By the time they start companies, most entrepreneurs have a clear vision for their product: what it will look like, who will use it, and it will fit in the market. But for some startups, that picture is less clear—and it is not because they lack focus.

Instead, they have their sights set beyond the horizon—to markets that do not yet exist, to technologies that are still in a nascent stage, or to products that may need years of development and testing before they hit the market.

Given these longer timelines, what do young companies do to stay afloat while perfecting their products? This month, we hear how Kellogg School professor and entrepreneur Kara Palamountain's Global Health Initiative and entrepreneur Jesse Chang's company, MDAR Technologies, have gone about setting goals to bring their products to market.