LESSON 1 - Introduction To Technopreneurship

LEARNING MODULE IN TECHNOPRENEURSHIP
AGUSAN DEL SUR STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

College of Engineering and Information Sciences
MAIN CAMPUS, BUNAWAN AGUSAN DEL SUR
LESSON 1: Introduction to Technopreneurship: Innovation and Ideas
Introduction
In the world of globalization, technology created a huge impact and influence

in the society where people has become dependent. It is certainty that through
technology people are interested in developing simple products for innovation. There
are several innovations and inventions that made the world of technology and
entrepreneurship more exciting and interesting because of its collaborative outcome
to establish a competitive advantage in the business industry to become economically
stable within a local and global perspective.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Explain the definition of Technology, Entrepreneurship and
Technopreneurship.
2. Distinguish the difference between Entrepreneur and Technopreneur.
3. Explain the definition of Innovation.
4. Identify the types of Innovation.
5. Distinguish the principles of innovation.
Technology and Entrepreneurship
Most people definitely know the meaning of Technology, even in a simple

definition as they encounter it in their daily lives. Now, let's define Technology, it is
a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and the extracting
of materials. It is an application of science used to solve problems.
Nowadays, people utilized technology at work, for communication,
transportation, learning, manufacturing and businesses. Many businesses used
technology because it helps them to create new products for their consumers and to
stay competitive not just locally but globally. What about Entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship is the practice of embarking on a new business venture or existing
businesses by combining different resources in order to develop new opportunities.
Global businesses have been using technology to improve their products, to innovate
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products and to develop new products that will be introduce and recognize in the
business world. Technology and Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in making the
business gain competitive advantage, improve the economic growth of the country
and accelerates innovation.
Definition of Technopreneurship
Technopreneurship is simply the merging of Technology and Entrepreneur

skills. Technopreneurship is a new breed of entrepreneurship that involves the
collaboration of people who are intelligent, determined, creative, technology savvy
and passionate in dealing with risk and functions as a team.
Technology Entrepreneurshi Technopreneurship

p
The field of technology entrepreneurship is in its infancy when compared to

other fields such as economics, entrepreneurship, and management. However, we
are at a point where we can leverage the insights contributed by previous work to
create a clearer working definition of technology entrepreneurship.
A general definition that identifies the distinctive characteristics of technology
entrepreneurship and describes its links with the fields of economics,
entrepreneurship, and management. The proposed formal definition of technology
entrepreneurship should prove valuable in adding to our understanding of how
entrepreneurship functions in a firm that invests in projects that are interdependent
with advances in science and technology.
The following definition of technology entrepreneurship is proposed:
“Technology entrepreneurship is an investment in a project that assembles and
deploys specialized individuals and heterogeneous assets that are intricately related
to advances in scientific and technological knowledge for the purpose of creating and
capturing value for a firm”.
The proposed definition of technology entrepreneurship is based on four
elements:
1. Ultimate outcomes. Value creation and capture are identified as two
outcomes of technology entrepreneurship because the sources that create
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value and the sources that capture value may not be the same over the long
run.
2. Target of the ultimate outcomes. The firm is identified as the target
organization for which value is created and captured.
3. Mechanism used to deliver the ultimate outcomes. Investment in a project
is the mechanism mobilized to create and capture value. A project is a stock
of resources (i.e., specialized individuals and heterogeneous assets) committed
to deliver the two ultimate outcome types for a period of time.
4. Interdependence of this mechanism with scientific and technological
advances. The individuals involved in a project influence and are influenced
by advances in relevant scientific and technology knowledge. The project
exploits or explores scientific and technology knowledge. External and internal
individuals and organizations co-produce the project’s outputs.
Importance of knowing about Technopreneurship:
Every business Start-up aims specifically at profit and growth. Venturing into
entrepreneurship is often accompanied by various forms of risk such that it involves
confidence and enterprise for interested businessmen to come on board. In this era
of technology, we need to have more knowledge about Technopreneurship.
Predominantly, there are two kinds of IT-related businesses, namely products and
services.
Product: Hardware, Software
Services: Application, E-commerce
Entrepreneur and Technopreneur
An entrepreneur is a person that possesses various skills in terms of

