Karl Ulrich

Karl Ulrich
  • CIBC Endowed Professor
  • Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions
  • Professor of Management

Contact Information

  • office Address:

    3730 Walnut Street
    567 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
    Philadelphia, PA 19104

Research Interests: innovation, entrepreneurship, design, product management, housing, sustainability

Links: CV, Personal Website

Overview

Karl T. Ulrich is CIBC Endowed Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he is also Professor of Mechanical Engineering. His most recent project is the design and construction of Tangen Hall, the largest facility in the world for student entrepreneurship. He co-founded Venture Lab, the Weiss Tech House, and the Integrated Product Design Program, institutions fostering innovation in the university community. He is the co-author of Product Design and Development (8th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2026), a textbook used by a quarter of a million students worldwide, Innovation Tournaments (Harvard Business Press, 2009), The Innovation Tournament Handbook (Wharton School Press, 2023), and Winning in China (Wharton School Press, 2021). He is the winner of many teaching awards at the Wharton School including the Anvil Award, the Miller-Sherrerd Award, and the Excellence in Teaching Award. In addition to his scholarly work, Professor Ulrich is a prolific innovator and entrepreneur, holding 24 patents. He is a founder of Terrapass Inc. which the New York Times identified as one of the most noteworthy ideas of the year, and he is a designer of the Xootr scooter, which Business Week recognized as one of the 50 coolest products of the 21st Century. Professor Ulrich holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT.

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Research

  • Karl Ulrich (Forthcoming), Re-Consider the Lobster: Animal Lives in Protein Supply Chains.

    Abstract: Animal protein production represents a complex system of lives transformed into nutrition, with profound ethical and environmental implications. This study provides a quantitative analysis of animal lives required to produce human-consumable protein across major food production systems. Categorizing animal lives based on cognitive complexity and accounting for all lives involved in production, including direct harvests, reproductive animals, and feed species, reveals dramatic variations in protein efficiency. The analysis considers two categories of animal life: complex-cognitive lives (e.g., mammals, birds, cephalopods) and pain-capable lives (e.g., fish, crustaceans). Calculating protein yield per life demonstrates efficiency differences spanning more than five orders of magnitude, from 2 grams per complex-cognitive life for baby octopus to 390,000 grams per life for bovine dairy systems. Key findings expose disparities between terrestrial and marine protein production. Terrestrial systems involving mammals and birds show higher protein yields and exclusively involve complex-cognitive lives, while marine systems rely predominantly on pain-capable lives across complex food chains. Dairy production emerges as the most efficient system. Aquaculture systems reveal complex dynamics, with farmed carnivorous fish requiring hundreds of feed fish lives to produce protein, compared to omnivorous species that demonstrate improved efficiency. Beyond quantitative analysis, this research provides a framework for understanding the ethical and ecological dimensions of protein production, offering insights for potential systemic innovations.

  • Karl Ulrich (2025), Minimum Spatial Housing Requirements for Human Flourishing, . https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152623

    Abstract: This study defines evidence-based minimum internal floor areas required to support long-term residential use across different household types. It addresses the following question: what is the smallest viable floor area that supports sustained occupancy without persistent stress, conflict, or turnover? An integrative review method was employed, drawing from behavioural studies in environmental psychology, international regulatory standards, and real-world market data. The analysis focuses on essential domestic functions including sleep, hygiene, food preparation, storage, social interaction, and work. Quantitative findings from tenancy surveys, post-occupancy research, and market performance data indicate that residential units below 30 square metres for single occupants and 45 square metres for couples are consistently associated with reduced satisfaction and shorter tenancies. Regulatory minimums across diverse jurisdictions tend to converge near these same thresholds. The study proposes technical minimums of 30, 45, and 60 square metres for one-, two-, and three-person households, respectively. These values reflect functional lower bounds rather than ideal or aspirational sizes and are intended to inform performance-based housing standards.

  • Karl Ulrich, Would Graduate School Work Better if You Never Graduated from It? in ,.

  • Karl Ulrich, Business School, Disrupted in The New York Times,.

  • Karl Ulrich, A Tool for Finding the Best Employees in The Wall Street Journal,.

