Publications

01 Mar 2024
News

Vital Signs

along the way. Accessed by a mobile phone, tablet, or web application, the software also builds medical notes throughout the consultation. Those notes, along with the management plan or any necessary referrals, feed directly into a... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Hospitals; Health, Social Assistance

11 Jan 2021
Research & Ideas

Is A/B Testing Effective? Evidence from 35,000 Startups

researchers analyzed the characteristics, web metrics, and technology adoption trajectories of the startups over four years starting in April 2015 to determine not only whether A/B testing affected firm performance, but how. What they... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

Fast Answer

Patent search: A comparative table of databases

staff). Pitchbook: patent data related to Pitchbook covered companies (HUKey and individual account set up required) SciFinder: chemistry and chemical engineering. (HUKey required) Web of Science: provides patents that are... View Details

01 Jun 2024
News

Quantum Leap

technology into a commercially viable tool. Any sector that relies on computers for simulation, optimization, machine learning, or security—from finance to pharmaceuticals, logistics to web services—will be disrupted, with experts... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; photographed by Chris Sorensen; quantum computing; innovation; leadership; Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing

December 2017 (Revised May 2018)
Case

Amazon Buys Whole Foods

By: José B. Alvarez, David Lane and Joni Coughlin

The June 2017 news that e-commerce giant Amazon was paying $13.7 billion for organic supermarket chain Whole Foods precipitated a broad sell-off in the shares of grocery retailers and suppliers. Behind the precipitous declines lay recognition that Amazon’s bold move... View Details

Keywords: Amazon; Whole Foods; Grocery; Grocery Delivery; Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Business Models; Food Value Chain; Agribusiness; Mergers and Acquisitions; Operations; Competitive Strategy; E-commerce; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Retail Industry; Web Services Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

08 Sep 2014
Research & Ideas

The Strategic Way To Hire a Sales Team

as your markets change. In subscription-based businesses like software and many consumer web services, sales activities with high variance and impact early on are about customer acquisition. But as the market matures, key activities tend... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

August 2013 (Revised July 2025)
Case

Amazon in 2025

By: Sunil Gupta and Margaret L. Rodriguez

Amazon launched its website in July 1995 to sell books online and by 2020 it has grown to become a digital giant with over $280 billion in annual sales. A large part of its growth came from expanding into a variety of businesses that some see as unrelated. Has it... View Details

Keywords: Platforms; Complements; Showrooming; Ecosystem; Growth Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Network Effects; Internet and the Web; Business Model; Competitive Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Digital Platforms; Retail Industry; Publishing Industry

Web

Use of Harvard Name & Logo | About

Guidelines . Department Marketing Materials The Harvard Business School logo may be used on official HBS marketing materials (brochures, flyers, Web sites, etc.). (Note that this does not include an individual's activities outside of... View Details

Web

Online Business Analytics Course | HBS Online

critical for business success and I now feel confident that I have the foundations in place. I am looking forward to embracing this capability further in my career. Emily Hardy Sr. Director Traffic Generation & Web Analytics, adidas Group... View Details

Web

Winners & Runners-Up | New Venture Competition

HBS Social Enterprise Track Runner-Up Aggregates options for consumers to trade in or recycle unwanted electronics in a simple and efficient web platform. Business Track, 2009 CloudFlare Michelle Zatlyn Matt Prince Business Track Winner... View Details

June 2005 (Revised August 2013)
Case

Amazon.com's European Distribution Strategy

By: Janice Hammond and Claire Chiron

Describes how Amazon's distribution system evolved from the company's inception. In 2003, Amazon Europe must decide how to reconfigure its distribution network in light of expected growth, products proliferation, and geographical expansion in Europe. Examines how... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Decision Choices and Conditions; Growth and Development; Business or Company Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Supply and Industry; Distribution; Supply Chain; Risk and Uncertainty; Expansion; Web Services Industry

01 Jun 2023
News

Pet Project

plateau online with rising costs due to iOS 14 privacy limiting tracking, so retail will open the door to a huge new pool of captive customers. Maev can offer different SKUs for retail, even if it’s just a sticker on the packaging—and include a View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Miscellaneous Store Retailers; Retail Trade; Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores; Retail Trade

19 Sep 2023
Blog Post

2023 Summer Internships in Business & Environment

Development Manager at Amazon Web Services. Vanessa Wu (MBA 2024, Section D), Summer Internship: Business Development Intern, Ebb Carbon Ebb Carbon is an carbon dioxide removal startup that uses an electrochemical ocean alkalinity... View Details

November 2003 (Revised January 2004)
Case

eBay Inc.: Internet Success or Fairy Tale?

By: David F. Hawkins and Jacob Cohen

A well-known financial analyst claims that eBay has never been profitable and currently does not generate any "unfettered" cash flow. View Details

Keywords: Cash Flow; Accounting; Web Services Industry

01 Mar 2024
News

Leading Businesses in a Web3 World

Illustration by Daniel Hertzberg Web3 is poised to transform everything we do online by decentralizing and democratizing the internet. That transformation is already underway in the business world: built on blockchain technology that offers increased security and... View Details

01 Apr 2013
Research & Ideas

First Minutes are Critical in New-Employee Orientation

The first few minutes of new employee orientation, if done right, can lead to happier and more productive workers and, ultimately, increased customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, a lot of companies do it wrong. In many firms, employee orientation focuses solely on... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Web Services; Web Services; Web Services

10 May 2010
Research & Ideas

What Top Scholars Say About Leadership

we're using Web 2.0 technology; accompanying essays, debates, and discussion have started on the Harvard Business Review Web site. In many ways, the conference is just going to be the midpoint of the... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Education

March 2023
Case

Mirakl: Growing The Marketplace Economy

By: Antonio Moreno, Santiago Gallino and Emilie Billaud

Mirakl provided the technology and seller network required for companies like Macy's, Best Buy, Walmart, Siemens, or Carrefour to simply design, launch, and administer a marketplace that included products from third-party sellers. What began as a basic business idea in... View Details

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Transformation; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Internet and the Web; Technology Adoption; Sales; Web Services Industry; Web Services Industry; Web Services Industry; Europe; France; Paris; United States