Publications

December 2001
Case

IntellectExchange, Inc.

By: James I. Cash Jr. and Janis L Gogan

A start-up intellect exchange initially offered a public expertise exchange, connecting experts with clients. Now management wonders whether a new, more focused strategy will succeed. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Experience and Expertise; Networks; Business Strategy

June 2001
Case

Infinata: The Quest for Human Resource Venture Capital

By: Jay O. Light and Anthony Massaro

A potential start-up in the Web-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is considering a deal with a software developer. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Negotiation Deal; Customer Relationship Management; Internet and the Web; Business Startups; Information Technology Industry

Find at Harvard

August 1998 (Revised October 1998)
Case

Lark International Entertainment Ltd. (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Jennifer Suesse

Two HBS MBA's leave McKinsey and Morgan Stanley to become entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. Together they start up a cinema chain throughout Asia. This case describes the experiences of managing a team in their Wuhan, China cinema. Looks at the challenges of managing growth... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Problems and Challenges; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Emerging Markets; Leadership Style; Leadership; Groups and Teams; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Hong Kong; China; Asia

March 2000 (Revised May 2000)
Case

Evolution of eCoverage in the Online Insurance Market, The

David Riker, the founder and chairman of eCoverage, an online insurance company, describes the various phases of company development, such as presenting a business plan, gathering a management team, getting the word out, and running the site. View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Internet and the Web; Business Startups; Insurance Industry

Web

Entrepreneurship - Faculty & Research

Background Note Raising Startup Capital By: Jeffrey Bussgang Entrepreneurs typically focus their full energies on business-building. But raising capital is a core part of building a valuable business. Developing expertise in raising... View Details

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Strategy - Faculty & Research

Strategy Overview Faculty Curriculum Seminars & Conferences Awards & Honors Doctoral Students 2025 Working Paper Management and Firm Dynamism By: Nicholas Bloom, Jonathan S. Hartley, Raffaella Sadun , Rachel Schuh and John Van Reenen We... View Details

April 1999
Case

Trexel

Describes an interesting plastics technology and an entrepreneur's attempts to build a business around it. Highlights issues around managing technical and market risk. Teaching purpose: Highlights difficult decisions around building a business off of an unproven... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Business Startups; Risk Management; Risk and Uncertainty; Information Technology; Corporate Entrepreneurship

August 2019 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Unifying Divisions: Joro's Mission to Preserve the Planet

By: Shikhar Ghosh and Marilyn Morgan Westner

The case focuses on the initial startup team and Founders’ agreements. In March 2018, Sanchali Pal proposed renegotiating the informal founders’ agreement and equity split she and her co-founders had drafted the previous spring. They had been working together for over... View Details

Keywords: Founders' Agreements; Business Startups; Climate Change; Agreements and Arrangements; Conflict Management

November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Marv Tseu at Active Reasoning

By: William A. Sahlman and Christina Darwall

Describes a set of decisions confronting the management team of an early-stage software company. The company has made considerable progress in developing its software but will need additional capital to move forward. Unfortunately, conditions in the capital market are... View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Financing and Loans; Capital; Business Startups; Information Technology Industry

Career Coach

Celia Chen

Having worked at McKinsey for 5 years in fintech and consumer/retail industries and Amazon as a senior product manager responsible for launching a new service, Celia is happy to speak to students interested in any of the fields. She can... View Details

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Health Care Initiative - Health Care

Health Care Initiative Supporting a dynamic community MBA Experience MBA students focus on health care through industry-related courses, extracurricular activities, and recruiting opportunities. Faculty & Research Faculty collaborate to generate new knowledge and... View Details

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Profiles - MBA

Startup bootcamp, and learn from the other incredible peers in my cohort." Tech areas of interest: Tech for social good, civic technology, product management, human-centered design Formative experience at the intersection of technology... View Details

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Research - Global

Paper Management and Firm Dynamism By: Nicholas Bloom, Jonathan S. Hartley, Raffaella Sadun , Rachel Schuh and John Van Reenen We show better-managed firms are more dynamic in plant acquisitions, disposals, openings and closings in U.S.... View Details

17 Jan 2012
First Look

First Look: January 17

apart; the less they share, the more likely they are to be best executed separately. Nevertheless, managing multiple models is a tall order. LAN has had to face greater complexity, broaden its organizational skills, increase the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Career Coach

Annette Rodriguez-Ferrer

Founder and Managing Partner of MKH Capital Partners, Annette has built the firm and spearheads MKH’s investment strategy and firm management. Prior to MKH, Annette was a Partner at Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm,... View Details

Keywords: Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management

October 2004 (Revised April 2005)
Case

Lexar Media: The Digital Photography Company?

Examines growth options for a start-up that has parlayed its core technology in flash memory controllers into a rapidly growing position in the emerging digital photography industry. The new CEO must decide whether LexarMedia should maintain its identity as a digital... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Growth Management; Market Entry and Exit; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Technology Industry

April 2009 (Revised December 2015)
Case

Dot.com: Online Pet Retailing

By: Tom Nicholas and David Chen

From 1995 to 1999, the U.S. experienced a period of tremendous growth in its information technology (IT) sector. The IT industry, although it accounted for less than 10% of the U.S. economy's total output, contributed disproportionately to economic growth. One market... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Price Bubble; Growth and Development Strategy; Failure; Competitive Strategy; Online Technology; Retail Industry