Best of: Training the next generation of entrepreneurs

The Future of Everything

It’s graduation season here at Stanford and students are getting ready to collect their diplomas and take their education out into the real world. A couple years ago, we sat down with Tina Seelig, a professor in our Management Science and Engineering department who’s done a lot of research on how we can teach skills including imagination, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship — all things that can come in handy when you’re setting out to make a positive contribution to the world. We’re re-running this episode today, so whether you’re a new grad trying to figure out your next steps, or someone simply looking for a solution to a big challenge, we hope you’ll tune in again and be inspired.

Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].

Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Tina Seelig

Connect With Us:

• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
• Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
• Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces Tina Seelig, professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University.

(00:02:04) Is Entrepreneurship Teachable?

Whether entrepreneurial traits can be learned or are innate.

(00:04:22) Parsing the Creative Process

Differences between imagination, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

(00:05:52) Universality of Entrepreneurial Skills

How entrepreneurial skills apply to industries beyond tech.

(00:07:33) Teaching with Framestorming

A method to redefine problems before jumping to solutions.

(00:10:29) Framestorming vs Brainstorming

The concept of “framestorming” and why it’s critical for innovation.

(00:12:05) Inventing the Future Course

Tina’s course where students debate the ethics of emerging technologies.

(00:13:35) Creativity and Ethical Considerations

The importance of separating ideas from judgment while innovating.

(00:16:20) Anticipating the Downside

How students often identify ethical risks in technologies even experts miss.

(00:18:49) Creativity and Leadership

Why leaders need creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking.

(00:19:42) Teaching Leadership

Cultivating leadership through values-driven education and training.

(00:21:01) Combatting Leadership Stereotypes

Creating diversity cohorts to show leadership comes in many forms.

(00:22:58) How to Engineer Your Own Luck

Outlining the differences between fortune, chance, and luck.

(00:25:50) The Micro-Decisions of Luck

How consistent effort and initiative lead to perceived “luck.”

(00:27:34) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook