Q&A Hero

Q: Peter Simmons owns a specialized computer software company. Although Peter's software designers and programmers are very good, it takes 2-3 years to develop a good software product. This example illustrates the need for funding or financing referred to as ________. A) personnel costs B) marketing costs C) costs associated with building a brand D) lengthy product development cycles E) cash flow challenges

Q: For startup firms, the cost of buying real estate, building facilities, and purchasing equipment often exceeds the firm's ability to provide funds for those needs on its own. Which of the following reasons that motivate firms to seek funding or financing is illustrated in this example? A) Lengthy product development cycles B) Costs associated with building a brand C) Cash flow challenges D) Capital investments E) Personnel costs

Q: In startup firms, inventory must be purchased, employees must be trained and paid, and advertising must be paid for before cash is generated from sales. Which of the following reasons that motivate firms to seek funding or financing is illustrated in this example? A) Cash flow challenges B) Marketing costs C) Personnel costs D) Capital investments E) Lengthy product development cycles

Q: The three primary reasons startups need funding are ________. A) cash flow challenges, capital investments, and lengthy product development cycles B) business research, cash flow challenges, and costs associated with building a brand C) bonuses for members of the new venture team, attorney fees, and lengthy product development cycles D) attorney fees, capital investments, and marketing research E) bonuses for members of the new venture team, marketing research, and personnel costs

Q: Courtney Young is the founder of a company in the semiconductor industry. Courtney's firm is still in the feasibility analysis stage and doesn't have a product that is ready to sell. The company is spending about $25,000 per month and expects to maintain that level of spending until it reaches profitability. The $25,000 a month is Courtney's ________ rate. A) consumption B) utilization C) burn D) usage E) liquidity

Q: According to the textbook, many entrepreneurs go about the task of raising capital haphazardly because they ________. A) are uncomfortable talking about money and they haven't written a business plan B) lack experience in this area and because they don't know much about their choices C) are focused on the nuts and bolts of starting their business D) haven't completed a feasibility analysis or business plan E) are intimidated by the process and they are unsure of how much money they need

Q: Why do most firms need funding? Provide a brief explanation of each reason.

Q: Roominate, the company profiled in the opening feature of Chapter 10, makes toys that are intended to encourage young girls to enter engineering. The company was co-founded by Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen. Which of the following is not true about Roominate's founding story? A) In 2013, Brooks and Chen appeared on the Today Show to talk about Roominate. B) In 2013 and 2014, Brooks and Chen attempted to raise money for angel investors, but were unable to convince any angels to invest. C) Brooks and Chen raised money for Roominate via a Kickstarter campaign. D) At the same time Brooks and Chen were conceiving Roominate they were taking a Lean Launchpad class at Stanford taught by Steve Blank. E) Brooks and Chen met while they were engineering master's students at Stanford University.

Q: What is SCORE? What is its role in helping a firm fill out its new venture team?

Q: SCORE is a for-profit organization that provides consulting services to small businesses.

Q: Consultants fall into two categories-paid consultants and consultants who are made available for free or at a reduced rate through a nonprofit or government agency.

Q: Which of the following is incorrect regarding the typical role of consultants in business startups? A) Give professional advice B) International consulting firms (e.g., Accenture and Bearing Point) are financially beyond the reach of most small firms. C) Consultants fall into two categoriespaid consultants and consultants who are made available for free. D) Give expert advice E) Help manage the day-to-day activities of the firm

Q: A business ________ is an individual who gives professional or expert advice, on a volunteer or fee basis. A) consultant B) intern C) employee D) virtual assistant E) mentor

Q: More people are willing to serve on a company's board of directors than board of advisors.

Q: Most boards of advisers have between 3 and 5 members.

Q: The fact that a corporation has a board of directors precludes it from having a board of advisors.

Q: An advisory board can be established for general purposes or can be set up to address a specific need.

Q: Similar to a board of directors, an advisory board possesses legal responsibility for the firm.

Q: An advisory board is a panel of experts who are asked by a firm's managers to provide counsel and advice on an ongoing basis.

