Publications

10 Jan 2023
Op-Ed

Time to Move On? Career Advice for Entrepreneurs Preparing for the Next Stage

Over the past year, I have watched several firms going through periods of transition. Some have been cofounders who realized that it was time for a more experienced leader to take their business to the next level. Some were just ready... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Austin

July–August 2023
Article

Demand Learning and Pricing for Varying Assortments

By: Kris Ferreira and Emily Mower

Problem Definition: We consider the problem of demand learning and pricing for retailers who offer assortments of substitutable products that change frequently, e.g., due to limited inventory, perishable or time-sensitive products, or the retailer’s desire to... View Details

Keywords: Experiments; Pricing And Revenue Management; Retailing; Demand Estimation; Pricing Algorithm; Marketing; Price; Demand and Consumers; Mathematical Methods

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28 Oct 2021
News

Capital Considerations for Black Entrepreneurs; Pivoting for Gender Equity

to change. The discussion also featured guest panelists: Yasmin Cruz Ferrine, General Partner of Visible Hands VC, and Glynn Lloyd, Executive Director at The Foundation for Business Equity. Through their... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley

January 2014 (Revised March 2014)
Case

SAP 2014: Reaching for the Cloud

By: Karim R. Lakhani, Marco Iansiti and Noah Fisher

In May 2014, Bill McDermott will become the sole CEO of SAP AG, the world leader in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) field. The case occurs in January 2014 at SAP's investors meeting, at a time when the company's stock is near record high. A 2010 strategy... View Details

Keywords: Cloud Computing; Platform; Strategy And Execution; Strategy And Leadership; Enterprise Resource Planning; Software; Information Technology; Digital Platforms; Applications and Software; Information Technology Industry; Germany

December 2015 (Revised May 2016)
Case

Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Christine Snively

In January 2015, Jibo Inc. had completed a raise of $25.3 million in Series A financing after a successful 2014 crowdfunding campaign for preorders of Jibo, the first social robot for the home. Over 4,800 Jibo units were preordered, generating $2.6 million in sales. On... View Details

Keywords: Business Development; Entrepreneurship; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Business Startups; Technology Industry

02 Jun 2017
News

Venture capital’s gender gap is costly for firms and the economy

20 Feb 2001
Research & Ideas

What’s Next for Japan

venture capital firm Globis Group and chairman and CEO of private equity concern Apax Globis Partners & Co., was the only panelist to voice undaunted enthusiasm about a bright future for Japanese... View Details

Keywords: by Hilah Geer

Web

For Recruiters - Health Care

low-risk setting. Propose an Independent Project Independent Projects allow second-year HBS students to partner with an organization on a real-time challenge of strategic importance. Students are advised by a faculty member and receive... View Details

23 Aug 2004
Research & Ideas

Strategy for Small Fish

Welcome to the age of business interdependence, say HBS professor Marco Iansiti and collaborator Roy Levien, authors of the new HBSP book The Keystone Advantage: What the New Dynamics of Business Ecosystems Mean for Strategy, Innovation,... View Details

Keywords: by Marco Iansiti & Roy Levien

January 2025
Case

Apax Partners: Deciding Whether to Bid for Trader Corp.

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Edward A. Meyer

Apax Partners’ investment committee was schedule to meet on March 21, 2011, to decide whether to invest in Trader Corporation, a Canadian classified advertising business for used automobiles with both print (magazines) and digital (website) distribution. What made this... View Details

25 May 2016
News

Backing Harvard’s Work for Children

facing adversity. A partner at Riverstone, an energy industry-focused private investment firm, Tichio is a longtime HBS supporter—most recently serving on the Major Gifts Committee for his 10th Reunion.... View Details

06 Aug 2014
News

Constant challenges, no certainties for new CEOs at Market Basket

August 2015
Case

Whistle Sports: An Online Sports Network for Millennials

By: Robert F. Higgins and Christine Snively

By January 2015, Whistle Sports, a multi-platform sports network for millennials, had attracted over 54 million online subscribers on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Vine. It established partnerships with several professional sports leagues and... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Internet; Websites; Technology Networks; Sports; Entrepreneurship; Information Infrastructure; Business Startups

Web

The New Role for Government & NGOs - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

HBS ISC Creating Shared Value CSV Creating Shared Value CSV Explained Emerging Topics CSV in Practice Published CSV Cases CSV Explained CSV Explained The Three Levels of CSV Adding a Social Dimension to Strategy Redefining Capitalism The New Role View Details

15 Jul 2013
Research & Ideas

Five Imperatives for Improving Health Care

reevaluating existing processes. In the meantime, the group rests assured that the cure for health care does not hinge on a single magic bullet. "At the end of the day, the big idea is that there's no... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Health

11 Jul 2016
News

Celebrity-sponsored pot is the latest marketing strategy for the cannabis industry

March 2017 (Revised November 2021)
Case

Floodgate: On the Hunt for Thunder Lizards

By: Rory McDonald, Alix Burke, Emma Franking and Nicole Tempest

Founded in 2008, Floodgate pioneered the “micro-VC” category, a new type of investment firm that raised smaller funds and made earlier, smaller investments in technology startups than traditional venture-capital firms. By 2015, Floodgate had raised three funds totaling... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Business Models; Angel Investors; Crowdfunding; Incubators; Accelerators; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Business Startups; Information Technology; Business Model; Innovation and Invention; Competitive Strategy

February 2021 (Revised April 2024)
Case

Shopify: The Conquest for Chinese E-Commerce

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Avani Patel, Samantha Lin and Ariel Yang

In mid-2020, Tobias Lütke, CEO of Shopify, faced a critical decision on how to time potential expansion into the China market. Over the prior 15 years, his Canadian software-as-a-service company had grown from a small e-commerce solutions provider to a full service... View Details