marketing, communication and strategically has the potential demand for the goods
and services whether as a whole proprietor, with partners and within a corporation.
There are different types of entrepreneur such as innovative, imitating, Fabian and
drone.
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Figure 1. Diagram of Types of Entrepreneur
Types of Entrepreneur
Based on their working relationship with the business environment they are
functioning in, various types of entrepreneurs can be found. The chief categories are
these four types of entrepreneurs, i.e.
 Innovative entrepreneurs,
 Imitating Entrepreneurs,
 Fabian Entrepreneurs, and
 Drone Entrepreneurs.
Let us now discuss each of them in detail.
Innovative Entrepreneurs. This type of an entrepreneur is more interested in

introducing some new ideas into the market, organization or in the nation. They are
drawn towards innovations and invest a lot of time and wealth in doing research and
development.
Imitating Entrepreneurs. These are often disparagingly referred to as ‘copy cats’.

They observe an existing successful system and replicate it in a manner where all
the deficiencies of the original business model are addressed and all its efficiencies
are retained. These entrepreneurs help to improve an existing product or production
process and can offer suggestions to enhance the use of better technology.
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Fabian Entrepreneurs. These are entrepreneurs that are very careful in their
approaches and cautious in adopting any changes. They are not prone to sudden
decisions and try to shy away from any innovations or change that doesn’t fit their
narrative.
Drone Entrepreneurs. These are entrepreneurs who do not like a change. They are
considered as ‘old school’. They want to do business in their own traditional or
orthodox methods of production and systems. Such people attach pride and tradition
to even outdated methods of doing business.
On the other hand, Technopreneur is a person who perceives an opportunity

by introducing new products and services, creating new forms of organization and
by utilizing new raw materials. Most technopreneur undertakes risks that has the
possibility of earning a profit. A technopreneur starts out with nothing but an ‘idea’
defying existing products, practices and systems in which he can think of a new
solution through the use of technology and innovate it eventually.
A technopreneur or techpreneur is an entrepreneur who gets a technology

idea and finds an opportunity to make it a commercial reality. Alternatively, a
technopreneur can also be a techie idea-owner who ventures to make his idea a
commercial reality. Yes, it may seem that a technopreneur and entrepreneur are
indistinguishable since many of their core skills are identical but at the end of the
day, you can always use these features to differentiate the two. Technopreneurs use
technology to solve problems in various industries like health, transportation, and
agriculture. Needless to say, a good technopreneur ought to have a winning
combination of business and technical skills to make it big.
Here is a look at the essential technopreneur skills that every rising techie
ought to possess to ensure that they survive in the industry.
1. Strong communication skills that close deals. Technopreneurs have to

communicate with diverse people about their business ideas and products.
Also, to get sponsorship you have to drive the message home in a proper way
to potential sponsors. Similarly, every aspiring techpreneur should have it at
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the back of their head that communication plays a significant role in

determining their success. You need to understand where you are going, how
to get there, who’s going to help you get there and how to convince them to
help you get there.
2. Product management knowledge. What do Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook),

Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Jack Dorsey (Twitter) have in common? Other than
being the CEO’s of the leading tech companies in the world, they are strong
product managers. As a technopreneur, you need to have a deep technical
understanding of your product and understand the details without getting lost
in the details.
3. Deep technical understanding. As a technopreneur, it is important to be

tech-oriented. We’re not saying that you have to be a coding expert, but rather,
to invest in your technical skills and understand the dynamics of your market.
Otherwise, you will always find yourself relying on the Chief Technology Officer
(CTO) or your trusted advisor; much like being locked in a box.
4. Take big risks. While every technopreneur’s story is unique, there is a

common factor that unites them- they take risks. As Uber CEO Travis
Kalanick-stepped down from Trump’s presidential panel to avoid losing
customers, Elon Musk has continued his regular meetings with Trump. Just
like Trump, Musk understands that big rewards come with significant risks.
After all, Musk has always done what first seemed impossible. As a
technopreneur, having the gambler mindset will serve you well.
5. Persistence. No great achievement in life is possible without persistence. A

great technopreneur will stay positive because the odds will always be against
taking the first leap of faith. Persistence in technopreneurship means sticking
to the mission regardless of long or hard the road seems.
Clearly, at the end of the day, all technopreneurs are entrepreneurs, but not
all entrepreneurs are technopreneurs.
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Difference between Entrepreneur and Technopreneur
Let us take a look at the difference between an entrepreneur and a

