Publications

July 2018 (Revised November 2018)
Case

The Robin Hood Army

By: Susanna Gallani

In 2014, Neel Ghose and a handful of friends spent one evening distributing excess food they had collected from local restaurants to the less fortunate people living under the Hauz Khas flyover in South Delhi. Four years later, this initiative had developed into The... View Details

Keywords: Volunteer-based Organization; Food Redistribution; Nonprofit Organizations; Food; Human Needs; Expansion; Global Range; Growth and Development

Michael Parzen is a Senior Lecturer in the Technology and Operations Management unit at Harvard Business School. He is an applied statistician with extensive experience in data science education and currently teaches Applied Business Analytics as an MBA elective... View Details

December 2012
Article

How Much Is Sweat Equity Worth?

By: Christopher Marquis and Joshua D. Margolis

The article presents a case study of a business decision related to the valuing of sweat equity in a start-up business. One man starts a premium vodka business, bringing in his cousin at an early stage, but with no initial discussion of the eventual split of equity or... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Ownership Stake; Business Startups

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April 2001
Exercise

Selecting a Hosting Provider

Asks students to develop criteria for selecting a Web hosting company, then to select one of three profiled in case exhibits. In choosing a hosting vendor, students represent one of two companies: one a start-up, the other an industrial-age manufacturer. By assigning... View Details

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Partners and Partnerships; Internet

18 Apr 2014
News

Making “Freemium” Work

21 Apr 2022
News

How VCs Can Overcome the “Winner’s Curse”

January 2000 (Revised February 2007)
Case

Asia Renal Care

Presents a business plan for a start-up company focused on building a network of high-quality dialysis centers in the Asia-Pacific region. Includes a detailed financial forecast. An executable spreadsheet is available by contacting HBSP Customer Service at... View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Forecasting and Prediction; Business Startups; Financial Strategy; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Asia

November 1997 (Revised December 1999)
Case

Cinemex

By: James L. Heskett

The founders of Cinemex, the largest capitalized venture start-up in Mexican history, are debating several issues concerning the operations of their new chain of motion picture theatres in Mexico City. The first concerns whether some seats should be left unsold to... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Service Operations; Debates; Venture Capital; Customer Satisfaction; Advertising; Investment; Theater Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Mexico City

04 Oct 2006
Lessons from the Classroom

Surviving Success: When Founders Must Go

When does a company founder have to go? In the frenzied, early months of a new venture's launch, few entrepreneurs anticipate a future beyond their role as company leader. In the case study "Founder–CEO Succession at Wily Technology," HBS assistant professor... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Technology

May 1993 (Revised March 1995)
Case

PEPSI: The Indian Challenge

On November 9, 1987, the Government of India's Project Approval Board approved PepsiCo's second proposal to enter the country. The package that had been approved differed substantially, however, from the one that Pepsi and its local partners had proposed more than a... View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Business and Government Relations; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; India

January 1996
Case

Palm Computing, Inc. (A)

By: Myra M. Hart

Discusses patents, licenses, and deal making in a start-up venture. The entrepreneur, Jeff Hawkins, holds a patent on Palm Print, a pattern recognition algorithm. After licensing Palm Print to his employer, he led three years of development of commercial products for... View Details

Keywords: Intellectual Property; Patents; Agreements and Arrangements; Negotiation Deal; Business Startups; Management Teams

01 Mar 2019
News

Required Reading: The Keys for Unlocking the Customer Value Chain

May 1998
Case

Integral Vision Ltd. (A)

A stop-action simulation case takes participants through the process whereby four people (three young entrepreneurs and an investor) take a machine vision company from start-up to acquisition by a major publicly-traded company. Over several years, they have to... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Business Growth and Maturation; Acquisition; Business Startups

07 Aug 2012
News

Scaling Is Hard. Here's How Akamai Did It.

November 2019 (Revised December 2019)
Case

Marcus by Goldman Sachs

By: Rory McDonald, Samir Junnarkar and David Lane

Five years on from the 2008 financial crisis, Goldman Sachs remained wounded. Revenues at the global investment bank had stagnated below pre-crisis levels, and the firm had yet to rebound from a substantial decline in securities-trading revenues. Marcus by Goldman... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Banks and Banking; Innovation Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Organizational Culture; Financial Services Industry; United Kingdom

May 2024
Teaching Note

AI21 Labs in 2023: Strategy for Generative AI

By: David Yoffie

Teaching Note for HBS Case 724-383. The case has 3 important teaching purposes: First, what are the advantages and disadvantages of imitation? (e.g., Should AI21 imitate OpenAI with a chatbot?) Second, what are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping new technology... View Details

Keywords: AI; Generative Ai; Generative Models; AI and Machine Learning; Innovation Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Model; Business Startups; Open Source Distribution; Competitive Advantage; Technology Industry; Israel

Article

Are You Suited for a Start-up?

By: Jeffrey Bussgang

Relative to established organizations, start-ups can be hard to figure out. What are the jobs to be done? The best entry points? How can you tell whether a company has potential for success and is the right fit for you? The author advises that you first assess... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Personal Characteristics; Job Search