On Teaching Next-Gen Startup Founders
On Teaching Next-Gen Startup Founders
When I conceptualized and developed a course on building and launching tech startups in the music industry at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, my goal was simple yet ambitious: I wanted to prepare the next generation of young entrepreneurs to enter the competitive startup landscape with a breadth of music industry knowledge, a fundamental understanding of strategic business research and planning skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and founder insights gained from guest speakers, internships, and networking opportunities.
After spending several years advising, mentoring, and consulting founders of music tech and digital media startups, I felt that universities and colleges had a unique opportunity to prepare individuals early on with a robust class in music industry entrepreneurship and innovation. UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music agreed and hired me to develop and teach such a course course in 2016; a course that Billboard recognized among its list of “The 15 Best Music Business Schools In 2017.”
It is with this backdrop that I am made ever more proud by many of my former students who do exactly what I had hoped my class would inspire them to do: pursue a path towards music industry entrepreneurship.
That said, I’d like to shine a spotlight on one of my former students and his innovative startup.
David Hartley is a former student and the founder of SoundSmith, a marketplace for artists, labels and distributors to automate their influencer marketing on TikTok. They’ve recently been accepted to the Startmate business accelerator program.
David took my class in Winter 2018 and was a shining example of a model student. Not only was he engaged during lectures and guest speakers, he excelled in completing course assignments. He and his collaborators leveraged my officer hours to seek advice on their startup ideas and took full advantage of the ancillary opportunities that I offered students to land an internship at Repost by SoundCloud.
Students like David is what makes teaching music industry entrepreneurship enjoyable and stories like his is what makes it rewarding.
See David’s message to me below via LinkedIn (shared with his permission).
Music Industry Entrepreneurship Masterclass
Price: $190
Duration: 4 hours (with breaks)
Order: Click here to purchase.
Course Overview
From digital-first record labels and social music apps to AR/VR music experiences and blockchain-based music streaming startups, entrepreneurs have been disrupting and innovating across the music industry since the launch of Napster in the early 2000’s.
In this masterclass, you will learn to apply principles of entrepreneurship and fundamental business strategies to the music industry in ways that will make you a stronger asset within a team or a more strategic music creator or entrepreneur.
Learning Objectives
- How to form quality ideas using design thinking techniques in the ideation process.
- Understanding the intellectual property implications of your creations, products and services in the music industry.
- How to utilize market research and quantification methodology to vet ideas and quantify opportunity in the music industry before you invest your time and resources.
- How to throw away your 30 page business plan and instead develop an actionable business model that centers around product-market fit.
- How to launch with a lean go-to-market strategy.
- How to develop basic digital marketing funnels.
- How to get out of your own way by applying data-driven strategies to prioritize your monetizable skills. (Key insight for music creators seeking to monetize their skills while building a career as a performer.)
- How to keep yourself motivated by identifying and repeating your most powerful motivators.
- How to attract co-founders and build teams on a budget.
- How to build company culture in small or remote teams.
Apple To Recruit College Students For Apple Music From UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
I am pleased to announce that Apple has selected my Billboard-recognized class, Music Industry Entrepreneurship and Innovation, at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as a preferred source to recruit aspiring music industry professionals into its college internship programs at Apple Music.
Upon successful completion of an internship and graduation from UCLA, recent grads may become eligible for full-time employment at Apple music divisions.
An Apple Worldwide Recruiting representative will visit my class in January 2019 to promote their internship program to my students and answer any questions that students might have.
I am pleased with Apple’s decision to partner with universities and educators that deliver best-in-class education and experiences to students who may become tomorrow’s music industry leaders.
In reviewing my class students have shown great appreciation for the course and the speaker series that I curate throughout the quarter:
Hi Dae, Just wanted to thank you for an awesome class. This was one of the few classes at UCLA where I felt I was taught skills, not just about the subject matter but in how to go about achieving my career goals, that were applicable to my endeavors and will be used for the rest of my life. I got more out of it than I had with any other course here and I would highly recommend your class to to anyone interested in a music industry career.
