Planning the New Venture.

Having great ideas and singling out the great opportunity is only the first step in a long journey to a viable venture. The next steps typically need some planning, mostly packaged into what will eventually become a "business plan." The exercise of putting a business plan together is a helpful one, and by the end of the process you will have a document that helps you and potential investors think about how promising the venture truly is. This chapter covers the whys and how-tos of a business plan in depth, looking at the main parts and why they are important, as well as what to do with your business plan. In addition, we will look at other common themes characteristic of the early phase of technology startups such as product development and marketing and communications strategy, as well as issues of intellectual property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]