Filter Results:
(1,325)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(1,325)
- People (26)
- News (315)
- Research (661)
- Events (6)
- Multimedia (16)
- Faculty Publications (472)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(1,325)
- People (26)
- News (315)
- Research (661)
- Events (6)
- Multimedia (16)
- Faculty Publications (472)
- December 2016
- Case
thredUP: Think Secondhand First
By: Thomas Eisenmann, Allison Ciechanover and Jeff Huizinga
In the fall of 2016, the management team at thredUP, the largest U.S. online retailer of second hand clothing, is deciding whether to expand into international markets. Over the past 12 months the 7-year-old startup, which had raised over $130 million in venture... View Details
Keywords: Scaling Start-ups; International Expansion; Online Consignment; Apparel; Internet and the Web; Expansion; Entrepreneurship; Global Strategy; Business Startups; E-commerce; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry; San Francisco
Eisenmann, Thomas, Allison Ciechanover, and Jeff Huizinga. "thredUP: Think Secondhand First." Harvard Business School Case 817-083, December 2016.
- 2009
- Case
Innovamedica: Innovation in an Emerging Market
By: Roberto Charvel, Fernando Fabre and T. Putimahtama
Innovamedica was a medical start up with several state of the art devices such as a silicon substitute heart and other inventions. However, the founding scientist was struggling in attracting talent and fundraising and that had an impact on growth. View Details
Keywords: Biotech; Entrepreneurial Finance; Entrepreneurship; Start-up; Emergent Countries; Business Startups; Talent and Talent Management; Design; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Private Equity; Health Testing and Trials; Innovation and Invention; Managerial Roles; Biotechnology Industry; Latin America; North and Central America
Charvel, Roberto, Fernando Fabre, and T. Putimahtama. "Innovamedica: Innovation in an Emerging Market." Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (IPADE) Case (P)DGe-440, 2009.
- February 2019
- Case
Canibal—Play It Green!
By: Frank V. Cespedes, Joseph B. Fuller, Tonia Labruyere and Elena Corsi
In 2011, Canibal launched a machine that could sort and compress aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and cups. Users could play a jackpot-style game on the machine’s digital display, while disposing of their beverage containers and earning coupons or other rewards. The... View Details
Keywords: Sales Growth; Recycling; Start-up; Scaling; Market Selection; Sales; Marketing; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Segmentation; Product Positioning; Technology Industry; France
Cespedes, Frank V., Joseph B. Fuller, Tonia Labruyere, and Elena Corsi. "Canibal—Play It Green!" Harvard Business School Case 319-089, February 2019.
- January 2018 (Revised January 2020)
- Case
STRIVR: Changing the Game in Virtual Reality
By: Rajiv Lal, Matt Denison, Robert Higgins and Scott Johnson
The CEO of a growing virtual reality company that trains athletes must decide whether or not to stay in sports or expand into other areas. View Details
Keywords: Virtual Reality; Strivr; Internet Of Things; Football; Retail; Training; Startup; Start-up; Start-up Growth; "Sports Organizations,; Experiential Marketing; Business Startups; Technological Innovation; Sports; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Digital Platforms; Technology Adoption; Sports Industry; Technology Industry; Retail Industry; United States
Lal, Rajiv, Matt Denison, Robert Higgins, and Scott Johnson. "STRIVR: Changing the Game in Virtual Reality." Harvard Business School Case 518-048, January 2018. (Revised January 2020.)
- September 2019
- Supplement
pymetrics (B)
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
In March 2013, pymetrics CEO Frida Polli visited Harvard Business School to listen to a section of MBA students from the class of 2013 discuss her business plan and provide feedback on the tests they had taken to identify career opportunities. Polli had developed a... View Details
Keywords: BrainTech; Hiring; Hiring Of Employees; Recruiting; Personality; Personality Traits; Startup; Start-up; Startups; Start-ups; Employment; Strategic Evolution; Psychodynamics; Psychology; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Business Startups; Strategy; Personal Characteristics
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "pymetrics (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 720-375, September 2019.
- September 2016 (Revised September 2016)
- Case
Spectio: A Digital Lighting Company
By: Rajiv Lal and Sarah McAra
Spectio Tech, founded in 2005, developed and implemented intelligent LED lighting solutions for the industrial market. Sensors and wireless connectivity embedded in its LED fixtures not only significantly reduced lighting-related energy use—by up to 90% in some... View Details
Keywords: Internet Of Things; IoT; LED Lighting; Start-up; Energy Efficiency; Information Technology; Technology Adoption; Technological Innovation; Business Startups; Internet and the Web
Lal, Rajiv, and Sarah McAra. "Spectio: A Digital Lighting Company." Harvard Business School Case 517-002, September 2016. (Revised September 2016.)
