Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(118,335)
- Faculty Publications (303)
- June 2008 (Revised July 2008)
- Case
How Serial Entrepreneurs Build and Manage a Board of Directors in a Venture-Backed Start Up
By: Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Sasha Novakovich
This case includes structured interviews with four serial entrepreneurs about the way in which they built and used their boards in each of their companies and what they have learned through that process. These entrepreneurs were asked similar questions, such as "How do... View Details
- August 2007 (Revised April 2008)
- Case
Texas Pacific Group--J. Crew
By: Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Lauren Barley
Describes Texas Pacific Group's purchase and operation of J. Crew, the catalog and specialty clothing retailer. Highlights the issues involved in financing such a transaction, and then focuses on the operational challenges of turning around the business, and of TPG's... View Details
- August 2007 (Revised February 2008)
- Case
Pinnacle Ventures
By: Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Elizabeth Kind
Describes a prospective "venture debt" loan to a new venture from the perspective of Patrick Lee, a principal at Pinnacle Ventures. Forces students to grapple with the nature of financial risk in the start-up firm and assess the prospective risks and returns to a... View Details
- June 2007 (Revised March 2008)
- Case
Zoots - Financing Growth (A)
By: Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Todd Krasnow
Traces the genesis and founding of Zoots, the largest chain of dry cleaning establishments in the U.S. Founded by some of the founders of the very successful Staples chain, the company raises a very large amount of capital without fully proving its business model, and... View Details
- December 2006 (Revised March 2008)
- Case
Prosper Marketplace, Inc.
By: William A. Sahlman and Elizabeth Kind
Describes a set of financial and strategic decisions confronting the founding management team of a new online financial services company. Prosper Marketplace is an internet-based market for individuals to borrow money from other individuals who wish to invest in such... View Details
- November 2006
- Case
Tickle
By: William A. Sahlman and Dan Heath
Describes a set of decisions confronting the management team of a rapidly growing online psychological testing and social networking company. They can either sell the company to a large public company, raise another round of capital from a preeminent venture capital... View Details
- November 2006
- Case
Brontes Technologies -- 2005
By: William A. Sahlman and Caroline Perkins
Describes a set of decisions confronting the founders of a company developing a new device for taking three-dimensional pictures of teeth in order to improve dental outcomes. The company needs more money and must choose between raising new equity capital from a venture... View Details
- November 2006 (Revised March 2008)
- Case
The Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Describes a set of issues confronting the leaders of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, an innovative cross-university effort to accelerate scientific discovery and translation in the domain of stem cells. Covers a wide range of topics, including understanding how... View Details
- September 2006
- Case
Earthbound Farm
By: William A. Sahlman and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
Describes a set of decisions confronting the senior management of Earthbound Farm, the largest organic produce company in the world. Focuses on what to do with an East Coast distribution center that is losing money but may be useful strategically. View Details
- September 2006 (Revised July 2009)
- Case
BzzAgent, Inc. - 2005
By: William A. Sahlman and Caroline Perkins
Describes a set of financing issues confronting a rapidly growing company that uses "Word-of-Mouth" marketing techniques in promoting research, new products, or services. The company proposes to set the terms for a new round of venture capital it needs and to have... View Details
- August 2006 (Revised December 2010)
- Exercise
The Venture Capital Valuation Problem Set
By: William A. Sahlman and Evan Wade Richardson
To be used with (396-090). View Details
- 2006
- Book
New Business Ventures and the Entrepreneur
By: Michael J. Roberts, Howard H. Stevenson, William A. Sahlman, Paul Marshall and Richard G. Hamermesh
Keywords: Entrepreneurship
- May 2006 (Revised June 2006)
- Teaching Note
RightNow Technologies (TN)
By: Michael J. Roberts and William A. Sahlman
Teaching Note to (805-032). View Details
Keywords: Technology Industry
- May 2006
- Teaching Note
Valhalla Partners Due Diligence (TN)
By: Michael J. Roberts and William A. Sahlman
Teaching Note to (805-033). View Details
- May 2006 (Revised February 2007)
- Background Note
Innocent Drinks (TN)
By: Michael J. Roberts and William A. Sahlman
Teaching Note to (805-031). View Details
Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry
- November 2005 (Revised December 2007)
- Case
Motion Computing, Inc. -- 2004
By: William A. Sahlman and Caroline Perkins
Scott Eckert, the co-founder and CEO of Motion Computing, must decide whether to raise additional capital to support growth. Motion manufactures and distributes Tablet PCs. If the company opts to raise money, it must decide on the source and terms of the financing. View Details
- November 2005 (Revised July 2009)
- Case
Cutter & Buck (A)
By: William A. Sahlman and Victoria Winston
Only three short months into her new position as CEO of publicly traded golf apparel manufacturer Cutter & Buck, Fran Conley discovers accounting irregularities that call into question the reliability of this company's financial statements. Working closely with her... View Details
- November 2005 (Revised July 2006)
- Supplement
Cutter & Buck (B)
By: William A. Sahlman and Victoria Winston
Keywords: Apparel and Accessories Industry
- November 2005 (Revised July 2006)
- Supplement
Cutter & Buck (C)
By: William A. Sahlman and Victoria Winston
Keywords: Apparel and Accessories Industry
- October 2005 (Revised June 2006)
- Case
The Turnaround of Chris-Craft
By: William A. Sahlman, Geremy Connor, Brian Doherty, Andrew Murphy and Taylor Smith
Describes a set of issues confronting the owners of Chris-Craft, a manufacturer of high-end boats. The company can invest in new monobrand stores, new boat designs, and brand extensions (e.g., apparel). The owners have also recently purchased Indian Head Motorcycle out... View Details