San Francisco science exercise and teaching note

Sean C. Safford

The exercise is a practical application in entrepreneurship emphasizing the entrepreneurial implications of social capital. Students are asked to outline the steps they would take to build a new company based on information found in the Jerry Sanders case (HBS Case: 9-489-021 and HBS Teaching Note: 5-400-008). Students are then asked to assume the role of key stakeholders relevant to San Francisco Science's viability and success. As they work through these stakeholder scenarios, information about the industry network is revealed. This creates a teaching opportunity concerning the importance to entrepreneurs of analyzing social networks and strategically managing relationships within them. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Social Networks, Social Capital, Medical Instruments Industry, Stakeholders.