- March 2017
- Case
CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (A)
By: William R. Kerr, Sari Kerr and Alexis Brownell
CIC creates "entrepreneurial ecosystems," renting out office and co-working space to start-ups and related companies and providing basic business needs like Wi-Fi and legal advice. Founder Tim Rowe refers to the CIC as "innovation infrastructure," bringing together... View Details
Keywords: Start-ups; Boston; Cambridge; St. Louis; CIC; Cambridge Innovation Center; Co-working Space; Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; Innovation Ecosystems; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Business Offices; Innovation and Invention
Kerr, William R., Sari Kerr, and Alexis Brownell. "CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (A)." Harvard Business School Case 817-126, March 2017.
- December 2012
- Case
Blink Booking
By: William R. Kerr, Magnus Thor Torfason and Alexis Brownell
Rebeca Minguela hopes to create an arbitrage platform, similar to Rocket Internet, that can bring start-up ideas and opportunities to Spain. However, Blink Booking, her first venture and proof of concept, is rocked by a co-founder's breach of confidence and departure.... View Details
Keywords: Clones; Cloning; Rocket Internet; Start-up; Equity Split; Arbitrage; Incubator; Mobile App; Expansion; Spain; Europe; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Internet and the Web; Information Technology Industry; Accommodations Industry; Travel Industry; Spain; Europe
Kerr, William R., Magnus Thor Torfason, and Alexis Brownell. "Blink Booking." Harvard Business School Case 813-121, December 2012.
- 18 Jul 2023
- Interview
Jeffrey Rayport on Product Market Fit, Profit Market Fit and Whiplash, and More
By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and Doug Levin
This episode of "Lessons from Startup Life" podcast features Jeffrey Rayport, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. Jeffrey specializes in teaching and researching growth-stage technology ventures and their scalability. Prior to... View Details
Keywords: Scaling And Growth; Start-up; Diversity; Equity; Inclusion; Technology; Business Startups; Product Marketing; Business Growth and Maturation
"Jeffrey Rayport on Product Market Fit, Profit Market Fit and Whiplash, and More." Lessons from a Startup Life (podcast), July 18, 2023.
- January 2021 (Revised August 2021)
- Case
ByteDance: TikTok and the Trials of Going Viral
By: William C. Kirby and John P. McHugh
In 2020, TikTok became the most valuable start-up ever. The short-form, video-sharing social media platform emerged as the crown jewel of the Chinese technology firm ByteDance, realizing 850 million monthly users and an estimated worth of $180 billion. However, a... View Details
Keywords: China; Technology; Startup; Start-up; International Strategy; Global Strategy And Leadership; Innovation; Political Risk; Regulations; Trump; Foreign Policy; Foreign Investment; Chinese Internet Market; Global Strategy; Crisis Management; Risk and Uncertainty; Entrepreneurship; Globalized Economies and Regions; Government Legislation; Innovation and Management; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Internet and the Web; Social Media; Technology Industry; China; United States
Kirby, William C., and John P. McHugh. "ByteDance: TikTok and the Trials of Going Viral." Harvard Business School Case 321-110, January 2021. (Revised August 2021.)
- June 2022
- Teaching Note
Katie Couric Media: Landing the First Client
By: N. Louis Shipley, William R. Kerr and Paige Boehmcke
Developed for teaching Entrepreneurial Sales, the Katie Couric Media case supports class discussion on client selection, sales strategy, and scaling a startup media firm. View Details
- November 2016
- Supplement
Uber in China: Driving in the Gray Zone (B)
By: William C. Kirby, Yuanzhuo Wang, Shuang L. Frost and Adam K. Frost
Starting in 2014, for two years Uber had fought an intense, costly battle for China’s ridesharing market with well-financed and well-connected domestic Chinese competitors. During this time, Uber also had to respond to an ever-shifting regulatory landscape that looked... View Details
Keywords: China; Uber; Didi Chuxing; Start-up Growth; Regulation; Ride-sharing; Transportation; Business Startups; Growth and Development; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Transportation Industry; Technology Industry; China
Kirby, William C., Yuanzhuo Wang, Shuang L. Frost, and Adam K. Frost. "Uber in China: Driving in the Gray Zone (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 317-064, November 2016.
- December 2018 (Revised June 2021)
- Case
Bulb 2015: Foundation
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
In late August 2015, Amit Gudka and Hayden Wood, co-founders of Bulb, Ltd (Bulb), were ready to offer affordable renewable energy to the United Kingdom’s 27 million households. They hoped to capitalize on the hundreds of thousands of customers switching their energy... View Details
Keywords: Green Energy; Start-up; Launch; Customer Acquisition; Customer Churn; Customer Engagement; Electricity; Resources; Growth Strategy; B-Corp; Entrepreneurial Journey; Entrepreneurial Management; Start-ups; Renewable Energy; Business Startups; Business Plan; Business Model; Working Capital; Customers; Growth and Development Strategy; United Kingdom
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "Bulb 2015: Foundation." Harvard Business School Case 719-440, December 2018. (Revised June 2021.)