technopreneur.
ENTREPRENEUR TECHNOPRENEUR
Likes to compete Likes to compete
Self-starter/ pioneer Likes to innovate
Able to do many things at once Part of a team
Able to do at once but chooses to
delegate
Creative/has goals and dreams Innovative/Greater Vision
Likes to work for himself Likes to be one to control innovation
Motivated to achieve and attain Motivated by a strong vision and the
financial success passion to innovate
Focuses on the chances of success Takes failure in stride and knows that if
rather than the possibility of failure corrected it will lead to success
Entrepreneurial Process
Figure 2. Entrepreneurial Process Flow
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The Entrepreneur is a change agent that acts as an industrialist and

undertakes the risk associated with forming the business for commercial use. An
entrepreneur has an unusual foresight to identify the potential demand for the goods
and services. The entrepreneurship is a continuous process that needs to be followed
by an entrepreneur to plan and launch the new ventures more efficiently.
1. Discovery:
An entrepreneurial process begins with the idea generation, wherein the
entrepreneur identifies and evaluates the business opportunities. The
identification and the evaluation of opportunities is a difficult task; an
entrepreneur seeks inputs from all the persons including employees, consumers,
channel partners, technical people, etc. to reach to an optimum business
opportunity. Once the opportunity has been decided upon, the next step is to
evaluate it.
An entrepreneur can evaluate the efficiency of an opportunity by continuously
asking certain questions to himself, such as, whether the opportunity is worth
investing in, is it sufficiently attractive, are the proposed solutions feasible, is
there any competitive advantage, what are the risk associated with it. Above all,
an entrepreneur must analyze his personal skills and hobbies, whether these
coincides with the entrepreneurial goals or not.
2. Developing a Business Plan:

Once the opportunity is identified, an entrepreneur needs to create a
comprehensive business plan. A business plan is critical to the success of any
new venture since it acts as a benchmark and the evaluation criteria to see if the
organization is moving towards its set goals.
An entrepreneur must dedicate his sufficient time towards its creation, the major
components of a business plan are mission and vision statement, goals and
objectives, capital requirement, a description of products and services, etc.
3. Resourcing:
The third step in the entrepreneurial process is resourcing, wherein the
entrepreneur identifies the sources from where the finance and the human
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resource can be arranged. Here, the entrepreneur finds the investors for its new
venture and the personnel to carry out the business activities.
4. Managing the company:

Once the funds are raised and the employees are hired, the next step is to initiate
the business operations to achieve the set goals. First of all, an entrepreneur must
decide the management structure or the hierarchy that is required to solve the
operational problems when they arise.
5. Harvesting:
The final step in the entrepreneurial process is harvesting wherein, an
entrepreneur decides on the future prospects of the business, i.e. its growth and
development. Here, the actual growth is compared against the planned growth
and then the decision regarding the stability or the expansion of business
operations is undertaken accordingly, by an entrepreneur.
The entrepreneurial process is to be followed, again and again, whenever any new
venture is taken up by an entrepreneur, therefore, it’s an ever ending process.
Defining Technopreneurial Process
There is a strong connection between Technological development, Innovations

and entrepreneurship. It is noteworthy that, entrepreneurship forms the sub
structure upon which science and technology are built. As we understand it,
technopreneurship is, by a large part, still entrepreneurship. The difference is that
technopreneurship is either involved in delivering an innovative hi-tech
product. Technopreneurship is not a product but a process of synthesis in
engineering the future of a person, an organization, a nation and the world. Strategic
directions or decision-making processes are becoming more demanding and
complex. This requires universities, and in site professional development programs
and training to produce strategic thinkers who will have
skills to succeed in a rapidly changing global environment.
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Technopreneurial Process
Technopreneurship is the process of organizational creativity and also a

