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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(906)
- News (317)
- Research (443)
- Events (1)
- Multimedia (16)
- Faculty Publications (308)
- March 1996 (Revised August 2000)
- Case
Wildfire Communications, Inc. (A)
By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and Mary Connor
Founder and CEO Bill Warner is faced with critical decisions regarding the product lines, target markets, and technology platforms that his start-up, Wildfire Communications, Inc., will pursue. In addition to the question of strategic focus across these lines of... View Details
Keywords: Technology; Resource Allocation; Organizational Culture; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Communications Industry; Technology Industry
Rayport, Jeffrey F., and Mary Connor. "Wildfire Communications, Inc. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 396-305, March 1996. (Revised August 2000.)
- February 2024
- Supplement
Seeds of Innovation: GALY’s Quest to Cultivate the Future of Agriculture in the Lab
By: George Serafeim
In 2023, Luciano Bueno, CEO and founder of plant cell culture agriculture company GALY, was considering the best path forward for his company as he planned to pitch Series B investors. GALY, founded in 2019, aimed to produce cotton and other crops from cells grown in... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Green Technology; Goods and Commodities; Growth and Development Strategy; Science-Based Business; Entrepreneurship; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Business Startups; Decisions; Technological Innovation; Production; Entrepreneurial Finance; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Technology Industry; Boston; Sao Paulo
Serafeim, George. "Seeds of Innovation: GALY's Quest to Cultivate the Future of Agriculture in the Lab." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 124-705, February 2024.
- December 1996 (Revised June 1998)
- Case
Midnight Networks, Inc.
By: H. Kent Bowen and Marilyn Matis
Midnight Networks, Inc., is a small computer network validation company. This case describes how the five founders built their business from operations earnings and how they established "best practices" operational processes to run their firm successfully. Operational... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Business or Company Management; Operations; Organizational Culture; Applications and Software; Business Startups; Business Growth and Maturation; Information Technology Industry; Massachusetts
Bowen, H. Kent, and Marilyn Matis. "Midnight Networks, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 697-019, December 1996. (Revised June 1998.)
- January 2009
- Case
Wolf Elmore Brewer, Inc.
By: John A. Davis
This case describes how Alex Wolf, the founder of a small architecture and urban planning firm based in Portland, Oregon, decides to offer partnership to two trusted colleagues, and then how strains develop in their relationship. It asks what can be done to improve... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Interpersonal Communication; Entrepreneurship; Partners and Partnerships; Conflict Management
Davis, John A. "Wolf Elmore Brewer, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 809-098, January 2009.
- 2015
- Case
Advanced Leadership Pathways: Beatriz Cardoso and Education in Brazil
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter, Daniella Suarez and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
Beatriz Cardoso, founder of Laboratório de Educação (Education Laboratory) had a dream to propel Brazilian education. However, challenges in fundraising made it difficult to scale up her project, based on helping adults help children improve their literacy skills. To... View Details
Keywords: Social Enterprise; Education; Business Startups; Information Technology; Leading Change; Brazil
Kanter, Rosabeth M., Daniella Suarez, and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone. "Advanced Leadership Pathways: Beatriz Cardoso and Education in Brazil." Harvard Business Publishing Case, 2015. (Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative.)
- March 2008 (Revised June 2008)
- Case
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer
Describes a set of key strategic decisions facing the scientific founder and CEO of a promising, early stage bio-pharmaceuticals company. Should the company establish a proposed alliance with a pharmaceutical firm? Should it create a nutraceuticals business in parallel... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk Management; Brands and Branding; Pharmaceutical Industry
Stuart, Toby, and David Kiron. "Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer." Harvard Business School Case 808-112, March 2008. (Revised June 2008.)
- October 2008 (Revised February 2011)
- Case
Apple's Core
By: Noam T. Wasserman
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are best friends who enjoy pulling pranks together and talking about electronics. After several small collaborations, Jobs pitches Wozniak on starting a company together to sell computers based on Wozniak's design for a personal computer.... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Equity; Managerial Roles; Partners and Partnerships; Conflict Management
Wasserman, Noam T. "Apple's Core." Harvard Business School Case 809-063, October 2008. (Revised February 2011.)
- October 2012
- Case
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer (Abridged)
By: Toby Stuart and James Weber
Describes a set of key strategic decisions facing the scientific founder and CEO of a promising, early stage bio-pharmaceuticals company. Should the company establish a proposed alliance with a pharmaceutical firm? Should it create a nutraceuticals business in parallel... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk Management; Brands and Branding; Pharmaceutical Industry
Stuart, Toby, and James Weber. "Sirtris Pharmaceuticals: Living Healthier, Longer (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 813-029, October 2012.
- August 1994 (Revised October 1996)
- Case
MicroFridge
By: Norman A. Berg and James Weber
MicroFridge, a five-year-old, $12 million company based in Sharon, Mass., develops and sells a unique, combination compact refrigerator and microwave oven. All of the manufacturing is done for it by Sanyo in various overseas locations. The founder and president... View Details
Keywords: Production; Competitive Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Supply Chain Management; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Consumer Products Industry; Massachusetts
Berg, Norman A., and James Weber. "MicroFridge." Harvard Business School Case 395-027, August 1994. (Revised October 1996.)
- March 2025
- Case
Mobvoi's Path Through Market Challenges and Business Reinvention
By: Paul A. Gompers and Shu Lin
Founded in 2012, Mobvoi evolved through multiple transformations—from AI-driven voice technology to smart wearables and later AI-generated content. Backed by major investors, the company navigated shifts in strategy while facing two failed IPO attempts. As market... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; AI and Machine Learning; Transformation; Initial Public Offering; Business Strategy; Technology Industry; China
Gompers, Paul A., and Shu Lin. "Mobvoi's Path Through Market Challenges and Business Reinvention." Harvard Business School Case 825-158, March 2025.
