Executive Summary Assignment

ENT526 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES Fall 2020

Frequently Asked Questions Where can I find a startup?

You could try the DMZ, other zones at Ryerson, MarsDD, other GTA incubators, google search etc. It is your responsibility to research and identify a subject company.

What is the definition of a startup?

To be classified as a “startup” and thus be eligible for this assignment, a startup must not exceed any of the following guidelines:

1. The startup must have less than 20 full time employees;

2. The startup must be less than 5 years old; and

3. The startup must have less than $10,000,000 in revenue for the last 12 months.

Also, review your notes from class on the definition.

Be aware that the subject you chose must also be arm's length from you and not one started by the entrepreneur you wrote your entrepreneurial biography on.

How do I get full marks?

Make sure you reference all your sources using APA citation. Include a reference list and make sure you properly define AND apply course concepts to your company. There is even a standard for citing information obtained through interviewing a person.

How should my executive summary look?

Use the framework below.

Should I write in first or third person?

Neither. An executive summary describes a company, so it should be referred to as 'the company', or 'Company X'. Occasionally, executive summaries and business plans are written in first person, singular or plural, as though the founders are speaking. This is acceptable if you are the founder but less formal.

Who is the audience for the executive summary?

Your executive summary should be written for potential investors. The tone should be positive but factual.

Executive Summary Template/Outline/Format Elevator Pitch

 Always lead with a strong elevator pitch, review class slides for format of the elevator pitch

pg. 1/2

Overview

 Company basics (name, #of employees, sales figures, year of incorporation, business the company is in)

 Two paragraphs maximum

Industry Size/Structure

 Show how big it is, what stage it is in, and how the company fits into the industry’s value chain

 Start laying the foundation for the Pain

Opportunity

 Zero in on the opportunity being addressed, focus on the pain, and find validation that such pain is real and significant

 You may want to touch on how competitors are failing to address such or what alternatives future clients are currently using

 This paints the “before” picture

Product/Solution

 Paint the “after” picture

 Focus on how the product/solution will solve the pain

 Discuss and describe the attributes of the solution that will motivate adoption

Technology/Product/Service

 If not already covered, spend a short amount of time describing the platform that generates the products, what is the basis for product creation

 Outline the key Intellectual property the company has and lay the ground work for the competitive advantage

 Outline milestones met to date and what will come next

 Can go ahead of or behind the Product/Solution section

Company

 Spend some time giving the reader confidence on “why them?” for the company's team or founder(s), why are they the solution that will deliver in this space

 Address what has been done to date and what will have to be done next to be “a big winner” in this space/ industry segment

Leadership

 Describe the key elements in the talent triangle found in the management team

 Each one only gets a few sentences

 Where possible show how they have “been there – done that”

pg. 2/2