process of main streaming innovation to continually find solution to important
corporate problems and implementing the solutions to, in turn satisfying the
economy or target. It also lays emphasis on integrating technology with
entrepreneurship.
Technopreneurs are entrepreneurs who are into the intimate business of
technology based industries. They make use of technology to come up with innovative
products through commercialization. Aspiring technopreneurs must be adequately
equipped with both technical and business skills. Technopreneurs continually go
through the process of constant improvement and always try to redefine our dynamic
digital economy. We need to encourage entrepreneurial views and skills at all levels
of the society.
1. Idea Generation
This is the process of creating, developing, and communicating abstract,
concrete or visual ideas. It includes goals, strategies, concepts, design, style,
plans and actions to come up with possible solutions for actual problems and
opportunities.
2. Idea Screening
Idea screening is a process that evaluates and contrast new prospective ideas
for your business. It is where assessment will be instigated to make sure that
your ideas is related to the business. The idea screening criteria are used to
determine compatibility and whether the idea will earn profit or could return
on investment.
3. Concept Testing
It is the process of testing new or hypothetical products or services before they
are launched. It is probably the possibility of generating the best product that
has.
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4. Business Analysis
A process of identifying what the business needs and determining solutions
to business problems that will improved the process, management and the
financial status quo to deliver value to the stakeholders.
5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Every business should be monitored and evaluated according to the
performance in the market. Monitoring and Evaluation is important for the
business to diagnosed problems and improve what is needed to stayed in the
competition. Thru evaluation the organization will identify the performance
rating of the business.
6. Commercialization
The process of introducing new products and services to the market. With
commercialization, an organization entails production, distribution,
marketing, sales, and customer support to achieve the commercial success of
the new product or services. The use of advertisement, social media campaign,
and video production is part of the commercialization so that the vision and
the value of the product or services will be reach out to the society.
7. Test Marketing
Test marketing is a process of experimenting and assessing your product to
check its viability to customers compromising of actual stores and real-life
buying situations. It is to test the consumer reaction towards the new product
or services in the market.
8. Prototyping
Prototyping is the overall design of the product where it shown its
functionalities, specifications and interface that new product or services in the
market.
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Innovation and Idea Generation
What is Innovation?
If we hear the word “Innovation” we usually come up with different definitions

and points of view about it. Innovation is something that involves developing,
creating new concepts and new ideas that will be useful for the target customers.
Types of Innovation
There are numerous types of innovation, but let us breakdown it into two
dimensions, the Technology and Market that come up with four (4) types of
innovation.
Sustaining Innovation
Sustaining innovation also known as routine innovation happens on an

incremental basis, is often a response to customer and market demands or
improvements in technology. The company obtained feedback from the customers
about the product and services rendered to improve and provide greater value to the
customers. Most companies that used the sustaining innovation has been successful
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in building their businesses and continue improving their offerings to their

customers and they have the awareness of the market needs. Examples of this
companies are Apple, Intel and Amazon.
Apple company which founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald
Wayne continue improving, innovating and upgrading their products to gain
customer satisfaction and maintain customer's trust and loyalty throughout the
years.
On the other hand, Intel Corporation is an American multinational
corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in
the Silicon Valley. Currently, Intel's innovation in cloud computing, data center,
Internet of Things, and PC solutions is powering the smart and connected digital
world we live in.
Amazon, is probably one of the biggest e-commerce worldwide. They intend to
sell books before but now, they are selling more than hundreds of products globally
where they continue to improve their products and services in order for their
customers to be satisfied and pleased.
Disruptive Innovation
Disruptive innovation—the second type of innovation and the force behind

disruption—occurs when a company with fewer resources moves upmarket and
challenges an incumbent business. There are two types of disruptive innovation:
 Low-end disruption, in which a company uses a low-cost business model to
enter at the bottom of an existing market and claim a segment
 New-market disruption, in which a company creates and claims a new
segment in an existing market by catering to an underserved customer base
Both types of disruptive innovation cause the incumbent company—which

relies on sustaining innovation—to retreat upmarket rather than fight the new
entrant. This is because the entrant has selected a segment (either at the bottom of
the existing market or a new market segment) in which profit margins are relatively
low. The incumbent company’s innovation strategy is driven by higher profit margins,
causing them to pull out of the segment in question and focus on those with even
higher profit margins.
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As the entrant’s product offerings improve, it moves into segments with those
higher profit margins. Once again, the incumbent company is motivated to retreat
upmarket rather than fight for the lower-profit market segments.
Eventually, the entrant pushes the incumbent out of the market altogether,
having improved its product so much that it claims all existing market segments or
renders the incumbent’s products obsolete.
Returning to the example of the computing industry, the introduction of
smartphones was a disruptive innovation, specifically new-market disruption.
Smartphones catered to a new market segment of customers who didn’t need the
level of capabilities offered by a laptop—basic, convenient internet access at a
fraction of the cost of a desktop or laptop computer was enough. As the quality of
smartphones improves, the laptop and desktop may be pushed further upmarket
and, eventually, into obsolescence.
Breakthrough Innovation
Breakthrough innovation is not something everyone can accomplish. You have

