Publications

September 2016 (Revised April 2018)
Case

Western Technology Investment

By: Ramana Nanda, William A. Sahlman and Nicole Keller

Based in Portola Valley, California, Western Technology Investment (WTI) specialized in a hybrid form of debt and equity financing for early-stage companies. Like traditional venture capital and private equity firms, WTI raised funds from institutional investors and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance; Equity; Finance; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Financing and Loans; California

October 2013 (Revised August 2016)
Case

NOWaccount

By: Ramana Nanda, William A. Sahlman and Lauren Barley

It was September 2013, and NOWaccount Network Corporation (NOW®) co-founders John Hayes and Lara Hodgson were putting the final touches on the presentation deck for their annual shareholders' meeting. Along with co-founder Stacey Abrams, the pair had designed NOW's... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance; Finance; Entrepreneurship

22 May 2020
In Practice

Post-COVID Health Care: More Screens, Less Red Tape?

world for the better over the next two years, and will prepare us for the inevitable pandemics that follow. William A. Sahlman is a Baker Foundation Professor and the Dimitri... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

March 2012 (Revised December 2012)
Case

Foro Energy (A)

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, William A. Sahlman and James McQuade

Foro Energy developed proprietary and patent-pending fiber-laser technologies that could disrupt existing processes and services for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. These breakthrough laser technologies were protected by a strong intellectual... View Details

Keywords: Disruptive Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Entrepreneurship; United States

April 2001
Teaching Note

CBS Evening News TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Elliot N. Maltz and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note for (9-898-086). For book only - not listed on case. View Details

Keywords: Journalism and News Industry

April 2001
Teaching Note

QVC, Inc. TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Elliot N. Maltz and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note for (9-897-050). For book only - not listed on case. View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry

April 2001
Teaching Note

Egghead.com TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Elliot N. Maltz and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note for (9-898-283). For book only - not listed on case. View Details

Keywords: Web Services Industry; Retail Industry

1991
Book

Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Venture

By: H. H. Stevenson and W. A. Sahlman

Keywords: Business Ventures; Entrepreneurship

Find at Harvard

June 2013 (Revised August 2017)
Case

Coupa

By: Michael Roberts and William Sahlman

The case describes the growth of Coupa, a software as a service platform for procurement / expense management. The issues in the case are around how fast to grow and how to finance that growth. The case includes a detailed financial model that will help students... View Details

Keywords: Managing Growth; Sales Force Management; Growth Management; Entrepreneurship; Salesforce Management

September 2017 (Revised October 2017)
Case

Discover Capital: Closing an Acquisition

By: Robert F. White, William A. Sahlman and Ramana Nanda

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Financing; Finance; Entrepreneurship; United States

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

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards

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

Keywords: Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Financial Strategy; Investment Return; Growth and Development Strategy; Valuation; United States

April 2001
Teaching Note

Streamline (A) and (B) TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Rafi Mohammed and William A. Sahlman

April 2001
Teaching Note

PlanetAll TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Steven Silverman and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note for (9-898-105). For book only. View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Business Model; Web Services Industry

February 2001
Case

BarnesandNoble.com (B)

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Dickson Louie and William A. Sahlman

At the end of 1998, Jonathan Bulkeley, the newly-named CEO of barnesandnoble.com, is faced with a challenge. As the second leading online bookseller behind Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com must build its market share. With Forrester Research predicting that the online... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Marketing Strategy; Publishing Industry

April 2001
Teaching Note

Frontgate Catalog TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Leo Griffin, Yannis Dosios and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note for (9-898-080). For book only - not listed on case. View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry

November 2002 (Revised February 2003)
Case

Amazon.com-2002

By: Stig Leschly, Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Todd H Thedinga

Describes the evolution of Amazon.com and its business model since its founding. Specifically, discusses Amazon's transformation from an e-Tailer to a commerce platform and its marketplace initiative, which has driven this. Also describes the economics of various... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Transformation; Retail Industry

April 2001
Teaching Note

The New York Times Electronic Media Company (A) and (B)

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Elliot N. Maltz and William A. Sahlman