Q: According to the textbook, most boards of advisers have between ________ and ________ members. A) 5; 15 B) 2; 4 C) 10; 18 D) 2; 3 E) 4; 7

Q: Which of the following statements about advisory boards is incorrect? A) If a firm has a board of directors, it is not permitted to have an advisory board. B) Many people are more willing to serve on a company's board of advisors than its board of directors because it requires less time and there is no potential legal liability involved. C) Most boards of advisers have between 5 and 15 members. D) A growing number of startups are forming advisory boards. E) An advisory board can be established for general purposes or can be set up to address a specific issue or need.

Q: Which of the following statements about advisory boards is incorrect? A) The fact that a corporation has a board of directors does not preclude it from establishing one or more advisory boards. B) An advisory board can be established for general purposes or can be set up to address a specific issue or need. C) Similar to a board of directors, an advisory board has legal responsibility for the firm in certain areas. D) An advisory board is a panel of experts who are asked by a firm's managers to provide counsel and advice on an ongoing basis. E) A growing number of startups are forming advisory boards.

Q: Kelly Andersen founded a technology consulting firm several years ago. Her firm has grown rapidly and is financially successful. One thing that Kelly attributes her success to is that early on she assembled a panel of experts who provided her ongoing direction and advice about her business. What Kelly created is called a(n) ________. A) consultation panel B) suggestion panel C) idea board D) accountability panel E) advisory board

Q: Shelly Cook recently launched a social network for chefs. One thing Shelly is thinking about is creating is a panel of experts who can provide her ongoing direction and advice regarding the future of her business. Shelly is thinking about creating a(n) ________. A) analysis panel B) discussion board C) advisory board D) suggestion panel E) accountability panel

Q: A(n) ________ is a panel of experts who are asked by a firm's managers to provide counsel and advice on an ongoing basis. A) consultation board B) idea panel C) counseling panel D) advisory board E) suggestion panel

Q: What is a skills profile and what is it used for?

Q: What is the difference between a heterogeneous and a homogeneous founding team? Which type of team has the advantage?

Q: Are more firms started by individuals or founding teams? What are the advantages to founding a firm as a team rather than as an individual?

Q: Although a board of directors has formal governance responsibilities, its most useful role is to provide guidance and support to the firm's managers.

Q: A virtual assistant is a freelancer who provides administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients remotely from a home office.

Q: A skills profile is a chart that depicts the most important skills that are needed and where skills gaps exist.

Q: Networking is building and maintaining relationships with people whose interests are similar or whose relationship could bring advantages to a firm.

Q: Prior entrepreneurial experience is a poor predictor of future entrepreneurial performance.

Q: Prior entrepreneurial experience, relevant industry experience, and networking are attributes that strengthen the chances of a founder's success.

Q: Homogeneous teams are diverse in terms of their abilities and experiences.

Q: Founding teams that have worked together before, as opposed to teams that are working together for the first time, have an edge.

Q: It is generally believed that new ventures started by an individual have an advantage over those started by a team.

Q: Studies show that more than one individual starts 50 to 70 percent of all new firms.

Q: A new venture team is the group of founders, key employees, and advisers that move a new venture from an idea to a fully functioning firm.

Q: Which of the following was not identified in the textbook as an attribute of an effective board member? A) Strong personal and professional networks B) Unknown in their field C) Investment and/or operating experience D) Ability and willingness to mentor the CEO and the top managers of the firm E) Pattern recognition skills

Q: Which of the following was not identified in the textbook as an attribute of an effective board of directors? A) Homogeneous set of experiences and talents B) Customer-focused point of view C) Ability and willingness to stand up to the CEO and top managers of the firm D) Strong communication with the CEO E) Decisiveness

Q: Melissa Jones just launched a firm in the wireless communications industry. Shortly after the company was launched, Melissa announced that a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist had agreed to serve on her board of directors. Melissa knows that such a high quality appointment will send an important message to her potential business partners and clientele. This phenomenon is referred to as ________. A) trumping B) championing C) profiling D) signaling E) indicating