to systematically develop the capability to execute it successfully, and that is
something you do not achieve overnight.
Breakthrough innovation is when you bring something new to the world. It is
developing something that no one else has done before; really original, something
that couldn’t have been possible. It is the innovation that opens the organization to
new markets or changes the way customers interact with the market or the industry.
Breakthrough innovation is the most important concept in innovation because it can
be demonstrated virtually all real economic growth or societal progress which is
driven by disruptions. Breakthrough innovation has greater ROI but with much
bigger risks.
Breakthrough innovation is a radical new approach that leaves competition

behind in some way
Breakthrough innovation is not something everyone can accomplish. It’s a
kind of “out of the box” thinking. There is a consensus that the external environment
is an important antecedent of spurring innovation. It is important to capture the
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rising trends and take advantage of changes in the external environment to spur
breakthrough innovation and develop the capability to execute it systematically.
An enterprise has always been parts of simple or complex ecosystems, and it
has to be linked to the many and varied “touch points” between itself and the
marketplace environment of which it is a part. Digital innovation must be a multi-
disciplinary effort which would apply nonlinear thinking to provide better
opportunities for leading breakthrough innovation than linear thinking.
“Highly innovative organizations embed innovation into every aspect of

their organization and adopt spiral approaches to manage breakthrough
innovations successfully.”
Basic Research
Path breaking innovations never arrive fully formed. They always begin
with the discovery of some new phenomenon. No one could guess how Einstein’s
discoveries would shape the world, or that Alan Turing’s universal computer would
someday become a real thing. As Neil deGrasse Tyson said when asked about the
impact of a major discovery, “I don’t know, but we’ll probably tax it.” To his point,
Einstein’s discoveries now play essential roles in technologies ranging from nuclear
energy to computer technologies and GPS satellites.
Some large enterprises, like IBM and Procter & Gamble, have the resources to
invest in labs to pursue basic research. Others, like Experian’s DataLabs, encourage
researchers and engineers to go to conferences and hold internal seminars on what
they learn. Google invites about 30 top researchers to spend a sabbatical year at the
company and funds 250 academic projects annually.
Yet one of the best-kept secrets is how even small and medium-
size enterprises can access world-class research. The federal government funds a
variety of programs, such as the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a
series of manufacturing hubs to help develop advanced technologies, and Argonne
Design Works. Local universities, which have a wealth of scientific talent, can also
be a valuable resource. Taking steps to participate in these types of programs can
help small business compete in competitive markets. For example, Mike Wixom
of Navitas, a four-year-old battery company that joined the Joint Center for Energy
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Storage Research (JCESR) as an affiliate, told me, “As a small company, we’re fighting
for our survival on a daily basis. Becoming a JCESR affiliate gives us an early peek
at technology, and you get to give feedback about what kinds manufacturing issues
are likely to come up with any particular chemistry.”
So, clearly, being able to reach out to scientists on the cutting edge can help
a business plan for the future, just as the other approaches, such as design thinking,
open innovation, business model innovation, and others, can help propel a business
forward if applied in the right context. But no one solution fits all problems.
If your innovation strategy is struggling or failing, consider whether it’s
because you’ve locked yourself into a single approach. There are always new
problems to solve; learn to apply the solution that best fits your current problem.
Ten (10) Principles for Sustainable Innovation in Business
As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more

startups, but innovation is still hard to find. The most common proposals I hear
are for yet another social networking site (over 200 active), or another dating site
(over 2500 in the US alone). Startups that display real innovation, such as
alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare.
Finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher.
From the classic book “Robert’s Rules of Innovation: A 10-Step Program for Corporate
Survival,” by Robert F. Brands. Brands outlines the key steps which together
spell INNOVATION, that I believe apply equally well to startups as well as corporate
environments:
1. Inspire. Whether we are talking about startups or corporations, innovation