- February 1998 (Revised August 1998)
- Case
Teradyne, Inc.: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
Alexander d'Arbeloff, Teradyne's founder and CEO, is launching his company into the software and network testing business. He has acquired three external start-ups and is beginning to integrate them with the rest of the company. While Teradyne's core... View Details
Keywords: Acquisition; Business Startups; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Leadership Style; Success; Horizontal Integration
Lassiter, Joseph B., III. "Teradyne, Inc.: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained." Harvard Business School Case 898-190, February 1998. (Revised August 1998.)
- June 2014
- Case
Stock Options at Celia-Check
By: Brian Hall, Andrew Wasynczuk and Karen Huang
Describes issues facing three young founders of a high-tech start-up, including hiring an experienced CEO and negotiating with a potential VC investor. Focuses on the incentive and compensation aspects of negotiating with job candidates (e.g., what percentage of the... View Details
- September 2002 (Revised May 2003)
- Case
X-IT and Kidde (A)
By: Constance E. Bagley and David Lane
Involves a start-up, X-IT Products LLC, whose founders had designed an innovative, lightweight, and easy-to-use--yet strong--escape ladder. After X-IT had filed a patent application for the ladder in the United States, X-IT was approached by Kidde PLC, one of the... View Details
Keywords: Patents; Negotiation Process; Agreements and Arrangements; Ethics; Lawsuits and Litigation; Business Startups; Consumer Products Industry
Bagley, Constance E., and David Lane. "X-IT and Kidde (A)." Harvard Business School Case 803-041, September 2002. (Revised May 2003.)
- January 2007 (Revised August 2008)
- Case
NatuRi Corporation
By: Robert F. Higgins and Virginia Fuller
NatuRi Corporation was a start up, founded in 2005, aiming to manufacture a cholesterol-lowering drug made from the byproducts of rice bran oil production. With operations split between Chennai, India and Boston, Massachusetts, NatuRi faced several challenges,... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Equity; Investment Funds; Growth and Development Strategy; Chennai; Boston
Higgins, Robert F., and Virginia Fuller. "NatuRi Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 807-027, January 2007. (Revised August 2008.)
- May 2021
- Supplement
Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy — Operating the Business Model Exercise, Instructor Version
By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton
On a mission to "automate the on-demand economy," Harvard Business School classmates Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck launched Hello Alfred in 2013 to provide subscribers with an "Alfred" to complete various chores for a monthly fee. In early 2016, the company has built... View Details
- July 2013 (Revised August 2017)
- Case
TaKaDu
By: Elie Ofek and Matthew Preble
In December 2012, Amir Peleg, founder and CEO of TaKaDu, reflected on how to position his young firm for the next fiscal year and beyond. The small Israeli startup had developed an innovative software system that used patented algorithms and statistical analysis to... View Details
Keywords: Innovation; Customer Selection; Business Marketing; High-tech Marketing; Enterprise Resource Planning; Water Resources; Water Management; Utilities; Product Positioning; Expansion; Resource Allocation; Applications and Software; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Innovation and Invention; Growth and Development Strategy; Utilities Industry; Australia; Israel
- April 2000
- Case
Financing of Project Achieve, The (A)
By: Mihir A. Desai
An entrepreneur is forced to analyze the tradeoffs between different equity providers through a detailed analysis of venture financing terms and cash flow forecasts. The founder of a Web-based IMS for schools must negotiate a term sheet, determine funding needs, value... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Forecasting and Prediction; Venture Capital; Cash Flow; Equity; Negotiation Deal; Valuation
Desai, Mihir A. "Financing of Project Achieve, The (A)." Harvard Business School Case 200-042, April 2000.
- January 2017
- Supplement
Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy — Operating the Business Model Exercise
By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton
On a mission to "automate the on-demand economy," Harvard Business School classmates Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck launched Hello Alfred in 2013 to provide subscribers with an "Alfred" to complete various chores for a monthly fee. In early 2016, the company has built... View Details
- February 2021 (Revised March 2025)
- Case
Walt Disney: Changing the World
By: Robert Simons and Shirley Sun
This case describes the rise of Walt Disney, founder of the worldwide entertainment company. The case describes how Disney, as a young artist, created memorable figures such as Mickey Mouse and went on to produce Academy-award-winning films and build the world’s most... View Details
Keywords: Creativity Teams; Entertainment Industry; Family; Entertainment; Creativity; Personal Characteristics; Business Startups; Work-Life Balance; Personal Development and Career; Success; Entertainment and Recreation Industry
Simons, Robert, and Shirley Sun. "Walt Disney: Changing the World." Harvard Business School Case 121-056, February 2021. (Revised March 2025.)
- November 2004 (Revised May 2010)
- Case
RightNow Technologies
By: William A. Sahlman and Dan Heath
The founder and CEO of a CRM software start-up must decide between an attractive acquisition offer and the opportunity to go public. Discusses the growth of the company--including a lengthy discussion of entrepreneurial bootstrapping--as well as an aborted IPO attempt... View Details
Keywords: Business Exit or Shutdown; Applications and Software; Going Public; Management Teams; Finance; Strategy; Value Creation; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Acquisition; Computer Industry
Sahlman, William A., and Dan Heath. "RightNow Technologies." Harvard Business School Case 805-032, November 2004. (Revised May 2010.)