If after reading through this page and the class page you still have questions, please email:
tjhollan@ncsu.edu
All interested students should attend the Info Sessions to have their questions answered and prepare for the class.
Info Session: FAQ
I am interested in a particular topic and would like more information. Who should I contact?
If you have already checked out the SOF Challenges page, contact Sergeant Major Bob Burton
Do all team members have to be active students?
Each team must be comprised of enrolled NCSU* students.
** NCSU has agreements with most other UNC University System schools to allow students who are enrolled at other UNC schools, and some private institutions, to take the course at NCSU. Contact Lisa Chang for more details.
I choose a one SOF Challenge or do can I select all I find interesting?
Choose all the problems you find interesting. Once enrollment is closed, we will finalize the problems and give students a chance to meet and form teams
General
Do teams receive funding?
Each team will have $1,500 to use for travel and prototyping.
Do I have to be a US citizen to take this class?
No, all nationalities are welcome and encouraged. While the problems posed to the class are explicitly U.S. focused at the moment, we believe every student would benefit from experiencing the course.
Do I have to have previous experience with the military or DOD/IC (Department of Defense/Intelligence Community)?
No prior DOD/IC experience required. The class has a set of mentors to assist the teams (see the teaching team section.) The class is a unique opportunity to gain exposure to these communities.
Intellectual Property
Who owns the intellectual property tested in the Mission Model?
If you’re working with a NC State related-technology (i.e. either research from one of the team members or University IP), you must check with the Office of Technology, Licensing to understand NC State ownership rights in any resulting IP.
- You own what Intellectual Property (patents, hardware, algorithms, etc.) you brought to class with you. No one (other than NC State) has claim to anything you brought to class.
- You all own any intellectual property developed for the class (such as code for a web-based project) developed during class. You are agreeing to open-source your class developed assets. Your DOD/IC sponsor will have access to those materials.
- You and your team members need to disclose to each other and your DOD/IC sponsor what IP/Licensing rights any company you’ve worked at has to inventions you make at school.
- If any or you decide to start a company based on the class, you own only what was written and completed in the class. You have no claim for work done before or after the class quarter.
- If a subset of the team decides to start a company they do NOT “owe” anything to any other team members for work done in and during the class. All team members are free to start the same company, without permission of the others. (We would hope that a modicum of common sense and fairness would apply.)
- By taking this class you have agreed to these terms with your team. You may decide to modify these terms before the class by having all team members agree in writing before the team is accepted in the class.
I feel my idea / Mission Model may become a real company and the “next killer app” and I want to own it myself what should I do?
This is more than likely the wrong class to take. Your slides, notes and findings will be publicly shared. Your team owns everything done in class. Discuss Intellectual Property rights with your team from the beginning. If you can’t come to agreement with the team, join another team, pick another project, or drop the class. Remember anything you do and learn in the class is public.
Will my Intellectual Property rights be protected when I discuss my ideas with the class?
NO. This is an open class. There are no non-disclosures. All your presentations and Customer Discovery and Validation notes, business model canvas, blogs and slides can, and most likely will, be made public. This class is not an incubator. At times you will learn by seeing how previous classes solved the same class of problem by looking at their slides, notes and blogs.
Keep in mind that successful companies are less about the original idea and more about the learning, discovery and execution. (That’s the purpose of this class.) Therefore you must be prepared to share your ideas openly with the class. It is a forum for you to “bounce” your ideas off your peers.
Resources Available
What kind of support will our team have?
The teaching team consists of professors, experienced military professionals, and multiple technical subject matter experts. Each team will be assigned a military mentors. A mentor is an experienced SOF Operator who will help your team. They’ve volunteered to help with the class and your team because they love hard problems, love startups and appreciate the importance of addressing problems facing the DoD/IC. Their job is to guide you as you get out of the building and to interface effectively with your DoD/IC sponsors.
How often can we/should we meet with our mentor?
Your mentor is expecting to meet with you at least every week face-to-face or by Skype. You can email them or meet with them more often if they have time.
Can I talk to a mentor not assigned to my team?
By all means, do so. All the mentors are happy to help. However they cannot support your team full time unless your mentor decides to swap places with them.
I have a busy schedule and my mentor can’t meet when I want them to.
Mentors have day jobs. Asking them to meet or reply to you ASAP is not acceptable. So plan ahead to allow for a reasonable amount of time for a reply or meeting. Be concise with your request and be respectful of their time.
Team Dynamics
What roles are in each team?
Traditionally, each team member is part of the “customer development team”. You have to figure out how to allocate the work.
What if my team becomes dysfunctional?
Prepare to work through difficult issues. If the situation continues, approach the teaching team. Do not wait until the end of the quarter to raise the issue.
What if one of my teammates is not “pulling his/her weight”?
Try to resolve it within your team. If the situation continues longer than a week, please approach the teaching team. Final grades will also reflect individual participation and contribution.
What kind of feedback can I expect?
Continual feedback weekly. Substandard quality work will be immediately brought to your attention