Publications

January 2001 (Revised June 2001)
Case

COFIDIS

An offspring of French catalog marketer 3 Suisses, and a popular sponsor of Tour de France, Cofidis sells consumer credit over the phone, defying conventional banking with a product policy and a communication strategy that perfectly fits the company's comparative... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Internet and the Web; Marketing Communications; Competitive Advantage; Product; Credit; Financial Services Industry; France

February 2015 (Revised September 2016)
Case

Hövding: The Airbag for Cyclists

By: Joseph B. Fuller and Emilie Billaud

In 2012, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, co¬founders of the Hövding company, reflect on the evolution of their venture and the way forward. Since 2005, Haupt and Alstin had been working on a new type of bicycle helmet—an "airbag for cyclists." What had begun as a thesis... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Transition; Leadership; Conflict Management; Bicycle Industry; Sweden; Europe

April 2008
Case

Four Products: Predicting Diffusion (2008)

By: John T. Gourville

An updated "Four Products" case. This 2008 version includes: sliced peanut butter, foldable bicycle tires, high-end wooden puzzles, and artificial dirt for thoroughbred race tracks. These four products form the basis to assess the drivers of new product adoption. In... View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Innovation and Invention; Product Marketing; Demand and Consumers; Adoption

30 Jun 2022
HBS Case

Peloton Changed the Exercise Game. Can the Company Push Through the Pain?

Few companies create an entirely new consumer market and reach icon status—and then set out to reinvent themselves. But that’s the hill the at-home, interactive-exercise firm Peloton is now climbing. Peloton was one of the freewheeling successes of the first year of... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert; Bicycle; Bicycle; Bicycle

Web

Policies, Rules & Guidelines | About

Policies, Rules & Guidelines Accessibility Review the full scope of Harvard's accessibility policies. Bike Policy To ensure the safe and responsible use of bicycles on campus, please review the policies and resources. Campus Use Rules... View Details

01 Jun 2023
HBS Case

A Nike Executive Hid His Criminal Past to Turn His Life Around. What If He Didn't Have To?

Luther King, Jr. Miller makes a ‘horrible’ mistake As Miller got older and his neighborhood grew rougher, he stopped looking for approval from his parents and teachers and began looking up to kids who got in trouble on the street. At age 12, police caught Miller... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Apparel & Accessories

01 Dec 2023
News

Thinking Ahead

As we wind down 2023, there’s talk everywhere of generative AI and how it will fundamentally alter the world as we know it; but how does that translate for your corner of the business world? Is TikTok something you need to take seriously? (Is it time to dance?) We... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Illustrations by Chris Gash; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

Web

Curriculum - Business & Environment

with almost $1 billion in venture capital, provided 2 billion bicycle rides, soaked up the majority of the bike manufacturing capacity in all of China, and then, in July of 2017, hit pause. The proximate reason for halting their purchase... View Details

09 Jan 2020
Book

Rethinking Business Strategy in the Age of AI

John Foley was irritated with his local gym. He was constantly getting elbowed out of his favorite spin classes as other cyclists snapped up spots in sessions led by the most popular instructors. Foley’s frustration inspired him in 2012 to found Peloton, whose $2,200... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

September 2012
Teaching Note

On Two Wheels in Paris: The Vélib' Bicycle-Sharing Program (TN)

Keywords: Bicycle Transportation; Bicycle Industry; Paris

01 Jun 2024
News

Competing in the Age of AI

Above: Karim Lakhani discussed GenAI with alumni during his presentation at When Professor Karim Lakhani leads discussions about generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), he often begins by asking audience members to stand if they’ve used an AI tool like ChatGPT or... View Details

Keywords: April White

11 Apr 2024
News

Mission Control

my calculator collection to pay for my rent in the halfway dorm in France. I bought myself a bicycle for 50 euros and I bicycled to university and sat with everyone half my age. And learned about space... View Details

27 May 2015
Research & Ideas

Build 'Scaffolds' to Improve Performance of Temporary Teams

"Four minutes," a triumphant Amy C. Edmondson exclaims as she arrives at her Harvard Business School office, clutching a bike helmet and explaining that her commute is 10 minutes faster by bicycle than by car. Edmondson, the... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland; Health

December 2011 (Revised January 2016)
Case

On Two Wheels in Paris: The Vélib' Bicycle-Sharing Program

By: Peter A. Coles, Elena Corsi and Vincent Dessain

Keywords: Bicycle Transportation; Bicycle Industry; Paris

February 2014 (Revised August 2016)
Case

Strava

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, William A. Sahlman and Sid Misra

Strava is a new fast-growing social network for the avid cyclist and runner. The Strava case traces the entrepreneurial journey of two serial entrepreneurs who have been co-founders in a prior venture, and who have co-founded Strava 3 years ago. The protagonists must... View Details

March 2003 (Revised January 2006)
Case

Threshold Sports

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Todd H Thedinga

Describes the sales, marketing, and operating issues facing Threshold Sports, a small cycling event management company that produces the Pro Cycling Tour. Examines the issues facing the company as it approaches breakeven and attempts to grow the business substantially.... View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Bicycle Transportation; Service Delivery; Sports; Bicycle Industry; Bicycle Industry

September 2013 (Revised August 2015)
Background Note

Leadership and Teaming

By: Ethan Bernstein

Small differences in the leadership of teams can have large consequences for the success of their efforts. Many initiatives fail not because of a fatal error in judgment or insufficient ideas, knowledge, motivation, or capabilities to deliver a solution. They fail... View Details