Hundreds of people of all ages and experience levels took my in-person business classes in Austin at the University of Texas or in my Hoover Academy. Those students paid $700 to $1500 per course. I have had many requests for the courses from those who could not make it to Austin.
I am offering my Zoom course, Fundamentals of Business, for the second time. Classes will be 90 minutes long, on six successive Tuesday evenings from October 19 through November 23. The price is $299, but discounted to $199 if you enroll by Sunday, October 3, 2021. The class will be limited to twenty attendees. (More details and “how to enroll” are at the end of this newsletter.)
Here is a review from my first zoom class, which just wrapped up this week:
Gary Hoover’s online course was a rare chance to learn about business from someone who is both a student and scholar of business history as well as an in-the-trenches practitioner with a real track record. Gary’s combination of candor, open-mindedness, and encyclopedic understanding made every Tuesday night a highlight of my week!
– Zach Caceres
Each class will consist of watching 30-50 minutes of my video presentations before class, then 90 minutes of questions and group discussion on the ideas in the presentations. You can get a little taste of my style in this short clip from the introductory class.
Gary Hoover is really a genius level business thinker. You guys are super-lucky to have him as a teacher. I had a lot of great professors at Wharton and when I attended Wharton it was rated the #1 MBA program 6 years in a row. And none of them approached Gary’s level of knowledge about business history or entrepreneurship.
– Brett A. Hurt, CEO and Founder, DATA.WORLD and Founder, Bazaarvoice, Austin, Texas
This course is for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the business world works and how corporations, large and small, act and think. Individuals who run a business, want to start a business, work for a company, buy from or sell to companies, or invest in companies will benefit from the course
I walked away from Gary’s classes each week feeling that I had been shown the other side of the curtain. Gary’s passion for both his subject, and for communicating it in a clear and engaging manner has led me to suggest that each student be given an AHA degree. Alumnus of the Hoover Academy is one obvious meaning. But in my, and many other cases from my class, we had an ‘Aha!’ moment. Something that either had not occurred to us, or that we had previously wrestled with needlessly, once Gary described it differently.
– Allan Clark, Entrepreneur
The course covers these key topics and is full of depth, detail, and real-world examples:
- What is a Corporation? Why do they exist, how they came about, how they are structured.
- A Human Endeavor…the role of people, the way corporations reflect individuals and human nature.
- Understanding Industries and the economy.
- Change Through Time…watching trends.
- The Arc of Enterprise…how companies evolve.
- Strategy…different approaches to business.
- Purpose….key to success.
- Personality…the varieties of companies and their characteristics.
Our weekly discussions will give every participant a chance to ask questions and explore the relevance of the presentations to the current business world and their own business challenges.
Gary is a truly inspiring speaker and teacher and I highly recommend any of his courses or talks. His unique experiences and his genuine, open nature create an ideal atmosphere for the flow of ideas and introspection.
– Elayne Crain, Entrepreneur
This course is likely to be very different from most if not all courses taught in business and other schools, primarily because of the diversity of my background:
- Almost sixty years of studying big businesses of all types, in every industry, beginning when I was 12 and wanted to understand the auto industry.
- Forty years of studying entrepreneurship, including starting six companies, with two big successes (including the Hoovers business information website) and several smaller failures from which I learned a great deal.
- Writing and teaching about entrepreneurship worldwide and reviewing thousands of business plans, including at the University of Texas Business School and at my own Hoover Academy.
- Presentations to thousands of business owners and corporate managers worldwide.
- Studying economics at the University of Chicago under four future Nobel Prize winners, including Milton Friedman.
- Two years working on Wall Street analyzing and choosing companies and stocks.
- Nine years of big corporation experience.
I have known Gary Hoover for over 20 years. I can tell you that Gary Hoover is one of the most amazing entrepreneurs and teachers I have ever encountered. He is literally a walking encyclopedia of business history and his story telling is incredible. He is the most prolific reader I have ever met. I consider Gary Hoover one of Austin’s most valuable assets and recommend him without reservation. Whether you are a lifetime learner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or an academic, you will find Gary Hoover as one of your truly great resources and your time spent with him among your most memorable.
– Jim Nolen, Distinguished Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Department of Finance, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
Those who take this course will also receive:
- A free PDF copy of my book on dreaming up new ideas, founding and building a great enterprise.
- Additional documents and data files on business and the economy.
- Free lifetime email support from me on how to achieve your goals and dreams.
Our class met once a week, and I would find myself so inspired and full of ideas during class that my energy would spill over well into the night.
– Taylor Journey, University of Texas undergraduate student
Your class was the most valuable and most enjoyable class I have ever taken. It truly changed my life.
– Tyler Kling, University of Texas at Austin undergraduate student
Course Details
Discussion and Debate Sessions on Zoom:
- Tuesdays October 19 26 and November 2 9 16 23
- 8:30-10 PM Eastern Time
- 7:30-9 PM Central Time
- 6:30-8 PM Mountain Time
- 5:30-7 PM Pacific Time
All presentations (which you can watch on your own time, prior to each class) will be available to you at any time, as will recordings of our discussion sessions, in case you miss a class.
I’ve been teaching at the McCombs School of Business since 1989. I have won every teaching award given by the students. Gary is one of the most gifted teachers I have ever known. He knows his subject cold and has a God given gift of being about to reach students in a way that is just awe inspiring. When you add his passion for teaching and helping people, he is priceless.
– John Doggett, Harvard MBA, Yale JD, Senior Lecturer in Management Emeritus, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
How to Enroll
Just use PayPal to send $199 to garyhoov@msn.com and I will acknowledge receipt of your payment as soon as I see it.
If you have any trouble with PayPal or need an invoice for your records, email me at garyhoov@msn.com and I can send you an invoice.
Starting Monday, October 4, the price goes up to $299.
Only the first twenty to sign up will be admitted to this group.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at garyhoov@msn.com.
All of the above information can always be found here.
Thank you, and I look forward to “seeing” you in class!
Gary Hoover
