CS 503 Technology Entrepreneurship

Loyola University Chicago

Spring 2026

Summary

  • Course meets Tuesday from 1 - 2:15 PM in Mundelein 606
  • This is a graduate course intended to help PhD students engage in the process of technology commercialization.
  • The schedule on this page lists the topics we will cover by date.

Office Hours

Grading

  • Treat this course like a job where you are trying to get promoted. If you show up and do your work, you will get a good grade.
  • Each person will get five slop days to turn in assignments late. You can use up to two days per assignment.
  • No partial credit for code that does not compile.
    • Weekly Paper Reviews: 6 %
    • Weekly Discussion: 6 %
    • Case Study Presentation: 11 %
    • Elevator Pitch: 22 %
    • Final Paper Reviews: 11 %
    • Final Project: 44 %
    Percentage Letter Grade
    91+ A
    89-90 A-
    87-88 B+
    77-86 B
    75-76 B-
    73-74 C+
    62-72 C
    60-61 C-
    50-59 D
    Below 50 F

Scheduling Conflicts

  • If you have a (legitimate) scheduling conflict with a quiz or exam, it is possible to schedule a makeup session. You must let me know at least two weeks prior to the quiz/exam date. Legitimate scheduling conflicts include religious observances.
  • LUC's academic calendar can be found here.

Mandatory Reporter Statment

  • Each faculty and staff member at Loyola University Chicago is required to report any incidents of gender-based misconduct that they are made aware of, even if it happened in the past. Gender-based misconduct includes discrimination based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or pregnancy or parenting status; dating and domestic violence; sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation); and stalking.

Programming Resources

Collaboration

  • No collaboration is permitted on exams or quizzes.
  • Collaboration, but not copying, is encouraged on homework assignments. If you obtain a solution through research, e.g., in the library or online, cite your source completely and write up the solution in your own words.

Course Schedule

Tenative

Date Topic Details
Tue 01/13 Introduction
Tue 01/20 Developing the CEO Brain / Value Prop A Plan is not a Strategy
Case Study
Tue 01/27 Building Great Products Guest Speakers: Shea Lutton and Eric Harper of Tenary.AI
Assignment: Identify a Product you want to build. Make a short 2-3 slide presentation about your product.
  • One slide overview + value prop
  • One slide on the market. Who is the market? How big? Growth rate?
Case Study
Tue 02/03 Running User Interviews Assignment: Do 3 customer interviews.
Case Study
Tue 02/10 Pricing Case Study
Tue 02/17 Team & Execution Guest Speaker Kelly Klingensmith
Tue 02/24 Acquisitions/Exits Guest Speaker Eric Apfelbach
Tue 03/03 Legal & Accounting Case Study
Tue 03/10 Intellectual Property
Tue 03/17 How to Raise Money
Tue 03/24 How to Raise Money Elevator Pitch Competition
Tue 03/31 Competition is for Losers Case Study
Tue 04/07 Designing Hardware Case Study:
Tue 04/14 Sales & Marketing Case Study
Tue 04/21 Valuation/Mergers & Acquisitions