Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(689)
- Faculty Publications (276)
- September 2003 (Revised May 2009)
- Case
CCBN.com - 2002
Describes some important issues confronting the management of a successful information company in 2002, competitive threat from a larger firm that is also a strategic investor. Management must decide how to respond to the. View Details
- September 2003
- Case
Allscripts, Inc.
By: William A. Sahlman and Laurence E. Katz
Describes a set of decisions confronting an entrepreneurial team that is considering taking managerial control of Allscripts, a health care venture. The company has gone through nine rounds of external financing and has changed its business model several times. View Details
- September 2003 (Revised January 2005)
- Case
Emergence, Valhalla, and Orchid: Divergent Models for Venture Capital Funds
By: William A. Sahlman and Matthew Willis
Compares and contrasts three different venture capital funds from the perspective of a potential investor. The first fund has a technology-enabled services preference, the second a Mid-Atlantic region preference, and the third a seed round preference. Students are... View Details
- September 2003 (Revised April 2004)
- Case
Charles River Partnership XI
Describes a situation confronting the management of a highly successful venture capital firm in April 2002. The industry has changed materially since it raised a $1.2 billion dollar fund, and the partners must decide whether to scale back the size of the fund. View Details
- August 2003 (Revised May 2009)
- Background Note
Basic Venture Capital Formula, The
By: William A. Sahlman and Matthew Willis
Briefly summarizes the process that venture capitalists use to analyze high-risk, long-term investments. Contains information on methods that can be used to calculate valuation, share price, percent ownership, implied valuation, dilution, and option pools. View Details
- January 2003 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
Endeavor-Determining A Growth Strategy
By: William A. Sahlman and Michael J. Roberts
Describes the progress of a nonprofit organization, Endeavor, focused on nurturing entrepreneurship in emerging markets. At the time of the case, it has successfully expanded to five Latin American countries and is contemplating the next phase in its growth.... View Details
- December 2002
- Article
Expensing Options Solves Nothing
- November 2002 (Revised February 2003)
- Case
Amazon.com-2002
By: Stig Leschly, Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Todd H Thedinga
Describes the evolution of Amazon.com and its business model since its founding. Specifically, discusses Amazon's transformation from an e-Tailer to a commerce platform and its marketplace initiative, which has driven this. Also describes the economics of various... View Details
- November 2002 (Revised May 2003)
- Case
Epicentric
Describes a set of decisions confronting the management of a software company that sells portal management tools to large companies. Management must raise additional funds under difficult circumstances. View Details
- October 2002 (Revised May 2004)
- Case
Intuit's New CEO: Steve Bennett
By: William A. Sahlman and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
Describes the transition to a new CEO at Intuit, a successful software and financial services firm in California. The new CEO must decide what to change and how fast. He must also navigate within a culture everyone believes to be successful but he envisions can be... View Details
- October 2002 (Revised June 2006)
- Case
KnowledgeNet (A)
By: William A. Sahlman and Elizabeth Kind
Describes the internal reporting package for a rapidly growing company in the e-learning industry. Management must analyze the data in the package and decide what actions to take. They must also decide what to communicate to the board of directors. Contains a... View Details
- October 2002
- Case
KnowledgeNet (B)
By: William A. Sahlman and Elizabeth Kind
Supplements the (A) case. View Details
Keywords: Web Services Industry
- October 2002 (Revised October 2003)
- Case
Aspen Aerogels
By: William A. Sahlman and Taslim Pirmohamed
Describes a newly formed manufacturer of insulation materials. The company has developed and patented a new insulation material that can be used in a wide range of markets. Capital must be raised to finance building a manufacturing facility and fund early market... View Details
- October 2002 (Revised July 2009)
- Case
Dr. John's Products, Ltd.
Describes an entrepreneur's attempts to invent, manufacture, and distribute an inexpensive electric toothbrush. View Details
- September 2002 (Revised July 2012)
- Case
Athleta
By: William A. Sahlman and Taslim Pirmohamed
The management team at Athleta is attempting to raise equity capital for the company in March 2002. Athleta is a catalog and online retailer of women's athletic clothing. The company has made substantial progress, with anticipated 2002 sales over $20 million, but has... View Details
- August 2002 (Revised September 2002)
- Background Note
Financial Analysis of Microsoft
Contains a detailed analysis of Microsoft's financial performance from 1985 to 2001. During this time, Microsoft improved its profitability and cash flow generation--changes that led to a dramatic rise in valuation. Also addresses the issue of determining how much... View Details
- July 2002 (Revised June 2003)
- Case
Microsoft Financial History
Contains background financial data on Microsoft as of mid-2001. View Details