BOOK WRITE-UPS

Required reading list. Students will be required to create a write-up for each book on the required reading list.

• In the Plex, Steven Levy
• The Everything Store, Brad Stone
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz

Description. Compose a write-up describing two novel, key ideas from the book: one that you would implement in your own startup and one that you would not implement in your own startup. Explain how these ideas served the company that the book is about, and give reasoning for why they are (or are not) a good fit for your startup. Be specific! You may find it helpful to analyze these ideas with respect to a startup your proposed in a class assignment, but this is not required. You could also describe how the ideas fit into your overall business philosophy, serve your goals, or relate to a sector that you would like to have a startup in. Submit your write-ups via Canvas.

• PDF format only
• Use the following file name format: COS448_Lastname_Firstname_FileDescription.pdf
• Include your full name and Princeton NetID in the write-up

Rubric. Grading will be based on the strength, depth, and clarity of your insights.

Clarity (total: 15 points)
6 pts  Writing quality is poor, sloppy, and careless. No real structure to the paper.
10 pts  Writing quality is good. Student attempted to structure the paper in a logical way. A few misspellings/grammar mistakes but not enough to be completely distracting.
15 pts  Writing quality is superb. The structure/logic is very clear and enhances the argument. Little to no grammar or misspelling mistakes. Paper is a joy to read.

Strength* (total: 15 points)
6 pts  Arguments are weak and unfounded.
10 pts  Arguments are supported by one or two examples but not enough to make a truly compelling argument.
15 pts  Arguments are supported by various specific examples. It is obvious the student put a lot of thought into constructing a solidly constructed argument.

Depth (total: 20 points)
8 pts  Observations are very shallow and/or obvious, i.e. "the book was very interesting"
14 pts  Student has a mix of both shallow and more insightful observations
20 pts  Student surprises and delights the reader with insightful observations. As a result, the student teaches the reader something new.

* When constructing well grounded arguments, it is customary (and expected) to look to the book for specific references/passages that support the claims you are making. Therefore, if you are lacking book references and/or page citations, your "strength" score will be hurt.

GUEST SPEAKER WRITE-UPS

Description. For each guest lecturer, there will be a write-up due. For guest lectures given on a Monday, it will be due at 5:00pm on Friday. For guest lectures given on Wednesday, it will be due at 5pm on Sunday. You will submit your write-ups via Google forms.

In an essay format, address the following points:

• What was the speaker's background, and how did it inform their perspective on entrepreneurship, innovation, and startups? (4 pts)
• What are (up to) three useful things that you learned from this speaker that you didn't know before, or that you hadn't thought about much before, and that you think you are likely to carry with you going forward? (4 pts)
• What surprised you most? (3 pts)
• What did you like most about the speaker? (2 pts)
• What did you not like most about the speaker? (2 pts)
• Do you think we should invite this speaker back in future semesters? Please include a score between 1 (definitely do not invite again) and 5 (definitely invite again) and briefly explain why. (-1 pts if not answered)

Feel free to include multiple observations for each bullet point. There is no length requirement for the write-up, but ensure that you address all of the points.

• Google forms only
• Include your full name and Princeton NetID in the write-up