NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

DAMORE-MCKIM SCHOOL of BUSINESS

SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Prof. Stephen Golden
305A Hayden Hall
E-mail: s.golden@neu.edu
Class: W 5:20 7:20PM, 130 Dodge

TECE 6250
Phone: 617-851-5532
Office hours: by appointment

TECE 6250: TECHNOLOGY-BASED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Catalogue Course Description
This course covers the intersection of product development and entrepreneurship. Specifically,
how small technical teams can quickly investigate opportunity spaces, develop and select
concepts, and translate these into prototypes. Other topics will include industrial design,
managing product teams, prototyping, and commercialization your design. The course will also
explore the differences in product development between physical products, IT, bio and
nanotechnology.
Course Overview
This course will explore the challenges and solutions to managing a technology-based start-up.
The course will be a mix of research topics, cases, and hands-on learning. Where possible, guest
lecturers will be used to illustrate the lessons. The main deliverable will be a product design
study.
Required Readings
Product Design and Development, Ulrich and Eppinger, 2011 (or any after the 3rd edition).
Readings posted on Blackboard.
Course Grading and Evaluation
Short written assignments and exercises
Case preparation and presentation
Mid-term
Product Design Project
Participation
Peer Evaluations

10%
20%
20%
30%
15%
5%

1. Grading. All assignments and quizzes will be graded on a 1 10 scale, with 10 being
equal to a 100 or A. Final paper and presentation will be graded on the standard A,
B, C scale.

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2. Late assignments will not be accepted without approval of the instructor. If you
are unable to turn in an assignment on time, you must contact an instructor, prior to
the assignment deadline.
3. All written assignments will be double-spaced, in size 12pt. font with 1 margins.
4. Written case studies will be no longer than 3 pages in length, beginning with a 0.5
page Executive Summary of your findings and recommendations.
Grading Scale

Percentage

Grade

93-100

A-

90-92.9

B+

87-89.9

83-86.9

B-

80-82.9

C+

77-79.9

73-76.9

C-

70-72.9

60-69.9

59.9 or Below

Academic Integrity
Honesty and integrity are key elements of good marketing, and are specifically detailed in the
American Marketing Associations code of ethics. Northeastern University (NEU) is similarly
committed to the principles of intellectual honesty and integrity. All members of NEU are
expected to maintain complete honesty in all academic work, presenting only that which is their
own work in tests and assignments. All students are expected to abide by NEUs policies and
code of student conduct. If you have any questions regarding the proper attribution of the work
of others, contact your facilitator prior to submitting the work for evaluation. To view NEUs
student code of conduct and academic policies, visit the following Web site:
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Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution - http://www.osccr.neu.edu/

Functional Information
Much of the work in this course is team-based. Periodic peer (team) evaluations will be
collected throughout the semester. Each team member will receive 5% of the overall course
grade based on these evaluations. It is important that all team members keep a factual log of
project related events.
Class attendance is required. If you are unable to attend class you must notify the instructor as
soon as possible, and prior to the class if at all possible. The notification should include the
reason for the absence.
Blackboard will be used when possible to post and distribute class information.
Cases should be individually prepared, double-spaced, not exceeding 3 pages in length. All cases
should have a short executive summary (in addition to the three page analysis) that succinctly
states the case issues, recommendations, and justification for the recommendation.
Homework specified is due the following class period unless otherwise noted this schedule is
subject to change.
Course Schedule
PRIOR TO FIRST CLASS:
Submit a one page MS Word Personal Biography document via email to include
(a) personal background, (2) education and training (3) personal passions and (4)
why your end goal is for taking this course
Watch the Delorean Spyder Crash BBC Documentary

Week 1 (1/15):

Introduction, Overview, and Project Management

Topics:

Course introduction and orientation

Overview: New Product Development and Project Management
Class activity: Delorean Spyder Crash video, background

Homework:

Project management assignment (Altair Action Plan, Gantt chart due 1/29)
Read JPIM (Marion & Meyer) paper
Text Chapter 1-2

Week 2 (1/22) Physical Devices

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Topics:

Traditional development (Stage gates example from the auto industry)

Global New Product Development
PaperPro 3000 Case
Design firms and successes
Class activity: Project Management discussion

Readings required for class:

PaperPro case
Homework:

PaperPro Case and Questions

Read Attivio Case
Team technology investigations in preparation for Mass Art session on 2/5

Week 3 (1/29):
Location:

IT, Computers and Software Development

Northeastern
Topics:
Software development
Agile methodologies
Leanstart-up
Activity: Attivio case discussion

Readings required for class:

Attivio Case
Homework:

Week 4 (2/5):

Attivio Case Questions

Discussion Board posting

Introduction to Mass Art

Location:

Mass Art

Topics:

