New venture simulation : the food truck challenge
In this online simulation, students try to run a successful food truck in the city of Boomtown. Students work individually or in teams to achieve maximum revenue over 5 simulated weeks and win the "Food Truck Challenge." In each round, students make decisions about where to park and what menu item to offer in hopes of finding the best menu-location combination and yielding the highest sales. They begin by analyzing market data and making a plan, but must then decide whether to a.) go to scale right away with the food truck b.) conduct further research and analysis, or c.) experiment with a low-capacity pushcart. In the class debrief, students discuss the trade-offs between analysis, experimentation, and scale.
This simulation teaches students about the value of learning by doing, prototyping, and willingness to fail. It is ideal for discussions of innovation, product development, design thinking, lean start-up, entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, and organisational learning.
Timing and logistics
The simulation can be played in a concentrated 1 hour session including the orientation and debrief; or may be stretched out over a longer period of time.
The session may be held entirely online or conducted in a classroom setting.
Pricing
Pricing is at £75 per student which includes the Harvard registration cost. A minimum of 3 students and a maximum of 30 for any session.
To arrange a workshop for your organisation or obtain more information, please contact us at info@mashauri.org .
Innovation marketing simulation: crossing the chasm
A hands-on simulation for students providing a never-to-be-forgotten learning experience. Sourced from Harvard Education and the Chasm Institute; and hosted by Mashauri.
Many new products and ventures fail in the marketplace. One reason for this is that most innovations fail to make a mark in the mainstream market. This simulation allows students to experience the frustrations and challenges of taking a disruptive innovation
from initial success with early adopters to widespread adoption by the mainstream market. Said transition has been termed as "crossing the chasm" by Geoffrey A. Moore, and is the foundational framework for the simulation. Students play the role of
a self-driving vehicle technology firm that has garnered significant attention from the early adopter market but is struggling to break in to the mainstream market. Investors are now looking for exponential growth through mainstream adoption. Students
will be tasked to assess the market segments that have shown interest in self-driving vehicles (SDVs), develop the appropriate product solution for their selected segments, and achieve the growth promised by their technology. In short, students must
find a way to successfully "cross the chasm."
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Learning objectives
- Understand and experience the discontinuity (chasm) between the early adopter and mainstream markets in the adoption of a disruptive innovation
- Discover how innovations can attain widespread adoption through a strategy that successfully bridges the early adopter and early majority markets
- Learn to ascertain the appropriate target market segments for mainstream adoption using limited, qualitative data
- Overcome the tendency to follow the conservative strategy of spreading the risks to multiple markets, and pursue the high-risk strategy of focusing on one segment
- Realize the importance of completely satisfying the needs of the selected target segment with a whole product solution
- Recognize the long-term benefit of persisting with and dominating one segment to achieve the end goal of success in adjacent segments (bowling pin effect)
Timing and logistics
The simulation can be played in a concentrated 2 hour session including the orientation and debrief; or may be stretched out over a longer period of time.
The session may be held entirely online or conducted in a classroom setting.
There are 3 parts to the course
- An orientation to the self-driving vehicle industry and the student's role in the simulation (as CEO of a funded, self-driving vehicle technology firm).
- The simulation itself that takes place over 4 years where market opportunities are assessed, strategic investment and market approach decisions are made and results are presented year by year.
- A debrief where results are analysed, theory and cases are presented (videos and presentation) and an interactive discussion is held (in class or via a webinar) where learnings are teased out and conclusions drawn.
Pricing
Pricing is at £75 per student which includes the Harvard registration cost. A minimum of 3 students and a maximum of 30 for any session.
To request a workshop for your organisation or to obtain more information, please contact us at info@mashauri.org.
To obtain a free ebook on best practices in running entrepreneur simulations - complete the request form below
Designing and evaluating business models
Using a Harvard Business case study as the core, together with top quality, engaging educational material, participants:
- learn about the business model canvas and how it is used
- understand the key elements of the canvas and the interplay between them
- get exposure to alternative business model tools (the lean canvas, the social impact canvas)
- review revenue models and when they are appropriate
- undertake a case study (based on a real situation) where they use the business model canvas to evaluate 3 approaches to launching a mental health application
- selecting their choice of model with rationale
- review the alternatives
- see what happened in the real situation
This program can be run by individuals or in teams (preferably). It requires about 3 hours of pre-work and then a 4 hour session where they work through the case and obtain feedback. The latter may be run in a classroom or remotely over Zoom (or similar).
Pricing
Pricing is at £95 per student which includes the Harvard registration cost. A minimum of 3 students and a maximum of 30 for any session.
To request a business model evaluation event for your organisation or to obtain more information, please contact us at info@mashauri.org.
To obtain a free ebook on best practices in running entrepreneur simulations - complete the request form below
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Entrepreneur simulation: the startup game
Developed by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The simulation is designed for class groups of 20 to 86 students.
This multi-player simulation places students into a variety of roles that explore the chaos and excitement of starting a new company. Students role-play as founders, investors, and potential employees who must deal with the many complexities of negotiating deals, finding the right staffing mix, building relationships, and making critical early decisions that affect the chances of long-term success.
Participants prepare in advance for their roles before forming teams and launching their exploratory or exploitative ventures amid intense competition. Developed by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the simulation is designed to mirror a true startup experience: it is chaotic and complicated, and students must figure out optimal strategies for success, with limited information, over the course of the game.
The Entrepreneurship Simulation: The Startup Game tracks players along a variety of dimensions that lead to startup success, including the interaction between hiring and strategy, the trade-off between control and wealth, the skills needed to run a company, and the valuations that startups receive. It provides interactive scoreboards for instructors to use during class debrief and includes video interviews with Warby Parker visionary Neil Blumenthal, venture capitalist Josh Kopelman, and Bruce Brownstein, one of eBay's first hires.
The Teaching Note provides guidance on running effective class debriefs. Developed by professor and former entrepreneur Ethan Mollick, the Entrepreneurship Simulation: The Startup Game is one of The Wharton School's most popular simulations. The simulation can serve as an introduction or capstone to any entrepreneurship class. The simulation is playable only by class groups of 20-86 students.
Learning Objective
1. Exploration of entrepreneurial strategies, focusing on valuation, determining an appropriate employee mix, matching strategies to early HR practices, and equity retention;
2. Illustrate the dynamics involved in a startup and the qualities that separate a success from a failure;
3. Exercise strategic planning, hiring practices, growth management, creative problem solving and analytical skill sets, and negotiation tactics in a competitive environment;
4. Provides an introduction or capstone to classes on entrepreneurship by exposing students to some of the complexity of entrepreneurial management.
Timing and logistics
The simulation can be played in a highly active session from 3 to 5 hours, including the orientation and debrief.
The session may be held online although it is best conducted in a classroom session.
Pricing
Pricing is at £75 per student which includes the Harvard registration cost. A minimum of 3 students and a maximum of 30 for any session.
To request a workshop for your organisation or to obtain more information, please contact us at info@mashauri.org.