Q: Liz Zackery just launched a firm in the sporting goods industry. On the day the company was launched, Liz issued a press release, indicating that the vice president of New Balance, a highly respected athletic shoe and sports apparel company, had agreed to serve on her board of directors. Liz knows that such a high quality appointment will send an important message to her potential clientele. This phenomenon is referred to as ________. A) championing B) signaling C) profiling D) indicating E) trumping

Q: According to the textbook, although a board of directors has formal governance responsibilities, its most useful role is to ________. A) provide guidance and support to the firm's managers B) submit papers on behalf of the firm to the SEC C) represent the firm in public relations activities D) conduct the firm's annual meeting E) provide funding to the firm

Q: Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding boards of directors? A) If a new venture organizes as a corporation, it is not legally required to have a board of directors, but it is strongly recommended. B) A board is typically made up of both inside and outside directors. C) The board is responsible for declaring dividends. D) Most boards meet formally three or four times a year. E) The boards for publicly-traded companies are required by law to have audit and compensation committees.

Q: A board of directors' three formal responsibilities are to appoint the officers of the firm, declare dividends, and ________. A) write the firm's strategic plan B) conduct the annual meeting C) provide funding for the firm D) represent the firm in public relations activities E) oversee the affairs of the corporation

Q: A board of directors' three formal responsibilities are to appoint the officers of the firm, oversee the affairs of the corporation, and ________. A) conduct the annual meeting B) provide funding for the firm C) submit the firm's annual report to the stockholders D) declare dividends E) write the firm's strategic plan

Q: A board of directors' three formal responsibilities are to ________. A) periodically update the firm's business plan, declare dividends, and write the firm's marketing plan B) appoint the officers of the firm, declare dividends, and oversee the affairs of the corporation C) write the firm's strategic plan, declare dividends, and conduct the annual meeting D) appoint the officers of the firm, conduct the annual meeting, and submit the firm's annual report to the Securities & Exchange Commission E) provide funding to the firm, write the firm's strategic plan, and submit the firm's annual report to the Securities & Exchange Commission

Q: Adam Miller is a general partner in a venture capital firm that just funded Gold Coast Software, a software firm in Santa Barbara, California. Gold Coast Software is incorporated, and Adam has taken a seat on the firm's board of directors. In board of directors terminology, Keith is a(n) ________ director. A) subordinate B) senior C) distant D) inside E) outside

Q: James Williams is the Chief Operating Officer of a startup in the health food industry. He is also a member of his firm's board of directors. In board of directors terminology, James is a(n) ________ director. A) inside B) outside C) expert D) junior E) senior

Q: In the context of boards of directors, a(n) ________ director is someone who is not employed by the firm. A) outside B) inside C) external D) impartial E) peripheral

Q: In the context of boards of directors, a(n) ________ director is a person who is also an officer of the firm. A) outside B) junior C) inside D) expert E) senior

Q: A board of directors is typically made up of both ________ and ________ directors. A) junior; senior B) inside; outside C) experienced; inexperienced D) novice; expert E) paid; unpaid

Q: Calvin Tucker is in the process of launching an educational services firm. He plans to incorporate the firm. Because the firm will be incorporated, Calvin is legally required to have a ________. A) board of investors B) board of advisors C) customer advisory board D) board of directors E) panel of advisors and peers

Q: A(n) ________ is a person who is in business for themselves, works on their own time with their own tools and equipment, and performs services for a number of different clients. A) employee B) virtual assistant C) intern D) trainee E) freelancer

Q: A(n) ________ is a person who works for a business as an apprentice or trainee for the purpose of obtaining actual experience. A) freelancer B) consultant C) intern D) virtual assistant E) novice

