Pivotality - Publications - Faculty & Research

01 Dec 2023
News

Wide Horizon

There were three critical events that led John Rodakis (MBA 1997) to form the nonprofit N of One in 2014 and ultimately dedicate his life to surfacing breakthrough autism research. The first occurred on Thanksgiving of 2012. He had driven about four hours with his wife... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; Photos by Sarah Wilson

07 Mar 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Companies Fail—and How Their Founders Can Bounce Back

venture to be all about the technology or all about the sales, without taking time to form a balanced plan. “In Silicon Valley, the fact that your enterprise has failed is actually a badge of honor.” And all too often, they do not give themselves wiggle room to View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

08 Mar 2021
In Practice

COVID Killed the Traditional Workplace. What Should Companies Do Now?

A year ago, COVID-19 forced many companies to send employees home—often with a laptop and a prayer. Now, with COVID cases subsiding and vaccinations rising, the prospect of returning to old office routines appears more possible. But will employees want to flock back to... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

20 Aug 2021
Blog Post

Is the MBA Worth It? Hear What Recent HBS Grads Have to Say

full-time MBA experience once in your life. You want to make sure that you pick the right two years personally and professionally. I wouldn't worry so much about the financial component -- just focus on if the time in your life is right for the type of View Details

Profile

Joy Chen

impact within a startup, Udemy. For her, the motivation for an MBA was neither to pivot her career nor expand her skills per se, but to find inspiration. “I wanted to build new friendships with those who could inspire each other... View Details

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Entrepreneurship - Faculty & Research

company with the goal of reducing food losses and improving farmer incomes. WayCool started with B2C retail, selling fruits and vegetables from food trucks, later expanding to grocery stores under the Sunnybee brand. It then pivoted to a... View Details

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Mid-US - Global

Archie L. Jones and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone This case study chronicles the transformative entrepreneurial path of Demond Martin, co-founder and CEO of WellWithAll, a health and wellness startup. Motivated by a pivotal life experience and... View Details

07 Nov 2023
Blog Post

Get to Know the HBS Armed Forces Alumni Association

preparing initially for the application and subsequently for the interview. Looking back on that experience, I wanted to serve in the AFAA as a resource for military members looking to make a pivot into the business world. Furthermore, I... View Details

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Business & Environment - Faculty & Research

prosperity. Recent Publications Educating Students and Professionals on the Business Implications of Climate Change By: Michael W. Toffel 2025 | Article | EFMD Global Focus As climate change poses unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the private sector must play... View Details

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Faculty & Research - Leadership

co-founder and CEO of WellWithAll, a health and wellness startup. Motivated by a pivotal life experience and deep concern for racial health inequities, Martin transitions from a... Load More Initiative Leadership Linda A. Hill... View Details

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Profiles - MBA

microadjustments in prescription -- this experience was pivotal in nurturing my interest in technology/business, especially in the health sector. I am currently working on a platform, ling.ai, to detect developmental language disorders... View Details

Research Summary

Overview

Dr. Burch’s research focuses on capitalism, work, and gender in the twentieth-century United States. Her work reinterprets the history of direct selling by placing it at the center, rather than on the margins, of narratives about advanced capitalism. Examining the... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Political Economy; Labor History; Gender; Marketing; Sales Force Management; Direct Sales; United States

Naked Wines: The Profit vs. Growth Decision

Nick Devlin faced a difficult strategic decision in October 2022. As the CEO of a UK-based subscription business connecting wine drinkers in the US, UK, and Australia with winemakers from around the world (which one journalist called the “Netflix of Wine”), he had... View Details

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Technology & Innovation - Faculty & Research

Capital Financing of Climate-tech Startups." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 25-025, November 2024. Nvidia By: Andy Wu and Matt Higgins October 2024 | Case | Faculty Research This case study examines Nvidia's strategic pivot... View Details

01 Nov 2020
Research & Ideas

Good Leadership Is an Act of Kindness

Decision-Making in Your Organization What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot Keep Your Weary Workers Engaged and Motivated According to a recent Gallup survey, less... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Susan Seligson

02 Nov 2023
News

Seeding Startups

Shirish Nadkarni (MBA 1987) was the director of product planning for Microsoft’s MSN when he decided he was ready to become an entrepreneur. He had recently led the growing internet portal’s 1997 acquisition of Hotmail, the first free, web-based email solution, and the... View Details

Keywords: April White

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About the Project - Creating Emerging Markets

Tarun Khanna. These interviews address pivotal moments of transition in their regions. They contain compelling insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, family business, and the globalization of firms and brands. Emphasizing ways that... View Details

16 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restaurant Revolution: How the Industry Is Fighting to Stay Alive

to 24 weeks and reduced the requirement for use for payroll from 75 percent to 60 percent, among other provisions. Whether these changes to the PPP will encourage more restaurateurs in need to accept the loans remains unclear. Pivoting to... View Details

Keywords: by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery; Food & Beverage

13 Jul 2023
News

The Network Effect

Karan Mathur (left) and Dina Model (Illustration by Gisela Goppel) Karan Mathur (left) and Dina Model (Illustration by Gisela Goppel) When Dina Model and Karan Mathur (both MBA 2015) met through mutual friends during their first year at HBS, neither was envisioning a... View Details

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Building Iconic Brands and Brighter Futures: Interview with Glossier CEO, Kyle Leahy - Recruiting

strategic questions, financial analytics, customer strategy, and operations,” she recalled. “I also found that I loved the retail space and consumer psychology.” Reformulating with an Advisor to Operator Pivot After four years in... View Details

Publications