1 - Fabio Jose dos Santos Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade da Universidade de São Paulo - FEA - São Paulo
2 - Ana Clara Berndt de Souza Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade da Universidade de São Paulo - FEA - FEA - USP
3 - Gisele Registro Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade da Universidade de São Paulo - FEA - São Paulo
Reumo
The LT Startup was envisioned by an engineer who lost his son to cancer. The company's main mission is to reduce the mortality rate of patients undergoing cancer treatment through a medical device that monitors children’s vital signs and transmits live alarms according to the child's health. The innovation gained notoriety and was invited to the Shark Tank TV Show. The founder offered 5% of company shares in exchange for an investment of R$1,250,000.00. The proposal was appreciated and, in return, the investors requested 25% of LT shares, which led to a proposal refusal.
The case teaching objectives all aim for an effective learning process. For this specific context, we are searching for: enhancing teamwork and collaboration; promoting the application of studied theories and concepts; foster critical thinking; show what decision making process looks like; and lastly, while the case is proposed in class, the students need to know the relevance of academic learning to real-world business situations. This enhances students' understanding of how theory applies in practice and also, in this context, shows how a university-led project can become a business.
A semi-structured interview (Gil, 2010) was used as the collection technique to understand the founder's decisions based on his entrepreneurial judgment. Some videos and TV programs were also used to understand the entrepreneur decision-making process. The names of the people and companies used were mischaracterized. Even so, all information presented is real and was authorized by the interviewee.
This case study can be used on several course levels and disciplines. Of course, this comes with different levels of analysis and expectations. Hence the case can be used for Undergraduate and Graduate courses, concerning management, entrepreneurship, and innovation disciplines. It is important to notice that, whenever using teaching cases, it is essential to consider the class-specific needs, backgrounds, learning styles, and objectives. Hence, making modifications is not only allowed but encouraged, to enhance group learning.
Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (1995). The Triple Helix--University-industry-government relations: A laboratory for knowledge-based economic development. EASST review, 14(1), 14-19
Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (1998). The endless transition: A" triple helix" of university-industry-government relations: Introduction. Minerva, 203-208.
Thomaz, L. D. W., & Autio, E. (2020). Innovation ecosystem in management: An organizing typology. In Oxford Encyclopedia of Business and Management. Oxford University Press.