X170 Mentor Session & Innovation Research Paper Guidance

Mentor Introductions & Core Advice

  • Vic (Finance, Raleigh, NC)

    • Hobbies: biking, photography, plans to ride in Little 500.
    • Advice:
    • “Run your own race.” Avoid constant comparison; it steals joy (T. Roosevelt quote).
    • Comparison can be inspirational if used positively, but destructive when it diminishes self-worth.

  • Lauren (Accounting + Sports Marketing, Detroit area)

    • Involvement: IU Swim Club, Student Athletic Board.
    • Advice: “It’s OK to be bad at things.” Try widely, discover passions.

  • Jillian (Mgmt & Business Analytics, Kokomo, IN)

    • Involvement: Singing Hoosiers (ensemble choreographer), IU Dance Marathon, Business Ops Consulting Workshop.
    • Advice: Seize every opportunity—her favorite activity came from a random dorm-text invite.

  • Yuki (Marketing & English, Brownsburg, IN; LEAD co-major)

    • Involvement: Mock Trial, Moot Court.
    • Advice: Don’t take only major requirements; electives you love boost performance & joy.

  • Nivi/Nidhi (Illinois; Women & Co, Capital Markets, JLC alum)

    • Advice: Explore life outside Kelley; Gen Eds are social and intellectual “stepping-stones.”

  • Julia (Management + LEAD; Sociology minor; from Bloomington area)

    • Changed major freshman year—proof exploration is normal.
    • Advice: Build relationships with professors—use names, visit office hours.

  • Sam/Tim (Auburn, IN; IPO Investing Club)

    • Advice: Create a daily study schedule (e.g., 2–4 PM2\text{–}4\,\text{PM} at Wells Library). Many courses are test-heavy—pre-plan.

  • Will (Finance & Accounting, Carmel, IN)

    • Advice: Write goals before the semester; revisit for growth. Example goal: earn 3.93.9 GPA—and achieved it.

  • Jenna (Marketing + Finance + LEAD; Spanish minor, West Lafayette)

    • Advice: Be ambitious and balanced; leave room to breathe and live beyond coursework.

Faculty & Staff Contributions

  • Prof. Jeanette Heidewald

    • Correlation study: students with perfect attendance overwhelmingly earned A’s.
    • Parental anecdote: Son declared major senior year—exploration endorsed.
    • Guiding mantra: “Show up every day.” Attendance is the foundation of success.

  • Dr. Bryce

    • Elaborated on comparison and AI ethics.
    • Warning: Chat is recorded—balance fun & professionalism (digital footprint).

  • Gary (Business Librarian)

    • Will teach database navigation (hundreds available); focus session on Thursday.

Innovation Research Paper (IRP)

Purpose

  • Strengthen professional writing.
  • Teach strategic use of IU Library business databases (expensive in industry, free for you).
  • Apply How Business Works lens—marketing, strategy, operations, finance, economics, tech, legal/ethics.

Timeline & Deliverables

  • Week-long sprint.
    1. Today: select idea.
    2. Thu.: database workshop + first-draft push.
    3. Next week: polished PDF submission, footnotes + MLA bibliography.
  • Future: Use IRP content in the X170 team slide deck; teammates act as “investors.”

Idea Options

  1. Your own venture (only if fully thought through already).
  2. Wefunder startup (recommended for most; provides rich, public data).
    • Minimum: choose from ≥ 6 live campaigns for breadth; pick 1 to analyze.

Required Components

  • Executive intro of product/service & pain-point solved.
  • Customer-segment analysis.
  • Competitive landscape & differentiation matrix.
  • Multidisciplinary discussion (marketing, ops, finance, etc.).
  • Data-driven visuals (charts/tables) from databases or startup materials.
  • Footnotes + MLA Works Cited; cite library sources primarily (others allowed).

Formatting Highlights

  • ≈ 6 pages (double-spaced ≈ 1,800–2,200 words).
  • Clear org structure, headings, transitions.
  • Convert final doc to PDF before upload.

Example Wefunder Explorations

  • Geoship – geodesic-dome housing; emphasis on sustainability, affordability, wellbeing; shows competitor matrix & investor roster.
  • Eyewear Startup (Swarna’s project) – founded by a young glasses user; features professional pitch video, high-school teammate, investor list.

AI Usage Policy & Best Practices

  • Treat AI (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Bard, KickPilot, etc.) as assistant, not author.
  • You are the manager: provide full context, critique output, ensure accuracy.
  • Free tiers are sufficient—avoid paywalls for this assignment.
  • Recommended workflow:
    1. Generate industry overview or brainstorm outline.
    2. Verify every claim via library databases.
    3. Rewrite in your own analytical voice.
  • Ethical warnings:
    • Blind copy-paste is detectable & undermines learning; some IU courses ban AI entirely—always check syllabus.
    • AI can hallucinate; corroborate facts.
  • Productive uses beyond writing:
    • Study aid: feed class notes to create custom practice questions.
    • Time management & idea mapping.

Professionalism & Networking

  • LinkedIn tips:
    • Personalize connection requests; follow up with dialogue—mere numbers ≠ network.
  • Microsoft Teams etiquette:
    • Post questions in public channels when possible (peers learn, faculty workload eases).
    • Use @Name to tag mentors; mentors available for DM but prefer shared threads.
  • Zoom/chat reminders: All interactions are recorded; maintain hybrid of fun & professionalism.

Study & Time-Management Strategies

  • Block study sessions in calendar (e.g., 2–42\text{–}4 Wells).
  • Use Gen Eds to grow both academically and socially.
  • Maintain hobby/fitness outlets (Little 500, swim club, choir, photography).
  • Write measurable goals (GPA, club leadership, internships) and revisit each term.
  • “Growth phase” mindset—expect to not be good at everything yet.

Statistical Nuggets & Misc.

  • Startup reality: costs/time often ×2\times 2 of initial estimates.
  • Mentor poll:
    • 8%8\% run an active business.
    • 20%20\% started a business but closed it.
    • 12%12\% have an idea but haven’t launched.
  • Research-paper poll (≈ 1,000 students):
    • ≈33%\approx 33\% have written business research papers.
    • ≈60%\approx 60\% written research papers in other fields.

Immediate Action Checklist

  • [ ] Browse Wefunder; shortlist 3–5 intriguing campaigns.
  • [ ] Select one idea TODAY.
  • [ ] Skim the 6-page IRP handout on Canvas—highlight requirements.
  • [ ] Create working document; draft the “Idea & Pain Point” section.
  • [ ] Experiment with at least two AI tools before Thursday; note pros/cons.
  • [ ] Attend Thursday’s session with chosen idea, questions, and AI takeaways ready.

Remember: Show up, stay curious, manage AI—don’t let it manage you.