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Assignments

Short Paper Requirements

  • These papers must not be longer than a maximum of 2,000 words, which is about four (4) pages long, excluding tables or figures.
  • 1.5 line spacing, 10 to 12 point font, with 1 inch or greater margins all round.
  • As we encourage the use of diagrams or graphical thinking, the word limit does not include any diagrams or figures.
  • If you submit a paper late without a good reason, your mark for that paper will be reduced by a simple sliding scale:
    • as of 9:00 am, an 8% discount, scaling the mark for that paper by 92%
    • thereafter an additional 4% per hour that the paper is late, so that a paper that is just over an hour late will be subject to a 12% discount, scaling the mark for that paper by 88%
    • as a result, a paper that is one day, twenty-four hours late will earn a zero mark

PAPER # PROMPTS DUE DATES
1. Technology innovation

Why is this technology and its domain interesting and important? What is it that makes it significant and worthy of focus?

What are the key parameters that characterize this technology? What are the key trade-offs inherent in this technology and the resulting performance envelope?

How have the key parameters evolved over time? What has been the innovation trajectory for this technology?

What are the key technologies with which it competes for potential applications? What are their advantages and disadvanatges?

How do you anticipate the key technologies in this domain are likely to evolve? Are they likely to be subject to "natural technological limits"?

 Lec #5
2. Demand opportunity

What are they key customer segments and potential applications for these technologies? What jobs can customers use it to get done?

How have customer needs evolved over time?

What are the key factors in diffusion and adoption in this domain now, and what do you anticipate that they will be in the future?

What strategies have been adopted to market products within this domain, and to drive adoption and diffusion?

 Lec #9
3. Life cycle and transitions

What stage of evolution is your technology and its domain now in, and what have been the episodes in its evolution over time?

Has a dominant design been established, and if so what characterizes it?

What are the objective parameters or metrics that characterize each stage in the life cycle or episode in its evolution, the type of technology, rate of technological change or innovation trajectory, rate of adoption or level of penetration, viable applications and usage patterns?

How have key players in this domain responded to its evolution?

 Lec #13
4. Business ecosystems and value capture

What are the key niches within the overall business ecosystem? Which are the key types of players and who are the leaders? Who shapes the evolution of the overall system and its architecture, and who plays a specialist or follower role?

What business models have worked, and which have failed?

How have the firms in this domain captured the value that has been created during each episode in the evolution of the domain?

 Lec #19

Final Paper and Presentation Requirements

  • The written paper must not be longer than 6,000 words, which is about 10-12 pages in length, excluding tables or figures
  • 1.5 spaced, 10 to 12 point font and 1 inch or greater margins.
  • You should also prepare a short presentation of up to 9 minutes duration, comprising an absolute maximum of 15 slides that provides a summary of your recommendations and the rationale for them.
  • Each team will present their recommendations in the final two classes.
  • Both the presentation and paper are due on Lec #24. If this final paper or the accompanying presentation is submitted late, the marks will be scaled on the following basis:
    • as of 9:00 am, a 16% discount, scaling the mark for that paper by 84%
    • thereafter an additional 8% per hour that the paper is late, so that a paper that is just over an hour late will be subject to a 24% discount, scaling the mark for that paper by 76%
    • as a result, a paper that is twelve hours late will earn a zero mark