CSE492B: Tech-Industry Business Fundamentals
Description: This course is for CSE students who don't want to be in the dark about how tech companies actually operate, make decisions, create value, and grow their people. Taught by a CSE alum with over a decade of experience across large, mid-size, and startup software companies in roles from individual contributor to executive, the material is grounded in two questions: 'What do I wish I had known when I graduated from UW CSE?' and 'What do I wish the engineers at my company understood about business?' You will learn how different software companies are structured, how equity and compensation really work at different company stages/sizes, how funding and exits shape priorities, and how product, engineering, sales, and finance interact inside medium and large organizations. You will also build the skills to understand basic financials, think about markets and customers, and navigate negotiations, leadership, and organizational dynamics. All of this will allow you to secure better compensation packages throughout your career, avoid common early-career mistakes, and accelerate your impact as a software engineer. The goal is not to turn you into a financier or founder, but to give you the practical business literacy that helps you choose better roles, understand your total compensation and company structure, and have a real voice at the table once you join the industry. This course will meet once a week for lecture/discussion style classes. There will be short homework assignments in the forms of readings and brief reflections with the purpose of enhancing the in-person sessions.
Prerequisities: (none listed) Credits: 1.0Portions of the CSE492B web may be reprinted or adapted for academic nonprofit purposes, providing the source is accurately quoted and duly credited. The CSE492B Web: © 1993-2026, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington. Administrative information on CSE492B (authentication required).