| MIT Enterprise Forum |
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| Saturday, 12 February 2005 | |
Rated R for Revenue
Selling and Marketing Your Next Great ThingJust returned from a stimulating conference presented by the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge. Titled "Rated R for Revenue" the organizers promised; "In this workshop, you'll learn the real-world tactics of pitching, positioning, branding, building a sales team, and rainmaking." They did not dissapoint.You may not be looking for venture cap funding, or launching a new business, but if you're looking for a new career, or looking for ways to enhance and grow your current career, guess what? Pitching, positioning, branding, building a sales team, and rainmaking are the most important skills to develop. If the "Next Great Thing" you're "Selling and Marketing" happens to be "you" -- read on... iRobot Founders In the opening Keynote Address, MIT graduates and iRobot co-founders Colin Angle, Chief Executive Officer, and Helen Greiner, Chairman of the Board, (along with their 26 month old daugher/robot driver) presented a highly entertaining step-by-step overview of how they built their successful company -- starting with their first robot "Genghis" in 1990 (now a resident at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum), to the products they're developing now for both consumer (Roomba) and military applications. iRobot has a small squadron of robots deployed in Iraq and Afganastan, defusing road mines, exploring caves, and providing real-time intelligence while allowing soldiers to stay out of harm's way. iRobot has over $37 million in funding from the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. iRobot is charged with developing a next-generation Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV). The founders discussed how they've created alliances and partnerships with with large organizations (such as Raytheon), to get access to government funding when they first started out. Colin talked at length about the importance of getting media exposure -- and how favorable press and TV exposure had helped build both the consumer and government/industrial business. Helen closed the presentation by showing the audience her "favorite postcard" from a soldier in Iraq addressed to "iRobot Hq." The soldier wrote; "You've saved lives today." Event Links: Converence Overview Presenters at the Conference Company Links: iRobot Constant Contact Kodiak Venture Partners nStor Morganthaler              |
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