This article, and another entitled, “How a Canadian Whiz kid plans to upend the smartphone market” (Shane Dingman, February 17, 2015), are case studies of early-stage companies.

Appropriate Subject Area(s):

Entrepreneurship, business management, opportunity identification, marketing, economics, location

Key Questions to Explore:

• What factors contribute to an entrepreneur’s success?

Introduction to lesson and task:

This lesson explores the similarities and differences between two early-stage companies. It is designed to work in conjunction with the lesson plan entitled

‘Toronto Publisher Joe Books finds success in film, TV tie-in deals’, also posted this month.

Action (lesson plan and task):

• Divide the class in two.
• Give half the class the article on Balzac’s coffee and the other half the article on the Smartphone for reading.
• Pair students who have read the same article and have them discuss the following:
  • Factors that have given rise to success so far
  • Financial model to launch and grow the venture
  • Entrepreneur’s philosophy about startup and growth
  • Entrepreneur’s vision
  • Combine pairs by bringing pairs that have read different articles together.
  • In these combined pairs, have each group describe the entrepreneur and venture they read about.

Consolidation of Learning:

• Compare the factors that contributed to the success of these two entrepreneurs to factors in cases you have previously discussed in class. Are there any unique factors here?

Success Criteria:

• Students are able to identify factors that contribute to the success of a venture.

Confirming Activity:

• If you have not already dealt with it, move on to the other lesson on entrepreneurship which is linked to above.