  • Karl Ulrich, Three Ways Customers Could Gain from Small Data in The Wall Street Journal,.

  • Christian Terwiesch and Karl Ulrich (2014), Will Video Kill the Classroom Star? The Threat and Opportunity of Massively Open Online Courses for Full-time MBA Programs, William and Phyllis Mack Institute for Innovation Management.

  • Karl Ulrich, Young Entrepreneurs’ Secret Weapon: Social-Networking Savvy in The Wall Street Journal,.

  • Karl Ulrich and Laura J. Kornish (2014), The Importance of the Raw Idea in Innovation: Testing the Sow’s Ear Hypothesis, Journal of Marketing Research, 51 (), pp. 14-26.

  • Karl Ulrich, It Pays for Entrepreneurs to Have Rich Friends in The Wall Street Journal,.

Teaching

Current Courses (Fall 2025)

  • IPD5150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

    IPD5150401 ( Syllabus )

    IPD5150402 ( Syllabus )

    IPD5150403 ( Syllabus )

  • MEAM4150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

    MEAM4150401 ( Syllabus )

    MEAM4150402 ( Syllabus )

    MEAM4150403 ( Syllabus )

  • OIDD4150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

    OIDD4150401 ( Syllabus )

    OIDD4150402 ( Syllabus )

    OIDD4150403 ( Syllabus )

  • OIDD5150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

    OIDD5150401 ( Syllabus )

    OIDD5150402 ( Syllabus )

    OIDD5150403 ( Syllabus )

  • OIDD6540 - Product Management

    The course provides the student with a number of tools and concepts necessary for the contemporary practice of product management. The course is most relevant to those who hope to work as product managers, as well as for entrepreneurs who will typically serve as their venture's initial product managers. General managers and other functional managers may also find the course valuable to better understand the product management function. The key modules in the course comprise (a) creating something from nothing, (b) design and design thinking, (c) performance measurement and the communication of quantitative information, (d) agile development processes, and (e) managing growth. Alumni guest speakers in interesting product management roles will typically be scheduled weekly in the course. Many examples, tools, and methods will come from technology-based industries, but applications will also be drawn from financial services and consumer products. Most assignments will be completed for a focal product selected by each student, which could be an entrepreneurial project, something related to current or prior employment, or simply a product of personal interest. A recent Canvas site for the course is here, and should be viewable by the public. https://canvas.upenn.edu/courses/1575358 Other Information: Pedagogy includes lectures, small-group discussion, current and historical cases, podcasts, documentary films, and application of tools to a focal product. Most assignments are individual. PLEASE NOTE: Only Wharton MBA students may register for OIDD 6540.

    OIDD6540002 ( Syllabus )

    OIDD6540004 ( Syllabus )

All Courses

  • IPD5150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

  • MEAM4150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

  • MGMT7310 - Technology Strategy

    The course is designed to meet the needs of future managers, entrepreneurs, consultants and investors who must analyze and develop business strategies in technology-based industries. The emphasis is on learning conceptual models and frameworks to help navigate the complexity and dynamism in such industries. This is not a course in new product development or in using information technology to improve business processes and offerings. We will take a perspective of both established and emerging firms competing through technological innovations, and study the key strategic drivers of value creation and appropriation in the context of business ecosystems. The course uses a combination of cases, simulation and readings. The cases are drawn primarily from technology-based industries. Note, however, that the case discussions are mainly based on strategic (not technical) issues. Hence, a technical background is not required for fruitful participation.

  • MGMT8010 - Entrepreneurship

    MGMT 801 is the foundation coures in the Entrepeurial Management program. The purpose of this course is to explore the many dimensions of new venture creation and growth. While most of the examples in class will be drawn from new venture formation, the principles also apply to entrepreneurship in corporate settings and to non-profit entrepreneurship. We will be concerned with content and process questions as well as with formulation and implementation issues that relate to conceptualizing, developing, and managing successful new ventures. The emphasis in this course is on applying and synthesizing concepts and techniques from functional areas of strategic management, finance, accounting, managerial economics, marketing, operations management, and organizational behavior in the context of new venture development. The class serves as both a stand alone class and as a preparatory course to those interested in writing and venture implementation (the subject of the semester-long course, MGMT 806). Format: Lectures and case discussions