requires a leader who can inspire others to step into the unknown. Followers and
linear thinkers need not apply. Inspiration requires a vision, and an ability to
communicate it to others.
2. No risk, no innovation. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never
innovate. Savvy investors tell me that startup founders who claim to have never
failed are either lying or have never tried anything innovative. Failure is the best
teacher.
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3. New product process. Innovation is not a random walk into the unknown. It
starts with a vision, but benefits quickly from a structured process of idea
generation, evaluation, prototyping, customer feedback and success metrics. Set
milestones and meet them.
4. Ownership. A technical champion may drive a specific innovation, but the
business leader has to own the result, in order to drive an appropriate business
model, customer acquisition, support and a growth strategy. Business risks are
not just development risks.
5. Value creation. Innovative technologies have no value until they are turned into
solutions to real customer problems. Creating intellectual property, including
patents, is the key to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage.
6. Accountability. Team members and leaders who are hesitant to accept full
accountability jeopardize many innovations. This includes personal and team
commitments to delivery schedules, quality assurance, and manufacturing and
distribution requirements.
7. Training and coaching. Proper hiring of people with a natural curiosity, open-
mindedness and ability to see the big picture is the way to create and enhance
the right mind-set. Ongoing coaching from the top is essential to maintain the
attitude and spirit.
8. Idea management. Build and manage a pipeline of ideas. From time-to-time,
include customers and sales members in ideation sessions. Make sure all team
members have some connection with the product — has either used it, sold it or
assembled it.
9. Observe and measure. Tracking results are essential to optimal ROI. Product life
cycles keep getting shorter and shorter, which mandates accelerated innovation
cycles. Once a new product is launched, a key metric is the ratio of new product
sales to overall sales.
10. Net result and reward. Based on ROI, incentives should be developed for all
participants. Reward your people. Frequently, the key motivator is less financial
than it is recognition for a job well done. People are your best innovation resource.
Sustainable innovation is really the only sustainable competitive advantage.

But innovation is hard, because people by nature resist change, and company
cultures are most comfortable with status quo. Survival in today’s world of rapid
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business change requires that you keep one step ahead of your competition.
Innovation is what gives life to your business initially, and keeps it alive in the long
term. Make sure your business can spell it.
Idea Presentation
Anytime you want to get a point across to your clients, prospects or employees,
it can help to create a presentation. Presentations often include slides and other
visual content designed to complement a spoken message. You can use them to pitch
a new product or service, show your team how to complete a specific task or
introduce a new initiative across your organization.
Regardless of your actual message, it’s essential that you find some compelling
way to get your message across. Here are some creative presentation ideas that you
can use to make your next client pitch or team meeting really stand out.
1. Storytelling Presentation
Instead of simply sharing a bunch of facts that your audience may have a hard
time making sense of, create a story that demonstrates the impact of those facts.
It could be a story from your actual life or business, or one you create to get your
point across. Share a bit about the characters in your story so the people in your
audience can relate to them.
For example, if you’re presenting to clients, don’t just tell them about the
problems that your product or service solves — actually take them through the
experience of a customer who experienced that issue. Tell them about the day-to-
day of living with that problem and then detail exactly how your product or service
changes the experience.
2. Musical Presentation
If you want your customers, employees or peers to really remember your
presentation, try setting it to music. A catchy tune could really help your
presentation stand out and help people remember the important parts. This may
require some musical talent, but there are plenty of tools out there to help you
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compose a tune and record it so you can play it during your presentation. Or if
you play any instruments, you could actually perform your presentation live.
3. Video Presentation
Instead of your basic slide presentation, you could share both visuals and audio
content in the form of a video. You can have a video play in the background as
you speak, or you could play it at the beginning of your presentations and then
speak afterward.
4. Photo-Only Presentation
If you do prefer using slides, consider taking the text out entirely. This could be
especially useful for those who are prone to reading slides word-for-word. Instead,
keep your notes on small cards that you can refer to throughout the presentation
and just share photos in your slides that refer to what you’re speaking about.
This gives them some context without distracting them from what you’re saying.
5. Immersive Presentation
Your audience doesn’t have to just sit and watch your presentation — you can
actually get them involved. This may work best with members of your team or
smaller groups, but you could also choose to get a few members of a larger
audience involved as well. Give each person a part to play and then set the scene
for your presentation before guiding them through a situation relating to your
product, service or new initiative for your business.
6. Question Presentation
Asking questions to your clients or prospects can help you really get to know
them so you can better sell to them. So why not add that element to your
presentations as well? You could create a presentation that is customizable based
on their responses. Ask questions periodically throughout the experience so they
stay involved, and then shift your content from that point on based on what they
have to say.
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7. Demonstrative Presentation
If you’re attempting to sell a product or show your team a new type of business
tool, it could help to share an actual hands-on demonstration rather than just
showing slides. For bigger groups, you may simply use the product or tool yourself
and project your screen so everyone can see. Or for smaller groups, you could
have everyone actually try using the product themselves so you can work with
them individually and answer any questions they might have.
8. Humorous Presentation
Humor is a great way to relate to people and make them remember your
presentation. You should carefully consider your brand before making this
choice, since some clients may find this type of presentation a bit unprofessional.
However, if you target a laid back crowd or are speaking directly to your team, it
could be useful to share some jokes throughout the presentation or create a funny
fake situation that still shows off your product in a fun and lighthearted way.
9. Animated Presentation
Instead of using a video that’s shot live, use an animation tool to show your
product in use or demonstrate a new business practice for your team. This can
be especially useful if you want to show people in situations that may be hard to
film in real life, like a product life cycle that lasts for decades.
10. Prop Presentations

