Publications

winter 1985
Article

Capital Market Myopia

By: William A. Sahlman and Howard H. Stevenson

Keywords: Capital; Markets

June 1996
Case

Pathfinder Capital

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

Two former consultants have raised a search fund and are looking for a company to buy and run. After eight months of looking at deals, they have just signed a letter of intent to buy the second largest book retail chain in Canada in a turnaround situation. They must... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Leveraged Buyouts; Financing and Loans; Venture Capital; Change; Decisions

September 1995 (Revised July 1998)
Background Note

Entrepreneurial Finance Suggested Readings

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

17 Jul 2012
First Look

First Look: July 17

identified and classified in terms of specifying, allocating, and utilizing capacity. The first two categories reflect challenges faced by infrastructure providers; the last category, challenges faced by... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

04 Sep 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, September 4, 2018

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=54036 August 23, 2018 NEJM Catalyst Using a New EHR System to Increase Patient Engagement, Improve Efficiency, and Decrease Cost By: French, Katy, Barbra Bryce Speer, Alexis B. Guzman, Tayab Andrabi, Iris Recinos, Keith... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

February 2015
Supplement

WebTracker, Spreadsheet for Instructors (Brief Case)

By: William A. Sahlman and Michael J. Roberts DBA

February 2015
Teaching Note

WebTracker (Brief Case)

By: William A. Sahlman and Michael J. Roberts DBA

November 2014
Case

Oasys Water: Balancing Strategic Partnerships & Financing Decisions

By: Ramana Nanda, William A. Sahlman and Sid Misra

Oasys Water had developed a proprietary water treatment technology based on an innovative forward osmosis process that could remove dissolved solids from water more effectively and efficiently than existing technologies. As Oasys looked to scale, it was exploring... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance; Finance; Strategy; Entrepreneurship; China

November 1991 (Revised September 1993)
Case

Oak Industries Inc.

By: William A. Sahlman and Burton C. Hurlock

Describes Bill Antle's proposed restructuring plans for Oak Industries, a company composed of nine divisions which seem to be experiencing operating difficulties. During the last ten years the company has been involved in a number of acquisitions and divestitures, as... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business or Company Management; Operations; SWOT Analysis; Organizational Structure; Restructuring; Financial Management; Acquisition; Financial Markets

November 2010
Case

The Firestorm: Super Angelgate

By: William A. Sahlman and Evan Wade Richardson

An overview of key documents surrounding the 2010 “Angelgate” meetings. View Details

May 2006 (Revised February 2007)
Background Note

Innocent Drinks (TN)

By: Michael J. Roberts and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note to (805-031). View Details

Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry

1989
Chapter

The Entrepreneurial Process

By: William A. Sahlman and Howard H. Stevenson

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Management Practices and Processes

October 1995
Exercise

Venture Capital Method - Valuation Problem Set

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

Presents a short problem set designed as an introduction to the venture capital method of problem solving. View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Valuation

September 1995
Supplement

At Play Productions (C)

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

September 1995
Case

At Play Productions (A)

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

August 1987 (Revised December 1998)
Background Note

Capital Market Myopia

By: William A. Sahlman and Howard H. Stevenson

Focuses attention on a phenomenon we call capital market myopia, a situation in which participants in the capital markets ignore the logical implications of their individual investment decisions. Viewed in isolation, each decision seems to make sense. When taken... View Details

Keywords: Capital Markets

November 2004
Case

ClozeX Medical (A): The New Standard of Wound Closure

By: William A. Sahlman and Ryland Matthew Willis

Describes a set of decisions confronting the founder of a company with a revolutionary new wound-closure product. He must decide how to finance and exploit his venture. View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Product Launch; Medical Specialties; Corporate Finance; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

November 2004
Case

Barry Diller and IAC/InterActiveCorp

By: William A. Sahlman and Ryland Matthew Willis

Describes a discussion involving Barry Diller and the top management team at IAC/InteractiveCorp. about whether to buy LendingTree.com. If so, at what price and on what terms? View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Strategy; Management Teams; Business or Company Management

October 2002 (Revised May 2004)
Case

Intuit's New CEO: Steve Bennett

By: William A. Sahlman and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Describes the transition to a new CEO at Intuit, a successful software and financial services firm in California. The new CEO must decide what to change and how fast. He must also navigate within a culture everyone believes to be successful but he envisions can be... View Details

Keywords: Management Succession; Entrepreneurship; Organizational Culture; Applications and Software; Management Teams; Information Technology Industry; Financial Services Industry; California