This document provides an introduction and outline for a course on understanding business problems and developing solutions. The goals are to make sense of business problems, understand how businesses work, and learn tools for analyzing issues, developing options, and deciding on the best course of action. Key topics will include the nature of problems, the business model canvas, innovation, customer perspectives, and putting together an operational business model. Students will apply these concepts through assignments analyzing real businesses and developing solutions.

1. The Bottom line

2. Introduction
Introduction
Course goals and outline
Assignments
The nature of problems
assignment: the businessmodel

3. #TIIB
#mindamp

4. • Twitter: @ecphaff #tbl
• Facebook: Ernst Phaff
• course wiki: thebottomline.pbwiki.com

5. Course goals
Make sense of a businessproblems so you can propose a course
of action.
Understanding the nature of (business) problems
Understanding how a business interfaces with its enviroment

6. Cracking cases...
understanding the “business”
understanding the “problem”
coming up with “options”
deciding the best course of action
making a plan

7. Outline
Lecture 1:
introduction
nature of problems
assignment: the businessmodel
Lecture 2
the businessmodel canvas
under pressure: the nature of innovation
assignment: propose a better business
Lecture 3:
the businessmodel canvas, iteration
assignment: the customers perspective

8. Lecture 4:
Improving you value proposition
Real person, real problem: lean startup method
Lecture 5:
Making decisions
Lecture 6:
Putting it together

9. Main perspectives
Complexity theory & effectuation
The businessmodel canvas
no book: check the wiki for background stuff, assignments and
the sheets

10. The idea of TBL
70% - 20% - 10%
&
CFIMITYM

11. Final Assignment
1 operationalized businessmodel canvas
this test will show if you can quickly get an understanding of how a
business “fits” in an enviroment, where adjustments can be made, and
what these adjustments might do to your profits...
presented in a 10 minute video
1 critique of a business strategy using the tools and concepts of
the course.

14. http://youtu.be/nEl0NsYn1fU

15. Businesses are much like moon travel

17. “The mantra of resilience is early detection, fast
recovery, rapid exploitation.”
http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/2011/03/the_mantra_of_resilience.php

18. Is this a “normal” problem or and “exceptional
problem?

19. Opportunity: Coup d’Oeil
When all is said and done, it really is the commander's coup
d'œil, his ability to see things simply, to identify the whole
business of war completely with himself, that is the essence of
good generalship. Only if the mind works in this comprehensive
fashion can it achieve the freedom it needs to dominate events
and not be dominated by them.

20. “a fool with a tool is still a fool”

22. Complexity

23. Turbulence

24. illustration...: the marshmallow challenge
20 spaghetti sticks
1 marshmallow
1 m of tape
build the highest structure to hold a marshmallow at the pinnacle
the structure must “stand”
highest standing structure wins

26. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...
This is a primer for the businessmodel topic for next week
Form groups of max 4 persons
visit one of these places:
Vapiano (for lunch/dinner)
Bazar (for lunch / dinner)
Dudok (for coffee)
Coffee company (for coffee)
Cafe de witte aap (for drinks)
Warung Mini (for a late night snack)
Shabu-Shabu (for dinner)
the Tiki-Bar (for drinks)
Do not use Google! make a picture to prove that you’ve been there in
person.
Do not tell anyone that it’s for a project

27. Answer these questions (make sure you can present them next
week)
“who is buying?”
“why? what are their motivations”
“what is being sold?”
“estimate their turnover”
“what are key points in their businessmodel”
bonus: think of a way to improve the businessmodel

28. Next week:
building a businessmodel out of your findings
coming up with options, fast...