Publications

2016
Working Paper

Are 'Better' Ideas More Likely to Succeed? An Empirical Analysis of Startup Evaluation

By: Erin L. Scott, Pian Shu and Roman M. Lubynsky

This paper studies the uncertainty associated with screening early stage ventures. Using data on 652 ventures in high-growth industries, we examine whether experienced entrepreneurs, executives, and investors can predict the outcomes of early stage ventures by reading... View Details

Keywords: Commercialization; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups

SSRN

Read Now

February 2010 (Revised January 2014)
Case

Tennant Company

By: Toby E. Stuart, Lynda M. Applegate and James Weber

Tennant, a leading producer of floor cleaning equipment, must determine how to create, finance, structure, staff, govern, measure, and manage a new venture for developing a fundamentally new product line. In 2005, Tennant Company had developed an innovative,... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Change Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Disruptive Innovation; Product Development; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Research and Development

25 Mar 2022
Video

Omobola Johnson

Omobola Johnson, the former Minister of Communication Technology in Nigeria, discusses her transition into a venture capital career and highlights how venture capital enables young Nigerian entrepreneurs to address local challenges. View Details

September 2000 (Revised March 2006)
Case

ZOOTS--The Cleaner Cleaner

By: Myra M. Hart and Sharon Peyus

A successful entrepreneur (retailing) starts a new venture in dry cleaning. The case focuses on transferable models, skills, and knowledge from one venture to the next. Areas of emphasis are: managing growth, challenges of operations, financing, and competitive moves. View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Competitive Strategy; Operations; Knowledge Dissemination; Business Startups; Corporate Finance; Service Industry; Retail Industry

11 Jun 2014
Blog Post

Alumni: Where are they now? Featuring Joe…

Current Position: Associate with Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital Current Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Tell us what you’re up to these days. I’m currently an Associate with Chrysalix, a leading early-stage View Details

Keywords: Technology

2024
Working Paper

Appropriate Entrepreneurship? The Rise of China and the Developing World

By: Josh Lerner, Junxi Liu, Jacob Moscona and David Yang

Global innovation and entrepreneurship has traditionally been dominated by a handful of high-income countries, especially the US. This paper investigates the international consequences of the rise of a new hub for innovation, focusing on the dramatic growth of... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Emerging Markets; Economic Growth; China

Read Now

05 Feb 2013
News

The Social Sector Needs to Take More Risk and Accept Failure

March 2021
Case

CashDrop (A)

By: Rembrand Koning, Paul A. Gompers and Sarah Gulick

In July 2020, Ruben Flores-Martinez had launched a startup, CashDrop, which provided easy and cheap sales options for small businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic helped CashDrop quickly grow. Flores-Martinez, who had previously sought and been denied venture capital... View Details

Keywords: Payment Systems; Small Business; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Online Technology; Technology Industry; Financial Services Industry; Chicago; Illinois

13 Jan 2021
Blog Post

Staying Curious with the Harvard Innovation Labs Ahead of the 2021 Virtual President’s Innovation Challenge

What is the President’s Innovation Challenge (PIC)? The President’s Innovation Challenge (PIC) is a call to action for Harvard students and alumni pursuing ventures that push the boundaries of their fields. We have five total tracks and... View Details

William R. Kerr

William Kerr is the D’Arbeloff Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Bill is Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research, co-director of Harvard’s Managing the Future of Work initiative, and faculty chair of the... View Details

Keywords: venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry; venture capital industry

June 2024 (Revised September 2024)
Case

Sequoia Capital

By: Jo Tango, Christina Wallace, Srimayi Mylavarapu and Johnson Elugbadebo

Sequoia Capital, a venture capital firm founded in 1972, quickly grew to become one of the most storied venture capital firms in the world. Fueled by a strong culture, Sequoia's investment track record included the names of some of the largest global successes.... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Restructuring; Corporate Strategy; Financial Services Industry

19 Jul 2020
Working Paper Summaries

Open Source Software and Global Entrepreneurship

Keywords: by Nataliya Langburd Wright, Frank Nagle, and Shane Greenstein; Computer

4 PM – 7 PM CDT, 13 Mar 2016

HBS@SXSW 2016

Please join HBS@SXSW for a Backyard BBQ and Alumni New Venture Competition. View Details

February 2000 (Revised September 2001)
Case

edocs, Inc. (A)

By: Paul A. Gompers

Describes the development of edocs, an Internet company aimed at revolutionizing the on-line bill presentment market. Kevin Laracey must negotiate a venture capital investment with Jonathon Guerster, an associate at Charles River Ventures. Can be used as a role-playing... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Investment; Growth and Development; Negotiation Deal; Internet; Information Technology Industry

August 1992
Background Note

Note on the Use of Alliances

By: Robert B. Stobaugh

Describes advantages and disadvantages of alliances (including joint ventures and licensing agreements). View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Agreements and Arrangements; Alliances

April 2015 (Revised March 2017)
Case

Instacart and the New Wave of Grocery Startups

By: John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

Instacart is testing an Uber-style solution to the challenge of building a home-delivered grocery business. It is backed by $220 million of venture funding. Will this model succeed where businessses like Webvan failed? What are the questions that this exploratory... View Details

Keywords: Food Retailing; Outsourced Grocery Delivery; Online Ordering; Dynamic Pricing; Data Analytics; Marketing Strategy; Food; Distribution Channels; Business Startups; Food and Beverage Industry; California

28 Jun 2021
Blog Post

7 Things HBS Taught Me the Last 2 Years

wonderful world of Venture Capital (read this previous HBS blog post), I learnt a great deal outside it too. 500 cases, hundreds of case protagonists, viewpoints from classmates belonging to 40+ countries, and over 1000 hours of case... View Details

05 Aug 2021
Blog Post

Closing the Education Gap with Kei Takatsuka (MBA 2022)

and venture capital ecosystems to determine which path to pressure test over the summer. To do that, Takatsuka took advantage of CPD events on how to craft your career vision which helped her better understand how she wanted to spend the... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Venture Capital; Venture Capital

March 2000
Case

Magdalena Yesil

By: Myra M. Hart and Mary Rotelli

Magdalena Yesil, investor and former entrepreneur, must decide whether to become a venture partner at US Venture Partners. This case discusses career progression, entrepreneurship, and deciding among career alternatives. Yesil's entrepreneurial experiences include... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Partners and Partnerships