MOT entrepreneurs in second life

Providing insight for MOT students into the difficulties faced by technology entrepreneurs remains a crucial goal for educators. Searching for tools and techniques to accomplish this goal is a never-ending process. One contemporary approach is to immerse MOT students in a metaverse so that they may refine their heuristics for key decisions required by technology startups. This paper describes the results of a continuing experiment with MOT graduate students living in the virtual world of Second Life. The objective of the experiment is the commercialization of technology-based products for residents of SL. To date, four different products have been produced: two transportation devices; an image enhancer; and a website. Results have been mixed. On the one hand, the website (providing new residents with survival tips in three languages) has attracted hits from all over the globe. Also, sales of one transportation device show potential for significant profit. On the other hand, a similar transportation device has been ignored by the residents, as has the image enhancer. Student epiphanies from SL experiences echo the insights from successful technology startups in the European Union and revolve around the difficulties of developing and implementing a marketing mix for any technological innovation.