Or you could just ditch the slide or video equipment altogether and do something
a bit more low tech. But it can still help to have some kind of visual aids. So you
could instead invest in some basic props to use throughout the presentation to
help get your point across.
Idea Selection
An innovative leader will encounter challenges in selecting the best ideas

among the list of different innovative process. What are the criteria of choosing the
best ideas? What will be the purpose of those ideas? There are usually different
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methods that can be used in the process of selecting ideas. The steps introduced by
Michael Putz for Lead innovation management consists of the following:
Step 1- Rough Selection

In the first step, the chaff has to be separated from the wheat, i. e. the ideas
without potential have to be selected quickly. For this purpose, an "ABC analysis"
can be used, where ideas are divided into three classes:
 A-ideas, those that are absolutely necessary for further processing.
 B-Ideas are those where you disagree about good or bad and are uncertain.
 C ideas that have no value and are to be rejected.
The A-ideas are definitely going into the next round, the B-ideas are discussed
and it is decided together per idea whether the idea will be adopted. C ideas are no
longer considered.
Step 2- Fine Selection

In the next step, the sifted ideas are further selected. The method of "dots
gluing" has proven its worth. Each participant receives five sticky points and can
distribute them to their own favourites. If you count the points together you get a
ranking. If there are less than ten ideas, the "rating" method can also be used.
Each participant gives each idea between 0 and 5 points. The points are also
added up and you get a ranking and a priority.
Step 3- Detailed Analysis

In the detailed analysis, ideas are qualitatively analyzed and evaluated on the
basis of criteria. For product ideas, for example these are customer benefit
differentiation potential and competitive factor technical and economic feasibility.
In this process step, additional information is collected on the ideas, which is
then analyzed and concretized in detail.
A canvas, such as that of Osterwalder, can be used as a method for new
business models. On the basis of the findings from the analyses, a decision is made
as to whether the idea will be pursued further or not.
21
Customer Needs
One of the top priorities in business is to meet the demands and needs of the
customer. An innovative leader undergoes a thorough research and identify the
specific requirements or needs of the customer to produce a useful product. Figure
7 illustrates the top 5 myths about customer needs.
Market Research and Validation
An innovative leader should conduct a market research and validation to

justify the needs of the customers. Quality measurement that demands the data
gathered during surveys, interviews and market research.
What about Market validation? Market validation is the process of determining
whether your product is of interest to a given target market. Market validation
involves a series of customer interviews with people in your target market, and it
almost always takes place before you've made significant investment in your
product/concept (Semick, 2016].
22
The Decision Making Process
Decision making is an enormous task because the success of the business

relies on its process to come up with great solution. Various methods, models and
processes can be considered to make a decision. The figure below shows the 5 stages
or step process that an innovative leader must consider.
Problem or Need Recognition

As an innovative leader you must identify the different problems or need
recognition of the consumer. The needs of the consumers are the basis or foundation
of creating or producing a new product or services in the market. By assessing the
needs of the consumer, an innovative leader can generate excellent ideas for
innovation.
Information Search
When the problem occurs, there should have a solution. And to develop a
solution an innovative leader should be resourceful in such a way that he or she can
think of bright ideas. Information search of products and services that will satisfy
the needs and wants of the consumer.
Evaluation of Alternatives
In determining the needs and wants of the consumer, the innovative leader
should provide different choices of products. Customers will begin to seek out the
best deal as they will compare the details of the product, read many reviews if the
product is poor or excellent and probably compare prices of which is more affordable.
23
Selection Stage or Purchase Decision

After a thorough research and evaluation of the alternatives, an innovative
leader should select the best ideas that will be used in the decision-making. They
may have had prior experience with this exact decision or maybe they succumbed to
advertising about the new product or service and they want to give it a try [Flekel,
2013]
Evaluation of Decision or Post-Purchase Evaluation

