Publications

March 1998 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Teradyne: Corporate Management of Disruptive Change

By: Joseph L. Bower

Two cases deal with the introduction of a new product to Teradyne's line of semiconductor test equipment. This case deals with the problems facing the head of a start-up division responsible for developing and bringing to market a new product based on technology deemed... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Disruption; Management; Market Entry and Exit; Product; Problems and Challenges; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Technology

Find at Harvard

24 Jun 2014
First Look

First Look: June 24

Less: Experimental Evidence from Access to Formal Savings Accounts in Chile By: Kast, Felipe, and Dina Pomeranz Abstract—Poverty is often characterized not only by low and unstable income, but also by heavy debt burdens. We find that... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

September 2014
Case

FormPrint Ortho500

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Alisa Zalosh

The Senior Vice President of FormPrint's Medical Products business unit is considering issues raised by the upcoming introduction of a new 3D printing system, the Ortho500, which could print custom exoskeletal orthopedic splints, braces, and casts that conformed to a... View Details

Keywords: B2B Marketing; Technological Innovation; Market Entry and Exit; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Product Development; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

Article

Local Industrial Conditions and Entrepreneurship: How Much of the Spatial Distribution Can We Explain?

By: Edward L. Glaeser and William R. Kerr

Why are some places more entrepreneurial than others? We use Census Bureau data to study local determinants of manufacturing startups across cities and industries. Demographics have limited explanatory power. Overall levels of local customers and suppliers are only... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Geographic Location; Employment; Market Entry and Exit; Supply Chain; Manufacturing Industry

Read Now

January 2025 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Duolingo: On a 'Streak'

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Nicole Tempest Keller and Nicole Luo

In December 2024, Severin Hacker, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Duolingo, reflected on the remarkable evolution of the language-learning app he helped launch in 2011. As the #1 most downloaded education app in the world, Duolingo had over 100 million... View Details

Keywords: Learning; AI and Machine Learning; Growth and Development Strategy; Motivation and Incentives; Diversification; Business Model; Market Entry and Exit; Technology Industry; Education Industry; United States

06 Aug 2020
Blog Post

WHY WE STARTED THE HBS BLACK INVESTMENT CLUB

investors are unaware of the biases that create barriers to actually investing in Black founders. It is no surprise that the rest of the investing world also severely lacks racial diversity. According View Details

Keywords: All Industries

06 Jul 2020
Blog Post

A Letter from the Women in Investing Club

school year, as they shared in our mission and saw the value of the club beyond the campus of HBS. One of the key tenets of the club is to offer membership at no cost, removing any financial barriers for... View Details

19 Dec 2006
First Look

First Look: December 19, 2006

other words, the incumbent must be willing to cannibalize its own brick-and-mortar business by charging a low online price. We also discuss some social welfare implications of retail online entry and the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 Sep 2015
First Look

September 29, 2015

Firm-Level Analysis By: Alfaro, Laura, Pol Antràs, Davin Chor, and Paola Conconi Abstract—In recent decades, technological progress in information and communication technology and falling trade barriers have led firms View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

22 Jun 2010
First Look

First Look: June 22

everywhere. That's a remarkable situation, a sea change from Google's late entry in 1998, and a subject of substantial concern for the users, advertisers, and publishers who depend on Google for information, leads, and advertising... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

03 Mar 2003
What Do You Think?

Are Conditions Right for the Next Accounting Scandal?

Summing Up Responses to this month's column lead one to conclude that we can expect that more major accounting scandals are in our future. Causes, according to these thoughtful... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Accounting; Financial Services

16 Nov 1999
Lessons from the Classroom

Leading Change and Organizational Renewal

execute evolving business strategies. In successful firms, we find all of these elements changing simultaneously. Naturally, it becomes a very complex management task. What do you see as being the greatest barriers View Details

Keywords: by Staff

July 2009 (Revised March 2010)
Case

Sotheby's & Christie's Inc.

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Catherine Jane Wise

The fine art auction business has remained a duopoly over its 250 year history. The industry is dominated by Sotheby's and Christie's Inc. Curiously, neither competitor has been able to overtake the other by a notable margin despite the clear network effects of this... View Details

Keywords: Arts; Business Model; Restructuring; Economics; Auctions; Market Entry and Exit; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Operations; Competition

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution

which facilitates the accurate and instantaneous exchange of sales figures between the manufacturer and the retailer. In the mid-1980s, these advances began to chip away at the barriers commonly found... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

February 2024
Article

Archetypes of Product Launch by Insiders, Outsiders, and Visionaries

By: Shane Greenstein

What archetypes emerge from prominent episodes of product launches? This essay examines a set of episodes in information technology history that led to significant changes in industry leadership. It highlights that, in all of these instances, there is an example of a... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Product Launch; Leadership; Market Entry and Exit