAKES
HUMANS
HAPPY
LIKE
PROMETHEUS,
THEY’RE
WILLING
TO
SUFFER,
JUST
A
LITTLE
LESS
THAN
YOU

39. COMMON
MISCONCEPTION
#4
THE
PURPOSE
OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IS
TO
GET
RICH
THE
PURPOSE
IS
TO
CREATE
SOMETHING
THAT
MAKES
HUMANS
HAPPY
YOU’LL
SUFFER
PLENTY
LONG
BEFORE
YOU
GET
RICH
–
THE
TRICK
IS
NOT
MINDING
THAT
IT
HURTS