– Student testimonial, Winter Quarter 2018
Without a doubt one of the most useful classes I have taken in my undergraduate career at UCLA. Professor Bogan has so much real world knowledge and knows how to convey that knowledge in a classroom setting immensely well. All the course material was invaluable to my progression and aspirations of being in the music industry. Every lecture was extremely well-prepared, with amazing guest speakers and information that I will be using for the rest of my life. Professor Bogan did a phenomenal job and I will be recommending this class to all my friends interested in music or starting their own company. Can’t say enough good things about this class.
– Student testimonal, Winter Quarter 2018
In addition to the relationship with Apple, I am excited to announce that I’ve established a relationship with music tech start-up accelerator Techstars Music that allows me to recommend student and alumni owned start-ups for consideration to receive seed investment and to participate in its accelerator program.
I look forward to continuing to add value to my course to offer students one of the best experiences in their academic careers at UCLA.
Dae Bogan Returns To UCLA Herb Alpert School Of Music To Teach Billboard-recognized Course
I am happy to announce that my UCLA top rated and Billboard recognized course on music entrepreneurship will return to UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music next quarter, Winter 2019.
Course Title: MSC IND 188: Music Industry Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Course Description: From digital-first record labels and music messaging apps to AR/VR (augmented reality / virtual reality) music experiences and blockchain-based music startups, entrepreneurs have been disrupting and innovating across the music industry since the launch of Napster in the early 2000’s.
In this course, you will learn and apply principles of entrepreneurship and fundamental business strategies to the music industry. We will analyze case studies and current events and participate in critical discussions around music industry entrepreneurship.
Course work will consist of developing business plans, workgroup labs, and building out infrastructure for start-ups that focus on technology and innovation in the music industry; all culminating in the pitch of a fictitious music industry company at the end of the quarter. You will also take away cautionary tales and lessons for success from founder stories presented by guest speakers of music industry start-ups and executives from established music industry companies.
Personal Note: I developed “Music Industry Entrepreneurship and Innovation” as a forward-thinking course which reflects the kind of entrepreneurial exploration we will do around new business models and emerging technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence in music composition, blockchain in music rights administration, cryptocurrency as royalty payments, augmented reality and mixed reality in music education, virtual reality in music experiences such as concerts, etc.). I’m looking forward to taking this journey with you starting January 2019.
Student testimonials:
Without a doubt one of the most useful classes I have taken in my undergraduate career at UCLA. Professor Bogan has so much real world knowledge and knows how to convey that knowledge in a classroom setting immensely well. All the course material was invaluable to my progression and aspirations of being in the music industry. Every lecture was extremely well-prepared, with amazing guest speakers and information that I will be using for the rest of my life. Professor Bogan did a phenomenal job and I will be recommending this class to all my friends interested in music or starting their own company. Can’t say enough good things about this class. – Anonymous, Student Course Evaluation
Very strong thought person allows him to be a very quality, natural teacher and mentor. Very cool to learn from a self made millionaire. Very humble and engaging. Understands the value on unorthodox education. – Anonymous, Student Course Evaluation
Hello Dae,
Hope your week has been going well! I just wanted to thank you for an amazing quarter. I really learned a lot from you and would love to keep in touch in the future. The information I gained from your class will help me in developing my professional career in the music industry and I just wanted to let you know how much of an impact you’ve had on me. Thank you!
Best,
R.
Hello Professor,
Thank you so much for all the knowledge you have provided this year, I have profoundly enjoyed your class.-M.
Hi Dae,
Thank you for everything this quarter.
Not only have I learned so much about the music industry and entrepreneurship skills from your class, but you also taught me how to value my time and sense of self highly. With these valuable tools and mindsets, I have started to believe in myself so much more and I have also set higher standards for my life with purpose, thanks to you.
I appreciate the active investment you put in our actual learning through outside resources and guests. This class was a special experience, which has honestly been very hard to find in many of my professors these four years.
[Omitted]
I wish you enormous success in your future! I hope to be there one day as well 🙂
Best Regards,
E.
Dear Professor Bogan,
Hope this email finds you well! [Omitted]
I was truly inspired by your entrepreneurship and knowledge. It is great to see someone that looks like me be passionate, knowledgeable, and successful in the music industry. I also am grateful for all of the tools you gave us to create our own businesses. The things we learned are truly priceless and will help us structure our ideas and concepts for a lifetime. Moreover, thank you for the diverse array of music industry professionals you brought into the class, because of the depth of your network, you connected us with someone from just about every aspect of the industry, which gave me personal accounts of what is needed to get into this industry. I can tell that you carefully craft every aspect of your class, and I truly appreciate the effort and dedication to student learning.