Understanding creativity, innovation, and technology

Tour of Mass Art
IDEO Video
Mass Art meet and greet, Pizza
Activity: Final team formation, brainstorming, class ideas, and opportunity space
mapping

Readings required for class: Posted on Blackboard

Homework:

Read IDEO and Apple Case

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IDEO Handspring Case Questions

Opportunity Space presentations due on 2/26

Week 5 (2/12):

Design and New Ventures

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

IDEO Case discussion

Readings required for class:

IDEO and Apple Case
Homework:

Adnexus and Agiltron Case and Questions

Week 6 (2/19):

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Biotechnology development process

FDA approval
Technology background
Current status
Future applications
Class activity: Case discussion
Group mentoring

Readings required for class:

Adnexus Case
Agiltron Case
Homework:

Work on Opportunity Ideation Presentations

Week 7 (2/26):

Opportunity Ideation Presentations

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Presentation of Potential Concepts

Selection of 1 Concept

Readings required for class:

Text Chapter 3-7
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Homework:

3-5 leading concepts (due 3/19)

Concept selection matrix (due 3/19)
Identification of Resources: EE, ME, Software

Week 8 (3/12):

Outsourcing

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Outsourcing: why, when, where, and how?

Finding resources
Class activity: Team mentoring and review of concepts
Select top concept (long in-class mentoring session)
Learning Activities: Preliminary Specification Targets

Readings required for class:

Text Chapter 3-7
Homework:

Revised concepts, begin engineering and technology development

Identification of Resources: EE, ME, Software
Preliminary product specification
Read text Chapters 9 and 11

Week 9 (3/19):

Lab work session at NEU

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Mid-term
Design refinement
Engineering and prototyping
Class activity: review refined concepts

Readings required for class:

Text Chapter 9 and 11
Homework:

Detailed product design begins (refined drawings of concept, including ISO

views). These are due 4/2.
Read text Chapter 12
Review Blackboard TRIZ information

Week 10 (3/26):

Tools to help NPD

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Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Product architecture and product platforms

Presentation: TRIZ in action (including EMS diagrams)
Platform examples and techniques, discussion of interfaces

Readings required for class:

Text Chapter 12
TRIZ information
Homework:

Foam mock-up refinement (due no later than 4/9)

Preliminary product specification (due 4/9)
Read Chapter 13

Week 11 (4/2):

Manufacturing and Operations

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Manufacturing set-up and operations

Class activity: IF presentation
Team mentoring: review of project progress

Readings required for class:

Text Chapter 13
Homework:

Manufacturing case questions (due 4/16)

Detailed product sketches (due 4/16)
Post/sort/review RFQ posting (4/16)

Week 12 (4/9):

Costs and Budgeting

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Cost estimation
Tools f or budgeting

Readings required for class:

Posted on Blackboard
Homework:

Tooling estimation and BOM (due 4/16)

Kick-off Mechanical Design (CAD) and EE (must be in-process no later than
4/16)
Design refinement (4/16)

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Week 13 (TBD):

Finding Resources, R&D Budgets, Timelines, and launch

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Funding sources
Product launch issues
Sales and marketing
Class activity: SBA Speaker

Readings required for class:

Posted on Blackboard
Homework:

Update on outside resources (4/16 in-class during mentoring)

Revised M/E CAD (due 4/16)
Kick-off SLA prototype (due 4/16)
Kick-off circuit fabrication (due 4/16)
Finalize Web and software components (due 4/16)

Week 14 (4/16):

Sales and Supply Chain Management

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Sales
Business models
Supply Chain Management

Readings required for class:

Posted on Blackboard
Homework:

Receive all prototypes (review in-class). These are due no later than 4/23.
Assemble and finish prototypes and testing (due 4/23)
Prepare presentation (due 4/23)

Week 15 (4/23):

Final Presentations

Location:

Northeastern

Topics:

Presentations to STE faculty and outside panelists

Course wrap-up

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Readings required for class:

None
Homework:

Hand-in presentation materials and prototypes

Hand-in peer evaluations

Instructor Biography
Mr. Golden is a seasoned product marketer and small business owner with an undergraduate
degree in finance from Stonehill College, an MBA from Suffolk University and post graduate
work in International Marketing at Kellogg. In his consumer products career he has been
responsible for the launch of over 200 products into the mass retail channel, including several
award winners. Golden holds several patents on consumer products, has extensive product
design and development experience in Asia and is currently designing and developing products
for major mass retailers including Best Buy, Radio Shack, Staples and Wal-Mart through his
company, North River Consumer Products, LLC. Golden is an Adjunct Professor at Northeastern
University's School of Technological Entrepreneurship specializing in product development,
innovation, and entrepreneurship. He also lectures at Suffolk University in the Entrepreneurship
Launch Tract.

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