Publications

January 2014
Case

Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth

By: William A. Sahlman, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Joseph B. Fuller and Shikhar Ghosh

The founders of Maricopa, Inc., a startup that sold proprietary hair-care products directly to salons, were preparing a board presentation to address the young company's inability to meet financial projections. While the products had caught on with customers, the... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Financial Condition; Venture Capital; Financial Strategy; Financing and Loans; Expansion; Planning; Fashion Industry; Iowa

March 2008 (Revised July 2011)
Supplement

Cadbury Schweppes: Capturing Confectionery (C)

By: David Collis, Toby Stuart and Troy Smith

In late 2002, global confectionery and beverage maker Cadbury Schweppes needed to decide whether or not to make an acquisition bid for Adams, an underperforming gum company which had been put up for sale by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Examining the decision from a... View Details

Keywords: Food; Mergers and Acquisitions; Corporate Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry

February 2010 (Revised January 2014)
Case

CommonAngels (A)

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Kaitlyn Simpson

Describes the motivations behind the founding of CommonAngels—a group of successful business owners who provide capital, connections, and expertise to entrepreneurs who are building new ventures. In 2005, the group is considering increasing its investment focus to... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Financing and Loans; Investment; Motivation and Incentives; Social and Collaborative Networks; Financial Services Industry

Web

Thomas Stemberg | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School

International Robert Higgins Highland Capital Richard Jenrette Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Dean LeBaron Batterymarch Erling Lorentzen Aracruz Dan Lufkin Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Thomas Murphy Capital... View Details

September 2020
Case

Disrupting Justice at RightNow: Rich or King

By: Shikhar Ghosh and Amir Reza Rezvani

The case examines issues such as cascading problems within the organization, changing founder roles, founder success criteria, as well as company exit consideration. In 2017, Dr. Torben Antretter, a former competitive tennis player and academic researcher, founded... View Details

Keywords: Exit; Startup; Financing; Founders; Entrepreneurship; Law; Venture Capital; Success; Financing and Loans; Business Growth and Maturation; Strategy; Legal Services Industry; Germany

January 2002
Case

Metromove.com Business Plan

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Sheila Marcelo

Enables analysis of a business plan in a volatile market. Also enables analysis of the decisions entrepreneurs must make as they start a new business, develop the concept, choose partners, and find funding. View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Decisions; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Business or Company Management; Partners and Partnerships

25 Oct 2016
First Look

October 25, 2016

companies committed to making positive contributions to health and wellness. Focusing on four interconnected areas of corporate impact, it not only discusses the business imperative of promoting a healthier society and improved living... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

06 Apr 2016
Research & Ideas

Should Entrepreneurs Pitch Products or Ideas for Products?

In trying to secure financial backing for a new product, independent innovators generally face the question of how much to invest in development before showing it around. Should they create, say, a working prototype (and maybe even generate sales) or pitch the idea for... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Motion Pictures & Video; Entertainment & Recreation; Banking

November 1984 (Revised March 1985)
Case

Restructuring European Petrochemicals: Regional Data

By: Francis Aguilar, Joseph L. Bower and Benjamin Gomes-Casseres

Keywords: Restructuring; Corporate Strategy; Energy Industry; Chemical Industry; Europe

Find at Harvard

November 1984 (Revised March 1985)
Case

Restructuring European Petrochemicals: The Dow Chemical Co.

By: Francis Aguilar, Joseph L. Bower and Benjamin Gomes-Casseres

Keywords: Restructuring; Corporate Strategy; Energy Industry; Chemical Industry; Europe

Find at Harvard

November 1984 (Revised March 1985)
Case

Restructuring European Petrochemicals: Exxon Chemical

By: Francis Aguilar, Joseph L. Bower and Benjamin Gomes-Casseres

Keywords: Restructuring; Corporate Strategy; Energy Industry; Chemical Industry; Europe

Find at Harvard

2016
Chapter

Financing Entrepreneurial Experimentation

By: Ramana Nanda and Matthew Rhodes-Kropf

Keywords: Innovation; Investing; Abandonment Option; Failure Tolerance; Risk and Uncertainty; Technological Innovation; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship

01 Jun 2006
News

Silver Lining

Despite the grim headlines, Sanjay Bhatnagar (MBA ’93) knows there’s a silver lining in Enron’s dark corporate cloud. In 1997, while supervising the company’s energy operations in South Asia, Bhatnagar worked with Andrea Miller, a member... View Details

Keywords: Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Utilities

Web

Educating Leaders - Georges F. Doriot:Educating Leaders, Building Companies, Baker Library, Harvard Business School

who went on to make significant contributions in venture capital firms, successful startups, and the country's top corporations. "[Doriot] motivated and heightened in me the drive always to be the best in... View Details

Web

Innovation & the War Effort - Edwin H. Land & Polaroid | Harvard Business School

H. Land speech files, Polaroid Corporation Records, Baker Library, Harvard Business School. 26. After the war Compton helped establish American Research and Development, the first publicly funded U.S. View Details

November 2019
Supplement

Hapag-Lloyd AG: Complying with IMO 2020

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej and Emer Moloney

A new environmental regulation known as IMO 2020 was creating what one industry analyst called “the biggest shakeup for the oil and shipping industries in decades.” According to the new regulation, all ocean-going ships would have to limit their sulfur emissions by... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Ship Transportation; Strategic Planning; Game Theory; Pollutants; Supply Chain; Corporate Accountability; Capital Budgeting; Environmental Sustainability; Shipping Industry; Transportation Industry; Germany

May 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Exercise

Endeca Negotiation, The: Hardy Smith

By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Students play the role of Hardy Smith, one of the founding investors of a venture-backed enterprise software company. In the challenging financing climate of the fall of 2001, he is trying to decide what terms to offer the company as an insider-funded C-round. Presents... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Process; Negotiation Offer; Management Teams; Venture Capital; Valuation; Software; Information Technology Industry; Web Services Industry

May 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Exercise

Endeca Negotiation, The: Steve Papa

By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Students play the role of Steve Papa, the CEO and founder of a venture-backed enterprise software company. In the challenging financing climate of the fall of 2001, he knows that two different groups are about to submit term sheets for his company's C-round. He is... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Process; Negotiation Offer; Management Teams; Venture Capital; Valuation; Software; Information Technology Industry; Web Services Industry