Q: The Savvy Entrepreneurial Firm feature in Chapter 9 focuses on how business founders overcome a lack of business experience. Which of the following was not mentioned as a practical way for a new business founder to overcome a lack of business experience? A) Hiring consultants from a major consulting firm (e.g., Bain & Company or McKinsey & Company) B) Taking on a partner that has business experience C) Getting help from a Small Business Development Center D) Joining a Meetup group E) Participating in online forums

Q: A skills profile is a chart that depicts the ________. A) preferable skills and abilities of the members of a firm's board of advisors B) preferable skills and abilities of the members of a firm's board of directors C) most important skills that are needed in a business startup and where skills gaps exist D) skills and abilities that will be needed for a firm to maintain an aggressive growth strategy E) skills of a company's customers and how those skills impact the products and services a company provides

Q: Jason Andersen just finished writing a business plan for a new type of office supply store. One thing Jason included in the "Management Team & Company Structure" section of his business plan is a chart that depicts the most important skills that are needed for his business and where skills gaps exist. Jason included a(n)________ in his business plan. A) skills profile B) talent report C) abilities profile D) expertise report E) talent summary

Q: A(n) ________ is a chart that depicts the most important skills that are needed in a new venture and where skills gaps exist. A) expertise report B) talent profile C) abilities summary D) skills profile E) talent summary

Q: Sam Simpson is a four time business owner. One thing that has served Sam well throughout his entrepreneurial career is his ability to build and maintain relationships with people whose interests are similar or whose relationships could bring advantages to his new ventures. According to the textbook, Sam is a good ________. A) networker B) socializer C) linker D) assembler E) connector

Q: The process of building and maintaining relationships with people whose interests are similar or whose relationship could bring advantages to the firm is called ________. A) linking B) socializing C) networking D) associating E) connecting

Q: The What Went Wrong feature in Chapter 9 focuses on Deever, a 2008 startup that helped software developers use cloud-based services to "test" their code in an expedient manner. According to the feature, one of the primary reasons Deever failed was ________. A) it lacked a cofounder who loved the business side of running a startup B) the cofounders couldn't get along C) it didn't build a robust partnership network D) it didn't solicit advice from attorneys, bankers or business consultants E) it didn't have a Board of Advisors

Q: Which of the following qualities was not identified in the textbook as a preferred attribute of the founder(s) of a firm? A) Prior entrepreneurial experience B) Firm started by a team C) Relevant industry experience D) Prior experience working in a government or university position E) Higher education

Q: Which of the following statements is not true regarding the attributes of the founder(s) of a firm? A) Evidence suggests that important entrepreneurial skills are enhanced through higher education. B) Founders with prior entrepreneurial experience are more likely to avoid costly mistakes. C) Founders with experience in the same industry as their new ventures will typically have "blinders" on and are typically not as effective as founders new to the industry. D) Founders with broad social and professional networks have an advantage. E) New ventures that are started by a team rather than an individual have an advantage.

Q: According to the textbook, prior entrepreneurial experience ________. A) is one of the poorest predictors of future entrepreneurial performance B) is one of the most consistent predictors of future entrepreneurial performance for entrepreneurs under 50 years of age, but not for entrepreneurs over 50 years of age C) is one of the most consistent predictors of future entrepreneurial performance D) is one of the most consistent predictors of future entrepreneurial performance in service firms, but not in manufacturing firms E) has no relationship to future entrepreneurial performance

Q: According to the textbook, which of the following statements is inaccurate regarding the size and composition of the founding team of a firm? A) There is no relationship between a founding team's size and its effectiveness. B) A founding team larger than four people is typically too large to be practical. C) The members of a homogeneous founding team are similar in terms of their abilities and experiences. D) The members of a heterogeneous founding team are diverse in terms of their abilities and experiences. E) A founding team can be too big, causing communication problems and increasing potential for conflict.

