Digital Literacy for Decision Makers

COURSE DESCRIPTION Unrelenting technological progress demands entrepreneurs, executives, and managers to continually upgrade their skills in the pursuit of emerging opportunities. As “software eats the world”, executives from all industries are increasingly called upon to be “Full Stack”: capable of making competent decisions across domains as diverse as digital technology, design, product, and marketing. In this course, we begin with primers on code, design, and product management. Once the foundation is laid, we examine the best practices for building great products and exceptional teams. We conclude with an overview of how technology is changing the way products are marketed, distributed, and monetized. Our goal is to equip “non-technical” executives with the terminology, tools, and context required to effect change in a software­ and internet-driven world. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES To provide an understanding of the technologies that we encounter everyday, and how history can inform the technology decisions executives face today. To become familiar the concepts that underpin modern computer programming, empowering managers to engage with engineers credibly and confidently. To shed light on the processes and tools designers use to solve user-facing design and architecture challenges. To clarify what product managers do, walk through the nitty-gritty of managing software development, and equip executives with the best practices for evaluating and improving their products. To prepare managers to identify, recruit, and nurture the technical talent they will need to succeed in today’s highly competitive labor market. To familiarize students with the dynamic context in which technology products live, ensuring the profitable and widespread delivery of those products.