  • OIDD4150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

  • OIDD5150 - Product Design

    This course provides tools and methods for creating new products. The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing. Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate in the creation of a prototype, which is launched at an end-of-semester public Design Fair. The course project is a physical good - but most of the tools and methods apply to services and software products. The course is open to any Penn sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The course follows a studio format, in which students meet for three hours each week with Professor Marcovitz for lectures and hands-on making, and students will complete 90 minutes of asynchronous, self-paced content from Professor Ulrich on their own time each week. Professor Ulrich gives one in-person lecture during the semester and attends the Design Fair, but is not present at the weekly studio sessions.

  • OIDD6140 - Innovation

    The course is first and foremost an intensive, integrative, project course in which student teams create one or more real businesses. Some businesses spun out of the course and now managed by alumni include Terrapass Inc. and Smatchy Inc. The project experience is an exciting context in which to learn key tools and fundamentals useful in innovation, problem solving, and design. Examples of these tools and fundamentals are: problem definition, identification of opportunities, generating alternatives, selecting among alternatives, principles of data graphics, and managing innovation pipelines. The course requires a commitment of at least 10 hours of work outside of class and comfort working on unstructured, interdisciplinary problems. Students with a strong interest in innovation and entrepreneurship are particularly encouraged to enroll. Please read carefully the syllabus posted on-line before registering for this course.

  • OIDD6540 - Product Management

    The course provides the student with a number of tools and concepts necessary for the contemporary practice of product management. The course is most relevant to those who hope to work as product managers, as well as for entrepreneurs who will typically serve as their venture's initial product managers. General managers and other functional managers may also find the course valuable to better understand the product management function. The key modules in the course comprise (a) creating something from nothing, (b) design and design thinking, (c) performance measurement and the communication of quantitative information, (d) agile development processes, and (e) managing growth. Alumni guest speakers in interesting product management roles will typically be scheduled weekly in the course. Many examples, tools, and methods will come from technology-based industries, but applications will also be drawn from financial services and consumer products. Most assignments will be completed for a focal product selected by each student, which could be an entrepreneurial project, something related to current or prior employment, or simply a product of personal interest. A recent Canvas site for the course is here, and should be viewable by the public. https://canvas.upenn.edu/courses/1575358 Other Information: Pedagogy includes lectures, small-group discussion, current and historical cases, podcasts, documentary films, and application of tools to a focal product. Most assignments are individual. PLEASE NOTE: Only Wharton MBA students may register for OIDD 6540.

  • OIDD6950 - Ssf Regional Seminar

    As part of the Wharton Semester in San Francisco (SSF) program, this course is designed to (i) provide integrative material that emphasizes links between finance, marketing, product design, negotiations, and other themes in the SSF academic curriculum; (ii) link classroom theories and principles to actual practice by reflecting on the academic literature and (iii) highlight the unique characteristics of, and the programs proximity to, the Bay Area economy. All students participating in the SSF are required to register for this Regional Seminar.

  • OIDD8950 - Global Business Week

    In the second year of the program, students embark on a required Global Business Week in a country facing business challenges of interest. During this intensive week of corporate visits and lectures, students engage with senior management to discuss topics relevant to the region. Following the trip, they have the opportunity to reflect on the insights gained from the experience and present their findings.

Awards and Honors

  • Elective Teaching Award – Wharton Executive MBA Program, 2012-2015
  • Excellence in Teaching Award – Undergraduate Division, 2010
  • Teaching Commitment and Curricular Innovation Award – MBA Program, 2010
  • Excellence in Teaching Award – The Wharton School, 2007
  • Distinguished Fellow – POMS College of Product Innovation and Technology Management, 2006
  • Anvil Award – The Wharton School, 2000

In the News

Knowledge at Wharton

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Latest Research

Karl Ulrich (Forthcoming), Re-Consider the Lobster: Animal Lives in Protein Supply Chains.
All Research

In the News

Is ChatGPT a Better Entrepreneur Than Most?

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Wharton Magazine

Faculty Book Excerpt: The Innovation Tournament Handbook
Wharton Magazine - 04/14/2023

Wharton Stories

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