[Omitted]
Not a goodbye, but definitely see you later! Thanks for a great quarter!
Best,
S.
Hi Dae,
Just wanted to thank you for an awesome class. This was one of the few classes at UCLA where I felt I was taught skills, not just about the subject matter but in how to go about achieving my career goals, that were applicable to my endeavors and will be used for the rest of my life.
I got more out of it than I had with any other course here and I would highly recommend your class to to anyone interested in a music industry career.See you around hopefully,
A.
UCLA To Offer Dae Bogan’s Music Industry Entrepreneurship Class This Summer, Open To General Public
For the second time, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music plans to offer Dae Bogan’s Music Industry Entrepreneurship class this summer. The non-theory workshop-style class will be offered under the college’s Special Courses in Music Industry designation MUS IND 188 and will be open to UCLA students as well as the general public.
About the course:
Learn and apply real-world business strategies and entrepreneurship principles to the music industry from a serial entrepreneur who has founded six and successfully sold three music industry companies. Meet and network with music industry entrepreneurs and professionals during an in-class speaker series. Whether you’re interested in founding a music industry company or working your way up to management of an existing company, learn skills from professionals who’ve taken music industry companies to the next level in recorded music, music publishing, live/touring, artist management, marketing/branding, and tech.
Enrollment:
- Open to UCLA students and the general public.
- Financial aid is available.
- UCLA Summer Sessions website
- Course Details page: click here
Previous students’ testimonials:
Without a doubt one of the most useful classes I have taken in my undergraduate career at UCLA. Professor Bogan has so much real world knowledge and knows how to convey that knowledge in a classroom setting immensely well. All the course material was invaluable to my progression and aspirations of being in the music industry. Every lecture was extremely well-prepared, with amazing guest speakers and information that I will be using for the rest of my life. Professor Bogan did a phenomenal job and I will be recommending this class to all my friends interested in music or starting their own company. Can’t say enough good things about this class. – Anonymous, Student Course Evaluation
Very strong thought person allows him to be a very quality, natural teacher and mentor. Very cool to learn from a self made millionaire. Very humble and engaging. Understands the value on unorthodox education. – Anonymous, Student Course Evaluation
Hello Dae,
Hope your week has been going well! I just wanted to thank you for an amazing quarter. I really learned a lot from you and would love to keep in touch in the future. The information I gained from your class will help me in developing my professional career in the music industry and I just wanted to let you know how much of an impact you’ve had on me. Thank you!
Best,
R.
Hello Professor,
Thank you so much for all the knowledge you have provided this year, I have profoundly enjoyed your class.-M.
Hi Dae,
Thank you for everything this quarter.
Not only have I learned so much about the music industry and entrepreneurship skills from your class, but you also taught me how to value my time and sense of self highly. With these valuable tools and mindsets, I have started to believe in myself so much more and I have also set higher standards for my life with purpose, thanks to you.
I appreciate the active investment you put in our actual learning through outside resources and guests. This class was a special experience, which has honestly been very hard to find in many of my professors these four years.
[Omitted]
I wish you enormous success in your future! I hope to be there one day as well 🙂
Best Regards,
E.
Dear Professor Bogan,
Hope this email finds you well! [Omitted]
I was truly inspired by your entrepreneurship and knowledge. It is great to see someone that looks like me be passionate, knowledgeable, and successful in the music industry. I also am grateful for all of the tools you gave us to create our own businesses. The things we learned are truly priceless and will help us structure our ideas and concepts for a lifetime. Moreover, thank you for the diverse array of music industry professionals you brought into the class, because of the depth of your network, you connected us with someone from just about every aspect of the industry, which gave me personal accounts of what is needed to get into this industry. I can tell that you carefully craft every aspect of your class, and I truly appreciate the effort and dedication to student learning.
[Omitted]
Not a goodbye, but definitely see you later! Thanks for a great quarter!
Best,
S.
