Publications

October 2000 (Revised April 2005)
Case

Z Corporation

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, Matthew C. Lieb and Tom Clay

Tom Clay, president of Z Corp., and founder/CEO Marina Hatsopolous must decide between using a direct sales force or using a value-added reseller to begin selling the company's new 3-D printing prototype manufacturing system. View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Salesforce Management; Distribution Channels; Conflict and Resolution; Technology Industry

December 1999
Case

American International Group, Inc.

By: Kenneth A. Froot and Heidi Cruz

American International Group, Inc. (AIG), one of the world's largest and most innovative insurers and financial intermediaries, is considering new strategies in an era of new competition and Internet distribution. View Details

Keywords: Insurance; Competitive Strategy; Internet and the Web; Distribution; Innovation and Invention

Find at Harvard

September 1996
Case

Silicon Graphics, Inc. (B)

By: Marco Iansiti and Alan D. MacCormack

After the release of the "Challenge" computer in 1993, Silicon Graphics executives meet to discuss the follow-up project. Should they pursue an incremental improvement to the Challenge, or opt for a radically new design recently demonstrated at Stanford University? View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Technological Innovation; Management Practices and Processes; Product Development; Hardware; Computer Industry

03 Jun 2020
News

Keeping a Community Connected

Justin Pasquariello (MBA 2010) Justin Pasquariello (MBA 2010) At the end of most days, Justin Pasquariello (MBA 2010) feels like he hasn’t done enough. As executive director of East Boston Social Centers (EBSC), a century-old grassroots organization that provides... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

21 Feb 2020
News

Style for Everyone

Nadia Boujarwah and Lydia Gilbert (both MBA 2013) cofounded Dia & Co right out of HBS, producing fashion and online services for plus-size women. In this interview, they talk about the inspiration for the idea and the need it serves. “Dia & Co derives from Dia, which... View Details

Keywords: Apparel Manufacturing; Manufacturing

23 Apr 2018
News

Sowing the Seeds of Leadership

The online bio of EARTH University’s new president Arturo Condo (DBA 2000) describes him as “Ecuadorian by birth, Latin American by heart.” Condo, a distinguished scholar and author, and the former president of INCAE, followed both his heart and a lifelong passion for... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

23 Mar 2016
News

Curing Parkinson’s Disease

HBS alumni Jonathan Solomon and Hampus Hillerstrom (both MBA 2007) play an important role in Jon Palfreman’s recent book Brain Storms: The Race to Unlock the Mysteries of Parkinson’s Disease. As the cofounders of NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, the pair is working to... View Details

17 Dec 2014
News

The Sharing-Economy PR Stunt That Turned Into a Real Business

04 Dec 2014
News

Hacking Health Care

The health care industry needs so much improvement, it will take a whole movement to fix it. “The more leaders, the better,” says Luc Sirois (MBA 1997), who sees progress coming not through a single organization, but rather from groups of passionate medical and IT... View Details

Keywords: Jill Radsken

14 May 2014
News

(Re)moving the Needle

You wouldn't think that the lowly, annoying mosquito would have anything to teach researchers working on the cutting edge of drug delivery methodology, but you would be wrong. Have you ever noticed that you don't become aware of a mosquito biting you until it's too... View Details

Keywords: Robert S. Benchley; medical technology; Scientific Research and Development Services

24 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Linking the Globe: The Role of Media and Communications

number of very sharp and very important junctures." Critical Junctures The first critical juncture was the invention of the printing press, which made it possible to have a media industry to begin with. The second major juncture... View Details

Keywords: by Kenneth Liss; Information; Publishing; Journalism & News; Media & Broadcasting

10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

The State of the Markets

and help provide a variety of services for a wide range of customers. "There is a direct relationship," he said, "between technological development and the liquidity of markets. We are all involved in generating more transactions, creating additional... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner

01 Sep 2020
News

Building a Strong and Prosperous Society

but also ensures that the rules of the game are such that prosperity is widely shared and that problems like climate change are adequately addressed. How does democracy affect the power balance that enables free markets to thrive? RH: Free markets are one of the... View Details

01 Dec 2007
News

Rediscovering America

traditional American strengths you talk about in the book, and you link it to “kaleidoscope thinking.” What is that? If you look back in history, we’ve never been the lowest-cost producer of goods and services, but we have been smart producers. Entrepreneurs with a... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Educational Services

01 Dec 2000
News

Vivek Ranadivé

that are big enough to keep them interested. "Another concern is staying nimble," he continues. "Someone in a garage right now is inventing a product that could be threatening to me. It's important to stay paranoid and avoid complacency."... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information; Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance; Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Telecommunications; Information; Air Transportation; Transportation

01 Jun 2001
News

Q&A: Donna Dubinsky

debuted in 1996, the PalmPilot was called “the cutest tech hardware invention since the first Macintosh.” How important is visual appeal? It depends on the product. In the case of a handheld computer, it’s very important. It is almost... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; PalmPilot; Apple; Telecommunications; Information

March 2025 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Perplexity: Redefining Search

By: Suraj Srinivasan, Michelle Hu, Sriraghav Srinivasan and Radhika Kak

By early 2025, Perplexity had rapidly evolved from a modest startup into a popular "answer engine" valued at $9 billion. The company had boldly positioned itself as the disruptor to Google aiming to redefine search for the AI age. Through novel AI... View Details

Keywords: AI and Machine Learning; Venture Capital; Innovation Leadership; Technological Innovation; Internet and the Web; Business Startups; Competitive Strategy; Business Model; Technology Industry; United States

November 2012
Case

CSIRO: The Light Metals Flagship Decision

By: Willy Shih, Margaret P. Pierson and Dawn Lau

This case explores the challenge of investing in basic research as a public good. CSIRO was Australia's leading science and research agency, and it was chartered to enhance national prosperity through R&D. Its Flagships program was designed to align research interests... View Details