Learn how to make intelligent, skin-in-the-game decisions from data, learn & develop in a world dominated by uncertainty, while leveraging access to data & technology (don’t worry, we will only use spreadsheets in this class. If you want to master data-driven code, use my Data Science Survival kit, all content is free there). We have only 6 classes, yet a lot to cover. Each class will focus on one profession that crucially relies on data, their goals, the analytics methods they rely on, and data structures they use.

The course is oriented towards those who are or will be users, rather than preparers, of accounting information. Overall, the goal of the course is to provide students with a set of skills that can be used to read and analyze financial statements, and a set of tools that can be used to value companies and projects. This first part of the course provides a brief introduction and review of financial accounting focusing on the content and structure of the financial statements. The second part of the course will focus on financial statement analysis and valuation. This part provides theoretical and practical tools to analyze financial information, primarily information in the financial statements, for investment decisions. The primary focus is on equity (share) valuation and project valuation, where the goal is to provide you the tools that will help you to determine whether or not to invest in a certain project or company. The course would focus on accounting based valuation models, with emphasis on the residual income model and its variants. The main topics of the second part of the course include accounting valuation models, comparison of these models with discounted cash flows model, analysis of profitability, adjustment of the financial statements to accurately reflect the operating and financing aspects of the business, forecasting earnings and cash flows, understanding of the P/E and M/B ratios, understanding the information incorporated in prices and challenging these prices, and more.

Human Resources for new ventures The course will address key aspects of Human Resources (HR) for new ventures. Students will be introduced to theoretical frameworks and real life examples/case studies. They will identify and learn to consider the role of Human Resources function, in particular with new ventures and emerging businesses and the human factors that impact on organizational performance. Furthermore, students will learn on key HR issues/concepts that are critical for managing and leading in such environments (eg Motivation/rewards, x-culture communication, Organizational Design, organizational life cycle and implications for HR). At the same time, they will develop self – awareness personal effectiveness (eg influencing without authority). There are six interactive sessions which combines theoretical input, case studies and discussion on key emerging topics for HR. The overall course takes an interdisciplinary approach drawing on perspectives from; Psychology, Sociology, Organizational Development, leadership and management. Students will be provided with relevant reading in advance of each session.

This course provides a general overview on the Israeli high tech industry. The course focuses on legal aspects of high tech companies, such as financial investments, mergers and acquisitions, tax and IP aspects, venture capital funds, labor law and different funding opportunities (crowd funding and the innovation authority grants).

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to understand:

1. How the Israeli high tech industry works.
2. The process of incorporating a company and the different types of funding in the high tech industry.
3. How to implement tax law, labor law, as well as other aspects, as a manager of a high tech company.

This course is designed to teach students several systematic creative problems solving methodologies that complement other managerial tools acquired in undergraduate and graduate studies. These methodologies are appropriately implemented when a decision has been made to search for a creative solution. The course offers students the opportunity to learn how to solve problems, identify opportunities, and generate those elusive ideas that potentially generate enormous benefits to organizations with a very small investment. This course will focus on new product ideation and creative marketing actions. We will also touch upon communications and dilemma resolution.

In a business setting, effective communications play a central role. This includes crafting a compelling message, learning to adjust to audiences, having a strong presence and connection to the material and the audience and more. During the course, students will learn to develop and incorporate High Impact Communications Tools and proficiencies. We will learn what makes a great talk, what are both the crafting and the delivery elements that make an impactful TED talk, startup pitch, among others. Using methods from theater, coaching and feedback, skill building and practice, we will take communication and presentations of the students to the next level of effectiveness.

This course covers quantitative marketing methodologies and tools that assist in analyzing new products markets. Topics include: analysis of consumer behavior at the individual level; market analysis at the aggregate level; and market sizing/demand forecasting methods. The empirical evidence generated by the tools is often presented in pitching a new venture. The course will be most beneficial to participants who are interested in new product opportunities and have already been exposed to some basic data analysis courses.

We address managing and valuing new products in various industries, with special attention given to the entertainment, media and technology business. We examine the notion of disruptive innovations such as the USB PD, and ask the question: To whom exactly are they disruptive? We demonstrate the power of social interactions in social networks, and why these interactions are responsible for the fact that growth of new products is a slow process, even for successful products such as portable navigation systems. We ask whether Microsoft paid too much for Skype (a memorable $8.5 billion); we compute the value of SiriusXM satellite radio’s customers; gain insight into why main market consumers aren’t impressed with early-market technophiles in categories such as video game consoles; explain why network goods are even slower to grow, and demonstrate the fact that technological substitution is not getting faster, despite our perceptions of the generational shift between the adopters of portable CD players in the 1980s and the subsequent generation of MP3 adopters.

The main question that this course focuses on is how firms can earn larger net revenues than other firms for long periods of time (or alternatively – how can firms sustain their competitive advantage). The course deals with the strategy of the single business unit. It deals with the shaping and the execution of strategic moves and the strategic management of businesses in changing, competitive and uncertain environments. It treats the issues of business strategies from the firm's top management perspective including: an analysis of the competitive environment, firm resources and capabilities, generic strategies and growth strategies.