Hi Dae,
Just wanted to thank you for an awesome class. This was one of the few classes at UCLA where I felt I was taught skills, not just about the subject matter but in how to go about achieving my career goals, that were applicable to my endeavors and will be used for the rest of my life.
I got more out of it than I had with any other course here and I would highly recommend your class to to anyone interested in a music industry career.See you around hopefully,
A.
From the syllabus (subject to change):
About this course
From recorded music and music publishing to live music and merchandise, entrepreneurs have been disrupting and innovating across the music industry for decades. In this course, students will learn and apply fundamental principles of entrepreneurship to the music industry. Students will analyze case studies and current events and participate in critical discussions around alternative business strategies in music industry entrepreneurship. Course work will consist of group assignments, workgroup labs, and strategic planning; all culminating in the presentation of a fictitious music industry company at the end of the session.
Learning goals
Students will finish the program understanding:
- Fundamental principles of entrepreneurship.
- The nature and function of strategic business planning.
- Business tools and concepts around market research and ideation.
- Forces affecting the music industry that shape how businesses operate.
- How to develop and execute a lean go-to-market strategy.
Dae Bogan To Teach “Music Industry Entrepreneurship” Class At UCLA Summer Session, June 27th – August 1st – Open To General Public
Dae Bogan, Co-founder and CEO of music rights and metadata management startup TuneRegistry and a UCLA alumnus, has been confirmed to develop and instruct a course on music industry entrepreneurship at UCLA.
The 4-unit course will be included among UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music‘s class offerings through the UCLA Summer Session program. The class is open to UCLA students (undergraduate and graduate students) as well as Non-UC students/general public.
Class Schedule: Tuesdays, 10:00am-2:00pm, June 27th, 2017 – August 1st, 2017 (view course catalog listing)
Tuition & Fees: Starting at $1,270 (view fee schedule)
From the tentative syllabus:
The music industry is an ecosystem consisting of an interrelated network of robust sectors. From recorded music and music publishing to live music and mobile apps, entrepreneurs have been disrupting and innovating across these sectors for decades. In the Digital Age of music, there has been a spike in startups across all sectors of the music industry with new players entering the industry despite cautionary tales of challenge and failure. They’ve re-shaped how consumers access music, they’ve challenged the relationships between so-called gatekeepers and aspiring musicians, and they’ve created niche markets that have grown to become billion dollar sectors. They’ve launched new talent in innovative ways and they’ve earned one hundred million dollar valuations within mere months. This is the entrepreneurial spirit at work. This is the manifestation of great ideas at work. This is entrepreneurship in the music industry.
In this course, students will learn fundamental principles of entrepreneurship across all phases of the start-up process. Students will analyze case studies and current events and participate in critical discussions around alternative business strategies in music industry entrepreneurship. Course work will consist of group assignments, workgroup labs, and strategic planning; all culminating in the presentation of a fictitious music industry company at the end of the session.
To learn more or to enroll, contact the UCLA Summer Sessions program at http://summer.ucla.edu. The class ID is 434828200 (Music Industry 188 – Special Courses in Music Industry: Music Industry Entrepreneurship)
10 Questions Music Tech Startup Founders Should Ask When Choosing An Accelerator or Incubator
It is not news that the world of business accelerators and incubators is booming. The Top 15 incubators attract thousands of applicants for each cohort submission period. With over 50% of startups raising over $1 million each in additional financing after graduating a top program, many eager young entrepreneurs flock to these opportunities hoping to breakthrough.
Unfortunately, with only a 1% admission rate, getting accepted to Harvard Business School may be easier than a top accelerator or incubator program.
#Entrepreneurs by Dae Bogan
#Entrepreneurs by Dae Bogan
One day we’ll look back at this era of hustle and say,
Wow! That was the easy part.
Entrepreneurs. American dreamers.
Startup junkies. Go-getters and visionaries.
Slaves to a cocktail of intuition, logic, and the freedom of expression.
Creatives. Savvyists.
We desire and fear growth.
With every day of growth,
The intensity of accountability,
The pressure to set and reach higher expectations,
Increases exponentially.
But at last, this is what fuels the entrepreneurial spirit.
This is what entrepreneurs do.
This is who entrepreneurs are.
Game changers. Entrepreneurs.
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