The goal for every marketer is not for a one-time customer but a repeating
lifetime customer. One bad experience of buyer's remorse and your branding
perception could be tarnished forever [Flekel, 2013]. This process depends on the
evaluation of the various assessment done for decision-making. Whatever the
company decided is considered the best idea.
References:
Bailetti, T. (2012). Technology Entrepreneurship: Overview, Definition, and

Distinctive Aspects
Francis, M. (2017). Five traits that make a great technopreneur. Retrieved from
https://businesstoday.co.ke/five-traits-that-make-a-great-techpreneur/
https://businessjargons.com/entrepreneurial-process.html
https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/sustaining-vs-disruptive-
innovation#:~:text=What%20Is%20Sustaining%20Innovation%3F,already%2
0successful%20in%20their%20industries.
https://rightattitudeinc.com/technopreneurship-an-attitude-towards-
entrepreneurship-of-tomorrow/
https://vortexventurer.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/technopreneurial-process/
https://www.alleywatch.com/2017/03/10-principles-sustainable-innovation-
business/
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/entrepreneurship_skills/entrepreneurship_skills_i
ntroduction.htm
Juaneza, J and Pomperada, JR. (2019) Introduction to Technopreneurship
Satell, G. (2017) The 4 Types of Innovation and the Problems They Solve
Pilon, A. (2018) Wow Your Audience with These 10 Incredible Presentation Ideas
Zhu, P (2019) Five Insights of Breakthrough Innovation
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LESSON 1 - Introduction To Technopreneurship

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LEARNING MODULE IN TECHNOPRENEURSHIP

AGUSAN DEL SUR STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

LESSON 1: Introduction to Technopreneurship: Innovation and Ideas

In the world of globalization, technology created a huge impact and influence

Technology and Entrepreneurship

Most people definitely know the meaning of Technology, even in a simple

Technopreneurship is simply the merging of Technology and Entrepreneur

Technology Entrepreneurshi Technopreneurship

The field of technology entrepreneurship is in its infancy when compared to

Importance of knowing about Technopreneurship:

Entrepreneur and Technopreneur

An entrepreneur is a person that possesses various skills in terms of

Figure 1. Diagram of Types of Entrepreneur

Let us now discuss each of them in detail.

Innovative Entrepreneurs. This type of an entrepreneur is more interested in

Imitating Entrepreneurs. These are often disparagingly referred to as ‘copy cats’.

On the other hand, Technopreneur is a person who perceives an opportunity

A technopreneur or techpreneur is an entrepreneur who gets a technology

1. Strong communication skills that close deals. Technopreneurs have to

the back of their head that communication plays a significant role in

2. Product management knowledge. What do Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook),

3. Deep technical understanding. As a technopreneur, it is important to be

4. Take big risks. While every technopreneur’s story is unique, there is a

5. Persistence. No great achievement in life is possible without persistence. A

Difference between Entrepreneur and Technopreneur

Let us take a look at the difference between an entrepreneur and a

Figure 2. Entrepreneurial Process Flow

The Entrepreneur is a change agent that acts as an industrialist and

2. Developing a Business Plan:

4. Managing the company:

Defining Technopreneurial Process

There is a strong connection between Technological development, Innovations

Technopreneurship is the process of organizational creativity and also a

5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Innovation and Idea Generation

If we hear the word “Innovation” we usually come up with different definitions

Sustaining innovation also known as routine innovation happens on an

in building their businesses and continue improving their offerings to their

Disruptive innovation—the second type of innovation and the force behind

Both types of disruptive innovation cause the incumbent company—which

Breakthrough innovation is not something everyone can accomplish. You have

Breakthrough innovation is a radical new approach that leaves competition

“Highly innovative organizations embed innovation into every aspect of

Ten (10) Principles for Sustainable Innovation in Business

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more

1. Inspire. Whether we are talking about startups or corporations, innovation

Sustainable innovation is really the only sustainable competitive advantage.

10. Prop Presentations

An innovative leader will encounter challenges in selecting the best ideas

Step 1- Rough Selection

Step 2- Fine Selection

Step 3- Detailed Analysis

Market Research and Validation

An innovative leader should conduct a market research and validation to

The Decision Making Process

Decision making is an enormous task because the success of the business

Problem or Need Recognition

Selection Stage or Purchase Decision

Evaluation of Decision or Post-Purchase Evaluation

Bailetti, T. (2012). Technology Entrepreneurship: Overview, Definition, and

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