A familiar question among potential founders, says Levinson, is how much business and operational experience do I need to have before starting this business? He talks about the best experience a founder can have - the kind learned only by jumping in with both feet and learning as you go.

1. Startups that Fail: Netek
2. Top 10 Must Have For a Start-Up
3. Invest in Great People and Great Equipment - Not Furniture!
4. Naming Your Company: Put Up a Sign
5. You Need Little Capital
6. Businesses Must Have Customers
7. Whatever it Takes to Stay in Business
8. You Need a Supportive Family
9. Follow Standards
10. Develop a Culture Where New Ideas Are Expected
11. Real Sales and Customers in Business
12. Choosing your Business Partner
13. Why are Ethics Important?
14. Communicate with Customers
15. Creating Win-Win Relationships With Large Customers
16. Sustenance of Growth Rate
17. Why Go Public?
18. Was Finisar a Technology Looking for a Problem, or a Problem Looking for a Technology?
19. Operational Experience Before Starting a New Venture
20. Hiring Ethical People
21. Innovate Fast and Keep The Team Small and Focused
22. How Does Going Public Change You and Your Company?
23. Envisioning The Future For Optics
24. Changing Finisar Technology and Business Practices
25. Importance of Family In Building a Start-up
26. Managing The Leverage of Customer Input on Product Development

Lecture by Frank Levinson on Entrepreneurship for Stanford University students, on October 31, 2001. Frank Levinson, founder of Finisar, begins his talk with a story about a failed startup of his, Netek. Netek is an example of company that had all of the components that are commonly considered to be necessary - idea, business plan, VC investment, team and space. But even with all of that, Netek couldn't get off the ground, he says.