Q: The members of homogeneous teams are ________ in terms of their ________. A) diverse; abilities and experiences B) diverse; abilities, but very similar in terms of their experiences C) similar; abilities and experiences D) diverse; experiences, but very similar in terms of their abilities E) sometimes diverse; abilities and experiences and sometimes similar along the same dimensions

Q: The members of heterogeneous teams are ________. A) diverse in terms of their abilities and experiences B) diverse in terms of their abilities, but very similar in terms of their experiences C) similar in terms of their abilities and experiences D) diverse in terms of their experiences, but very similar in terms of their abilities E) sometimes diverse in terms of their abilities and experiences and sometimes similar along the same dimensions

Q: Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding founding teams? A) The members of heterogeneous teams are diverse in terms of their abilities and experiences. B) Teams that are working together for the first time have an advantage over teams that have worked together before. C) The psychological support that cofounders of a new business can offer one another is an important element of a firm's success. D) The members of homogeneous teams are very similar in terms of their abilities and experiences. E) Studies show that more than one individual starts 50 to 70 percent of all new teams.

Q: Which of the following statements is untrue regarding founding teams? A) The members of heterogeneous teams are diverse in terms of their abilities and experiences. B) The members of homogenous teams are very similar in terms of their abilities and experiences. C) Teams that have worked together before have an edge. D) Studies show that more than one individual starts 50 to 70 percent of all new firms. E) It is generally believed that new ventures started by an individual have an advantage over new ventures started by a team.

Q: According to the textbook, studies show that more than one individual starts ________ percent of all new firms. A) 20 to 25 B) 50 to 70 C) 5 to 15 D) 30 to 40 E) 75 to 90

Q: Which of the following was not identified in the textbook as an element of a new venture team? A) Board of advisors B) Suppliers and vendors C) Key employees D) Lenders and investors E) Management team

Q: Kathy Denver is preparing to launch a home security firm. The team of people that will launch Kathy's firm are as follows: Kathy (CEO), Trevor (VP-Finance), Shelia (VP-Sales), a four-person Board of Directors, a five-person Board of Advisors, and Kathy's primary investor, who will assume an advisory role. The group of people that will launch Kathy's firm is called its ________. A) startup squad B) new venture panel C) new venture team D) startup cadre E) startup troop

Q: A ________ is the group of founders, key employees, and advisers that move a new venture from an idea to a fully functioning firm. A) new venture panel B) startup team C) new venture team D) new project team E) startup cadre

Q: Next Big Sound, the company profiled in the opening feature of Chapter 9, is a music analytics company. Which of the following statements in incorrect regarding Next Big Sound's co-founders, its personnel policies or the company itself? A) Next Big Sound has three co-founders. B) The co-founders have healthy debates, but are able to come to consensus and get along and trust one another. C) Because the co-founders could not agree who would be the company's CEO, the three share the title of co-CEOs. D) The idea for Next Big Sound was created at a Startup Weekend event in San Francisco. E) The firm is in located in New York, New York.

Q: Describe the term "liability of newness" and suggest several ways that a new venture can overcome this handicap.

Q: The term "liability of newness" refers to the fact that companies often falter because the people who start the firms can't adjust quickly enough to their new roles and because the firms lack "track records" with outside buyers and suppliers.

Q: The Partnering for Success feature in Chapter 9 focuses on a technique that entrepreneurs use to overcome the liabilities of newness. The suggestion made by the feature is to overcome the liabilities of newness by considering ________. A) interviewing a minimum of 20 startup founders to get a sense of what made them successful B) working in the new product development or corporate innovation division of a major corporation C) working for a startup for a minimum of two years before starting one D) earning an MBA E) joining a startup accelerator

Q: The high failure rate among new ventures is due, in part, to the liability of newness, which refers to the fact that new companies often falter because ________. A) they are underfunded and the founders of the firms don't move quickly enough to put together boards of directors and boards of advisors that can provide them direction and advice B) the founders of the firms underestimate the complexities involved with starting a new business and the firms lack a "track record" with outside buyers and sellers C) the people who start the firms can't adjust quickly enough to their new roles and the firms lack a "track record" with outside buyers and sellers D) the people who start the firms can't adjust quickly enough to their new roles and they are underfunded E) the founders of the firms underestimate the complexities involved with starting a new business and they don't move quickly enough to establish business partnerships