Publications

April 2001
Teaching Note

MindSpring TN

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Steven Silverman and William A. Sahlman

Teaching Note for (9-899-178). For book only - not listed on case. View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Growth and Development Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Culture; Competitive Strategy; Web Services Industry

December 2000 (Revised November 2001)
Case

Rise and Fall of Iridium, The

By: Alan D. MacCormack and Kerry Herman

Examines the history of Iridium Communications, a provider of mobile satellite services. Discusses the genesis of Iridium's technical design, then follows the venture through various stages of development. Describes Iridium's attempts to build a subscriber base after... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Business Model; Business Growth and Maturation; Organizational Structure; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Telecommunications Industry

16 Jun 2020
Blog Post

Delivering Solutions During a Crisis: an Interview with Hans Kristian Furuseth

through crisis while operating an ecommerce organization during Brexit. With business in the UK and across the EU, Furuseth and his team had to adjust to foreign exchange rates and find ways to quickly cut costs. The experience of rapid View Details

17 Mar 2008
Research & Ideas

The Lessons of Business History: A Handbook

accepted advice is that wealth and growth will come to countries that open their borders to foreign direct investment. "The historical evidence shows clearly that this is an article of faith rather than proven by the historical... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

10 Jul 2017
Blog Post

Why the MBA is Still Relevant

at a startup, nothing can replace two years of the personal and professional growth I had here at HBS. There are three major aspects of the HBS experience that confirmed for me how valuable getting an MBA can be, and I’m grateful for the... View Details

August 2019 (Revised February 2020)
Case

New Hope Liuhe: Building an Integrated Agri-Food Business

By: Forest L. Reinhardt, Shu Lin, Natalie Kindred and Nancy Hua Dai

In October 2018, LIU Chang (Angela), chairman of Beijing-based New Hope Liuhe (NHL), was considering the strategy of the firm. With $9 billion in sales and a presence in nearly 20 countries, NHL was China’s largest animal feed producer and a major pork and poultry... View Details

12 Jun 2019
Research & Ideas

Investors Have More Than Money to Offer Entrepreneurs

job. People Table stakes: If they are involved with financial planning, investors should be helpful with basic headcount and organizational growth plans (what roles to fill, how many, and when). Investors... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Austin

March 2008 (Revised June 2009)
Case

Actis: January 2008

By: Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Paul Feltcher, the CEO of Actis, a leading private equity investor in emerging markets, is preparing for an executive retreat at which the management team will consider how best to position the firm for the future. Actis could move in a number of different directions... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Private Equity; Investment; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Teams; Emerging Markets; Organizational Change and Adaptation

19 Feb 2019
Blog Post

The First Five Years: '30 Under 30' Edition

primarily focus on TPG’s middle market buyout and growth equity investments, which are made out of TPG Growth and The Rise Fund, a double–bottom line impact fund that was launched in 2016.” Gandhi: “I am a... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

29 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 29

multiparty risk and disaster management, namely that the organizational challenge is to enable multiple actors and subunits with competing and often conflicting values and expertise to establish a virtual, well‐aligned organization. View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

19 Jan 2016
First Look

January 19, 2016

forthcoming Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Revolutionizing Innovation: Users, Communities, and Open Innovation By: Harhoff, Dietmar, and Karim R. Lakhani, eds. Abstract—The last two decades have witnessed an extraordinary growth of new models... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

January 2013
Case

Zappos.com 2009: Clothing, Customer Service, and Company Culture (MM)

By: Frances X. Frei and Robin J. Ely

On July 17, 2009, Zappos.com, a privately-held online retailer of shoes, clothing, and other soft-line retail categories, learned that Amazon.com, a $19 billion multinational online retailer, had won its Board of Directors' approval to offer to merge the two companies.... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Internet and the Web; Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Culture; Growth and Development Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry