New York University Tandon School of Engineering

Undergraduate Academics
EG-UY 1001 Innovation & Technology Forum – Fall 2020
Professor: David Lefer, dlefer@nyu.edu
Course Administrator/ Head TA: Sara Thermer, thermer@nyu.edu

Office hours: By Appointment, always welcome & strongly encouraged

Course Description: The goal of this course is to teach students how to create great ideas. In the
process, they will learn the fundamentals of invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship (i2e),
the School of Engineering’s core tenets. Students will study elements of design thinking, principles
of inventive problem solving such as TRIZ, and the Lean Startup methodology to create new
technology. Throughout the semester, students will collaborate in teams to find and solve an
important problem, which they will present as their finalproject.

Course Objectives: By the end of this course students should be able to:
1. Understand the differences between invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
2. Have an elementary grasp of design thinking, inventive problem solving, and the lean-startup.
3. Know simple techniques for boosting creativity.
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. Feel more comfortable working in teams to identify and solve problems.

Course Structure:
• Online Lecture: Every Other Monday 12:30 pm – 1:55 pm
• Online Workshops: Every Other Monday 12:30 pm – 1:55 pm
• Check NYU Classes lessons pages for details

Teaching Assistants: Please check your email for information from your TA. They are your primary
point of email contact and grading during this course. During the first week of class, you will receive
email communication from them. Additional TA information can be found on NYU Classes. If you
have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Sara Thermer, thermer@nyu.edu.

Basic Needs Policy

Your safety and wellbeing is more important than anything going on in the class. Please feel free to
reach out to us (Professor Lefer, Sara, or your TA) if you need to talk. Any student who faces
challenges securing their food or housing or personal safety is urged to contact Deanna Rayment,
the Coordinator of Student Advocacy, at Deanna.rayment@nyu.edu. Furthermore, please notify us if
you are comfortable doing so. This will enable us to provide any resources that we can.

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Technology
The components of this class are going to involve
• Email: Regularly read your email
• NYU Classes: Regularly check the lessons pages for updates and information
• Zoom: All synchronous live course content will be held on Zoom

Course Requirements

Participation and teamwork are paramount to your success in this class. If you cannot attend a class for
any reason, contact Prof Thermer immediately.

The teamwork score is 25% of your final project grade as determined by your teammates. Your final
grade in the class will be greatly impacted by your failure to fully participate in your teamproject.

Homework Assignments 40%

Attendance 20%

Final ProjectComponents 40% (final project presentation worth ~ 6%)

Total 100%

Grade Breakdown

A 95 - 100

A- 90 -94

B+ 87 -89

B 84 -86

B- 80 -83

C+ 77 - 79

C 74 -76

C- 70 -73

D+ 67 -69

D 65 -66

F Below 65

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Course Schedule

Topic Date Activities Assignment

Idea Lecture #1 9/9 Lecture at 12:30 PM 15 Ideas a Day #1 - Due Wednesday

Generation 15 Ideas a Day #2 - Due Thursday
15 Ideas a Day #3 - Due Friday
15 Ideas a Day #4- Due Saturday
15 Ideas a Day #5 - Due Sunday

Workshop #1 Workshop breakout rooms at Team Agreement

9/14 12:30 How to Be an Online Student
Icebreaker Mom Test
30 Circles
Good Idea/ Bad Idea

Idea Selection Lecture #2 Lecture at 12:30 PM Steve Blank

& Market 9/21 5 Whys
Research

Workshop #2 Workshop breakout rooms at Competition

9/28 12:30 TA Meeting #1
Rapid Pitch
Initial Problem Statement
Market Research

Value Lecture # 3 Lecture at 12:30 PM Milestone

Proposition 10/5

Workshop #3 Workshop breakout rooms at User Interview Guide

10/12 12:30
Value Proposition Canvas

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Iterative Lecture #4 Lecture at 12:30 PM Wasserman Prep
Design & 10/19 Interview #1
Design TA Meeting #2
Thinking

Workshop #4 Workshop breakout rooms at Prototype Plan

10/26 12:30
Prototype *Final Resubmissions due

Prototyping & Lecture #5 Lecture at 12:30 PM Interview #2

Design 11/2
Thinking

Workshop #5 Workshop breakout rooms at Prototype

11/9 12:30 TA Meeting #3
Prototyping Work Session
Customer Interviews

Final Lecture#6 Lecture at 12:30 PM Interview #3

Presentation 11/16 Revisit Value Proposition
Preparation Team Feedback
Final Presentation Prep

Final Workshop #6 Workshop breakout rooms at *Final Resubmissions Due

Presentation 11/23 12:30

Bonus Lecture #7 Lecture at 12:30 PM END OF CLASS

Lecture 11/30

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Moses Center Statement of Disability

If you are a student with a disability who is requesting accommodations, please contact New York
University’s Moses Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at 212-998-4980 or
mosescsd@nyu.edu. You must be registered with CSD to receive accommodations.
Information about the Moses Center can be found at www.nyu.edu/csd. The Moses Center is located
at 726 Broadway on the 2nd floor.

NYU School of Engineering Policies on Academic Misconduct

Introduction: The School of Engineering encourages academic excellence in an environment that

promotes honesty, integrity, and fairness, and students at the School of Engineering are expected to
exhibit those qualities in their academic work. It is through the process of submitting their own work
and receiving honest feedback on that work that students may progress academically. Any act of
academic dishonesty is seen as an attack upon the School and will not be tolerated. Furthermore,
those who breach the School’s rules on academic integrity will be sanctioned under this Policy.
Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the School’s Policy on Academic
Misconduct.
Definition: Academic dishonesty may include misrepresentation, deception, dishonesty, or any act of
falsification committed by a student to influence a grade or other academic evaluation. Academic
dishonesty also includes intentionally damaging the academic work of others or assisting other
students in acts of dishonesty. Common examples of academically dishonest behavior include, but
are not limited to, the following:
Cheating: intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized notes, books, electronic media, or
electronic communications in an exam; talking with fellow students or looking at another person’s
work during an exam; submitting work prepared in advance for an in-class examination; having
someone take an exam for you or taking an exam for someone else; violating other rules governing
the administration of examinations.
Fabrication: including but not limited to, falsifying experimental data and/or citations.
Plagiarism: Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in
any academic exercise; failure to attribute direct quotations, paraphrases, or borrowed facts or
information.
Unauthorized collaboration: working together on work that was meant to be done individually.
1. Duplicating work: presenting for grading the same work for more than one project or in more
than one class, unless express and prior permission have been received from the course
instructor(s) or research adviser involved.

2. Forgery: altering any academic document, including, but not limited to, academic records,
admissions materials, or medical excuses.

Communication Policy

Feel free to get in touch with me with questions about the course, readings, assignments or class.
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Please make an effort to check the syllabus first, you might find your answer there. In your
communication, please be respectful and clear. When you e-mail me with questions about the class,
I aim to get back to you within the next workday. As a general rule, e-mails will not be answered over
the weekend, during bank holidays and Thanksgiving, unless it is an emergency. If you are facing a
personal crisis, a mental health emergency or are in need of counseling and coaching, please contact
NYU’s Student Health Center who provides a range of free services, including Counselling Services.