Sunday, March 25, 2007
Want to start a business? Write a thesis.
In Boston last week, I went to a thesis-writer's meeting for ALM students at the Harvard Extension School. I started taking courses in 2002, and in order to graduate by 2009 I only need to take two more courses and write a thesis. Before I can write the thesis, I have to get the topic approved by the ALM program director. This calls for a proposal. I finished my first draft of a proposal in mid-February. Between waiting for comments and doing further revisions and refinements, I expect that it'll take at least a few more months, or perhaps even the summer, to secure approval for the topic. Once I get approval, I'll be assigned to a Harvard faculty member who will act as thesis director. I'll then have nine months to write the thesis.
So far, I have taken several classes related to foreign literature (in translation). But I can only write one thesis. My field is talking dogs. Their history goes back farther than you might think. In fact, I have spent almost two years tracing the history of talking dogs throughout the ages. But that's too big of a topic for a thesis.
It struck me that coming up with a thesis topic has a few aspects in common with developing an idea for a startup business. The thesis proposal stands in for the business plan, and the Harvard faculty member represents venture capital. Just like a business plan, a thesis topic has to be focused, realistic, well-researched and with potential appeal to the people who will invest something of value, whether it's expertise, money or both.
It's not a perfect analogy. For instance, the program director remains unique to academia as a single point of access to the intellectual resources of the university. The thesis has to be letter-perfect before it ever reaches the desk of a Harvard professor. Plus, degree candidates are not allowed to cold call professors or do elevator pitches at the faculty club.
Eventually, I narrowed the focus of my thesis to a single short story by a single author. (More about this to come.) The point is that I had the opportunity to write about anything in the field of foreign literature and culture. My research interests brought me to talking dogs, and within that I found a single question which I will investigate and hope to answer. The question has enough heft to support extended study, but isn't so vague as to be dissolute.
By the same token[1], in order to successfully start a business, you need focus. You can't just say, "I can do either X, Y and Z" and expect to launch. Of course, it's good to spend time doing X, Y and Z to determine which avenue has the most promise, and what specific service within that would provide the most value. And that's part of what I've been doing for the past six months. I know a lot more about what I could be doing. Now it's time to pick something specific and run with it.
___
[1] Considering that you can't buy tokens anymore in Boston or New York City, do we have to start saying, "By the same MetroCard?"
So far, I have taken several classes related to foreign literature (in translation). But I can only write one thesis. My field is talking dogs. Their history goes back farther than you might think. In fact, I have spent almost two years tracing the history of talking dogs throughout the ages. But that's too big of a topic for a thesis.
It struck me that coming up with a thesis topic has a few aspects in common with developing an idea for a startup business. The thesis proposal stands in for the business plan, and the Harvard faculty member represents venture capital. Just like a business plan, a thesis topic has to be focused, realistic, well-researched and with potential appeal to the people who will invest something of value, whether it's expertise, money or both.
It's not a perfect analogy. For instance, the program director remains unique to academia as a single point of access to the intellectual resources of the university. The thesis has to be letter-perfect before it ever reaches the desk of a Harvard professor. Plus, degree candidates are not allowed to cold call professors or do elevator pitches at the faculty club.
Eventually, I narrowed the focus of my thesis to a single short story by a single author. (More about this to come.) The point is that I had the opportunity to write about anything in the field of foreign literature and culture. My research interests brought me to talking dogs, and within that I found a single question which I will investigate and hope to answer. The question has enough heft to support extended study, but isn't so vague as to be dissolute.
By the same token[1], in order to successfully start a business, you need focus. You can't just say, "I can do either X, Y and Z" and expect to launch. Of course, it's good to spend time doing X, Y and Z to determine which avenue has the most promise, and what specific service within that would provide the most value. And that's part of what I've been doing for the past six months. I know a lot more about what I could be doing. Now it's time to pick something specific and run with it.
___
[1] Considering that you can't buy tokens anymore in Boston or New York City, do we have to start saying, "By the same MetroCard?"
Labels: literature, talking dogs
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