Panel Discussion
“Project Management for Startups:
How PM best practices, Tools, and Techniques can help Startups be more effective?”
Abstract
Startups worldwide suffer from very low success rate (5-10%) and we believe proper project management can help significantly here.
The perception of project management is that it is most relevant and used in the corporate world, related to a lot of documentation, administration (even bureaucracy), approval levels and corporate politics. PMI though is changing on a global scale and PMI Bulgaria Chapter is contributing actively to this transformation.
This panel discussion will be taking you into the depths of how project management best practices, tools and techniques can be of use for the startups in planning and managing their projects, which is also the main objective of the EU funded Outspeed Startup Project, carried out by PMI Bulgaria PMI Turkey, PMI France and PMI Slovenia Chapters.
Topic
“Design Thinking”
Abstract
Design Thinking is a methodology that is fast becoming a mainstay in innovation and business strategy all around the world. Centered on creativity, empathy and putting user needs at the heart of the problem, Design Thinking is seen as an important tool for driving innovation and sustained business growth.
Our 2-hour Introduction to Design Thinking Session focuses on giving participants an introduction to the process of creative idea generation and a user-centered design approach to problem-solving. Participants can expect to leave with a strong appreciation in the value that design thinking can bring to their life.
Facilitated by Dr. Bülent Gümüş, the session will be run in an intimate studio type environment with personal interaction time with facilitator and hands-on exercises that will help participants better understand the tools and processes used in Design Thinking.
Professional Background
Dr. Bülent Gümüş received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Middle East Technical University, Ankara and his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University. After working in the defence sector in the USA and Turkey as an engineer, project manager and program manager for 9 years, he joined the faculty of Industrial Engineering Department at TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara in 2007 and worked there until 2012.
Dr. Gümüş offered several Masters and PhD courses at Texas Tech University as a visiting instructor and he spent a year as a visiting professor in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department of Qatar University in 2010–2011.
Dr. Gümüş returned to private sector and worked as Program Manager and Business Development consultant for BAE Systems, a multinational defense company between 2012 to 2014.
Dr. Gümüş has been offering training and consultancy and performing research on subjects like New Product Design, Project Management, R&D and Innovation Management, Strategic Planning, Entrepreneurship and Work Design.
Dr. Gümüş is currently the General Manager and Co-founder of innoCentrum, teaching part time at Bilkent University, Ankara and working as a Key Expert in the PMI Turkey’s Outspeed Startup project.