Minimum Viable Product - Publications - Faculty & Research

05 Dec 2013
What Do You Think?

Is Walmart Defying Economic Gravity?

levels." Others cited evidence that Walmart's model has some practical limitations. Evidence of possible friction was presented by Clark Phippen, who cited symptoms that suggest that Walmart is becoming "arthritic."(1) Employees, he wrote, consider... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Retail

25 Feb 2013
Research & Ideas

Lean Strategy Not Just for Start-Ups

Entrepreneur-in-Residence Eric Ries, lean start-up thinking entails launching as quickly as possible with a "minimum viable product," a bare-bones creation that includes just enough features to allow for useful feedback from... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

17 Mar 2022
Research & Ideas

Navigating Tradeoffs: How Purpose Becomes a Company's ‘Lighthouse in the Storm’

example by refurbishing electronic products and selling them in stores to contribute to the recycling effort. “Purpose becomes your lighthouse in the storm,” Barry says. “Purpose is the direction you’re always going to move the company.... View Details

Keywords: by Ranjay Gulati

04 Apr 2007
Research & Ideas

The Business of Global Poverty

in emerging markets relatively small, business is beginning to eye this huge population at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) as a viable and essential market. Indeed, it is only in the last decade, thanks in part to academic research, that... View Details

Keywords: by Garry Emmons

18 Oct 2018
Research & Ideas

How to Use Free Shipping as a Competitive Weapon

given that they're exchanging what they hope is a boost in demand for sure losses on the logistics side," says Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Donald Ngwe. Shipping Fees and Product Assortment in Online Retail explores... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Retail

05 May 2003
What Do You Think?

Is This a Golden Era for Marketing Productivity?

"employment" of a relatively small number of these customers on behalf of a product or service can greatly improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of a marketing strategy. And it is made increasingly View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

14 Oct 2008
Research & Ideas

Should You Bring Advertising Expertise In-House?

managers to give serious consideration to the internalization of at least some advertising and marketing services," Silk says in this Q&A. Sarah Jane Gilbert: Can you explain the concept of vertical integration? Alvin Silk: Vertical integration is about a firm... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Advertising

20 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Stories and Research Papers of 2018

decisions and shipping policies in determining purchase outcomes and profits. Consumers are less sensitive to shipping fees than to product prices, but free shipping for orders above the minimum is a strong... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

05 Aug 2002
Research & Ideas

Understanding the Process of Innovation

manufacturers often discard the products sent to them by outside inventors without even looking at them. Because of their hurdle rate—the minimum return required on a contemplated investment—they probably... View Details

Keywords: by Loren Gray

06 Sep 2011
Research & Ideas

How Small Wins Unleash Creativity

All good managers understand the importance of making sure that every member of a team feels personally motivated and necessary throughout the workday, lest their work should stagnate and suffer. But what's the key to igniting creativity, joy, trust, and View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

12 Jun 2006
Research & Ideas

The Promise of Channel Stewardship

Rewards Of Channel Stewardship The concept of channel stewardship is meant to appeal to any organization in the distribution channel that wants to bring a disciplined approach to channel strategy. As mentioned, a channel steward might be the maker of the View Details

Keywords: by V. Kasturi Rangan & Marie Bell; Consumer Products

02 Feb 2004
Research & Ideas

Where Does Apple Go From Here?

focused in his first couple of years. He got rid of a huge number of product lines. He streamlined the operations and he bet on a very small number of products. The combination of the early success of the iMac, the booming marketing in... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

01 May 2000
What Do You Think?

Can You Hard-Wire Performance?

Summing Up Hard-wiring Performance Is Great In Concept...but.... The responses to the concept of promising and delivering results rather than selling products or services are in, and you've agreed that hard-wiring performance is a winning... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

08 Aug 2011
Research & Ideas

The Death of the Global Manager

efficiency. If you're Ford or Toyota, for example, you have to compete in the world market to capture the minimum efficient scale." The second requirement, often in conflict with the first, is a sensitivity and responsiveness to... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

30 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Big Companies, Big Opportunities—Big Questions

away from anything but a majority position, Rodriguez said. Illiquid markets are also a turn-off for institutional investors. Only thirty-three companies in Latin America meet the minimum $5 million in daily trading volume most fund... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette

20 Feb 2006
HBS Case

Oprah: A Case Study Comes Alive

people, other resources, and a broader context to create a viable market offering. One of the questions the case raises is 'what is Winfrey in the business of? What is she offering her consumers, viewers, magazine readers, and the people... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

10 Apr 2006
Research & Ideas

Lessons from the Browser Wars

diffused into the market. The debate was this: Did Microsoft win because its Internet Explorer was the technologically superior product to Netscape Navigator, or was Microsoft just more successful at the distribution end by convincing... View Details

Keywords: by Sara Grant; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

02 Jul 2013
First Look

First Look: July 2

institute laws regarding the minimum percentage of women on a company's board, while research suggests that women enter executive positions earlier and work harder than male counterparts. Other topics include a discussion of a female... View Details

Keywords: Anna Secino

05 Jul 2004
Research & Ideas

Radical Change, Entrepreneurial Opportunity

very easily in some sense. Polaroid had a lot of really smart scientists, and viewed itself as the Bell Labs of photography. Q: How are some companies constrained by this framing? A: Let's continue with the Polaroid example. In translating its mindset into a View Details

Keywords: by Michael J. Roberts; Technology

06 Apr 2009
Research & Ideas

Cheers to the American Consumer

sheer number of Americans promotes an attention to individual differentiation that is less prevalent in more conformist and homogeneous societies. Among 300 million curious consumers, it is possible for almost any innovation to find a View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

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