Online marketing is becoming more and more dominant in companies' business plans. Successful marketing managers and high-ranking executives have to be fluent in all online sales & marketing channels, in order to properly manage marketing professionals, set goals and execute marketing plans. This course is a prerequisite for a Chief Marketing Officer position and up.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Perform an extensive online market analysis and draw conclusions.
• Understand the different online marketing channels available and match them to a company's specific needs.
• Design a balanced online marketing plan and determine measurable goals.
• Execute an online marketing plan as an in-house / outsource operation.
• Manage and measure progress and performance of different online marketing channels.
• Implement a solid decision-making process based on acquired online marketing frameworks.

This course will not train it's attendance for a specific specialist position such as SEO analyst or a PPC manager, but it will clearly outline the different units' building blocks needed to make decisions and supervise projects under the online marketing & sales scope. By examining each marketing channel to its depth, and by practicing a "hands-on" approach, the student will learn the "language of online marketing", and will be able to better define and communicate his objectives to online marketing professionals. The students will be exposed to real concurrent data from some of the largest online marketing accounts active today, and will practice real time case studies for domestic & international marketing campaigns.

The Practicum plan is the practical section of the studies in which students work in companies and get some in field experience.

In the past decades, technology has profoundly transformed every aspect of our lives: from our consumption habits to our work practices, from how we communicate, to how we fight wars. The pressure to stay ahead by innovating is immense. But there is a price: the ever-accelerating pace of innovation opens up a plethora of utterly new and unfamiliar ethical quandaries. Readings involve controversial case studies, insights from experimental psychology and economics, and a brief introduction to some relevant philosophy. Through class exercises, rigorous discussion, role-play and directed personal reflection, you will clarify your own ethical stance, think through ethical dilemmas, practice articulating recommendations compellingly, discover the diversity of ethical view points, and find out how to avoid the social and cognitive pitfalls that come in the way of ethical leadership.

“Get to know your organization” is more than a slogan; it’s a must. In today’s dynamic, competitive and globalize world, each employee and manager must know the organization in which he or she operates. Organizational Behavior is a science, which focuses on the human dimension in the workplace. Every organization which aspires to excellence must recognize, operate and invest in one of the most important resource – the human resource, since this resource is it’s added advantage over the competitors. In the course we will learn theories and research that focus on the human dimension in the workplace. We will learn what does it take to reach goals and employees' job satisfaction.

Dominant Strategies, or when it is possible to disregard competitors; Strategic Dominance Relationship; Strategic Equilibrium; Auctions; Incentives; Dynamic Competition; Stable Matching in Two-Sided Markets.

This Financial Management course is concerned with time value of money, securities valuation under certainty, and firms’ investment decisions. We will begin our journey into the exciting world of Financial Management by reviewing present value concepts and calculation methods, and other time value of money issues. This will provide us with the necessary tools and understanding to study capital budgeting and security valuation. In the end of the course, I expect students to have a thorough understanding of the issues associated with the timing of cash flows and to master the necessary analytical techniques involved. I also expect students to know how to evaluate bonds, stocks and investment projects.

In this course students will learn product innovation methodologies from the field of User Experience (UX) and product design. We In this course students will learn product innovation methodologies from the field of User Experience (UX) and product design. We will start with an introduction to the field of HCI and UX, continue with need-finding methods such as experience sampling and interviews, present initial findings in class, and learn how to invent and design product solutions using UX techniques. In addition, students will learn how to conduct user testing for an early stage prototype, to generate insights about the future product. We will conclude with final presentation in class, and a discussion on the next steps from a prototype to MVP and product road map. Will start with an introduction to the field of HCI and UX, continue with need-finding methods such as experience sampling and interviews, present initial findings in class, and learn how to invent and design product solutions using UX techniques. In addition, students will learn how to conduct user testing for an early stage prototype, to generate insights about the future product. We will conclude with final presentation in class, and a discussion on the next steps from a prototype to MVP and product road map.

Innovations generate a range of new business opportunities: they can be applied to create different offerings that address the needs of different types of customers. In this hands-on course, we will learn how to identify and evaluate business opportunities stemming from an innovative technology, so that we can chose a promising strategic focus.

The goal of this course is threefold:

1. To understand the process of opportunity identification and evaluation in the context of new technologies;
2. To acquire a practical business tool (the Market Opportunity Navigator) for identifying, evaluating and prioritizing market opportunities for an innovation;
3. To apply this know-how on real inventions, and gain hands-on experience in this critical choice.

During the entire course, students will work in teams on the strategic aspects of a real startup. In particular, you will be asked to identify multiple opportunities for the venture's technology, and to evaluate these opportunities, so that the innovation can be targeted to the most promising market domain and create significant new value.

This course will provide students with the knowledge in quantitative methods. We will explore estimation, statistical tests, and the relationship between variables.

This course provides theoretical and practical tools to analyze financial information, primarily information in the financial statements, for investment decisions. The primary focus is on equity (share) valuation, with some attention given to credit analysis and the valuation of debt. The course would focus on accounting based valuation models, with emphasis on the residual income model and its variants. The main topics of the course include accounting valuation models, comparison of these models with discounted cash flows model, analysis of profitability, adjustment of the financial statements to accurately reflect the operating and financing aspects of the business, forecasting earnings and cash flows, understanding of the P/E and M/B ratios, understanding the information incorporated in prices and challenging these prices, and more.