Paul Cheek

Faculty

Paul Cheek

Get in Touch

Title

About

Academic Area

Paul Cheek is a global expert in innovation-driven entrepreneurship. Paul is a serial tech entrepreneur, educator, software engineer, and bestselling author of Disciplined Entrepreneurship: Startup Tactics. He is currently the Executive Director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship and a Senior Lecturer in the MIT Sloan School of Management. Prior to his role at MIT, he co-founded three ventures which earned him recognition by Forbes 30 Under 30, the definitive list of young people changing the world. Paul has been featured in publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc Magazine.

In his role as the Executive Director of the Martin Trust Center, Paul is responsible for the development of the Trust Center’s strategy and operational plans for MIT’s entrepreneurship programs and courses. Paul was MIT’s first Hacker in Residence and has since taught, mentored, and advised thousands of entrepreneurs around the world. Paul designed and now leads a new advanced course he developed to help student entrepreneurs build their businesses called “Venture Creation Tactics”. Additionally, Paul teaches hundreds of MIT and Harvard undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students each year in the historic "New Enterprises" course. His teaching materials have been used by educators around the world.

Prior to his work at MIT, Paul was the co-founder of Oceanworks and Work Today. Oceanworks is a for-profit company with a mission to end plastic pollution. Work Today is a venture backed digital staffing and recruiting company. Paul has also built technologies for and consulted with LogMeIn, BlackRock, Prudential, Mazda, and more. He serves on the CNBC Disruptor 50 Advisory Board, the MIT Sandbox Funding Board, and judges the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO—100 Awards.

You can learn more about Paul on his website, PaulCheek.com, or follow him on LinkedIn.

Publications

Disciplined Entrepreneurship: Startup Tactics.

Cheek, Paul. John Wiley & Sons, 2024. Startup Tactics.

Recent Insights

Ideas Made to Matter

Startup tactics: How and when to hire technical talent

A new book from MIT Sloan’s Paul Cheek offers strategies for startup founders, including how to transition from design to development.

Read Article
Press

MIT Sloan professors lay out tactical roadmaps for entrepreneurs

In popular culture, entrepreneurs often chase fortune without much of a plan. However, according Bill Aulet and Paul Cheek, entrepreneurial success looks a lot more disciplined in real life.

Read Article
Load More

Media Highlights

Load More

Executive Education

Executive Education Course

Disciplined Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is not a science nor an art—it’s a craft that can be honed. Taught by serial entrepreneur and renowned MIT Professor of the Practice Bill Aulet, this intensive short course presents a step-by-step strategic road map for launching a successful venture or to more efficiently bring innovative products and ideas to market.

  • Dec 4-7, 2023
  • Oct 11-13, 2023
  • Oct 28-30, 2024
  • May 7-10, 2024
View Course
Executive Education Course

Entrepreneurship Development Accelerator

The Entrepreneurship Development Accelerator (EDA) is a chance for you and your colleagues to exponentially advance the progress of your venture. Led by serial entrepreneurs Bill Aulet and Paul Cheek, this intensive, week-long program bridges the gap between idea and execution, helping participants develop the skill sets required to put a plan into action and de-risk their business opportunity so that they can confidently move forward.

  • Jun 2-7, 2024
  • Jun 1-6, 2025
View Course
Load More