- March 2022 (Revised February 2023)
- Case
Sunōmi Switchel: Time to Switch?
By: Lindsay N. Hyde, Shani Carter McKinney and Alexandra Horvitz
Nicole Blank has bootstrapped her functional beverage company, Sunōmi Switchel, to contracts with leading grocery retailers. She is now faced with a series of choices for if and how to continue to grow the business. View Details
Keywords: Startup; Start-up; Startup Management; Burnout; Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurial Journey; Bootstrap; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Startups; Crisis Management; Financial Condition; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; District of Columbia
Hyde, Lindsay N., Shani Carter McKinney, and Alexandra Horvitz. "Sunōmi Switchel: Time to Switch?" Harvard Business School Case 822-078, March 2022. (Revised February 2023.)
- September 2019 (Revised May 2021)
- Case
pymetrics: International Expansion
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
In August 2018, pymetrics, a solution offering neuroscience-based recruiting tests, closed a $40 million funding round that valued the business at $160 million. Over 60 companies around the globe were using pymetrics tests in their recruiting process, including... View Details
Keywords: BrainTech; Psychodynamics; Psychology; Hiring Of Employees; Hiring; Strategic Evolution; Strategy And Execution; Startup; Start-up; Startups; Start-ups; Entrepreneur; Bias; Rapid Growth Stage; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Strategy; Business Startups; Employment; Growth and Development Strategy; Global Strategy
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "pymetrics: International Expansion." Harvard Business School Case 720-376, September 2019. (Revised May 2021.)
- October 2014 (Revised June 2015)
- Case
Quiet Logistics (A)
By: Robert Simons and Natalie Kindred
This two-part case focuses on how to identify and manage strategic uncertainties in an innovative, entrepreneurial start-up company. In the (A) case, students learn about Quiet Logistics, an e-commerce fulfillment company working with high-end apparel retailers such as... View Details
Keywords: Strategy Execution; Strategic Uncertainty; Disruptive Change; Managing Growth; Robotics; Disruptive Technology; Managing Start-ups; Management Control Systems; Performance Measurement; Business Growth and Maturation; Disruption; Entrepreneurship; Disruptive Innovation; Crisis Management; Risk Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; E-commerce; Distribution Industry; Technology Industry; United States
Simons, Robert, and Natalie Kindred. "Quiet Logistics (A)." Harvard Business School Case 115-001, October 2014. (Revised June 2015.)
- July 2015
- Case
Uncharted Play (A)
By: Shikhar Ghosh and Ali Huberlie
The case recounts the process of launching an early stage venture, from idea conception through initial efforts to validate the concept, followed by product launch, and fund raising. It emphasizes the Customer Value Proposition of the business model, and asks – Who is... View Details
Keywords: Early Stage; Female Protagonist; Value Proposition; Team Building; Founders' Agreements; Start-up; Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Business Startups; Sports; United States; North America; Nigeria; Africa
Ghosh, Shikhar, and Ali Huberlie. "Uncharted Play (A)." Harvard Business School Case 816-018, July 2015.
- January 2013 (Revised February 2013)
- Case
EverTrue: Mobile Technology Development (A)
By: William R. Kerr and Alexis Brownell
Brent Grinna is evaluating different options for the technology development of his start-up's iPhone app, including hiring local programmers, finding a CTO, or outsourcing. He only has a little over two months before he presents his alumni networking app to Brown... View Details
Keywords: Start-up; Mobile App; oDesk; Outsourcing; CTO; Minimum Viable Product; App Development; Business Startups; Decisions; Entrepreneurship; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Intellectual Property; Product Development; Globalization; Technology Industry; Massachusetts; Boston; India
Kerr, William R., and Alexis Brownell. "EverTrue: Mobile Technology Development (A)." Harvard Business School Case 813-122, January 2013. (Revised February 2013.)
- 2020
- Chapter
Immigrant Networking and Collaboration: Survey Evidence from CIC
By: Sari Pekkala Kerr and William R. Kerr
Networking and the giving and receiving of advice outside of one's own firm are important features of entrepreneurship and innovation. We study how immigrants and natives utilize the potential networking opportunities provided by CIC, formerly known as the Cambridge... View Details
Keywords: Immigrants; Networking; Advice; Entrepreneurs; Inventors; Start-up Employees; Venturing; Co-working; Agglomeration; Immigration; Entrepreneurship; Networks; Innovation and Invention; Social and Collaborative Networks
Kerr, Sari Pekkala, and William R. Kerr. "Immigrant Networking and Collaboration: Survey Evidence from CIC." In The Roles of Immigrants and Foreign Students in U.S. Science, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, edited by Ina Ganguli, Shulamit Kahn, and Megan MacGarvie. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020.
- July 2018 (Revised August 2018)
- Case
Rocky Mountain Condiments: Close Encounters with the Legal System for the First Time
By: Lena G. Goldberg
The founder of a Colorado start-up focused on developing a line of condiments confronts a host of legal issues that threaten the viability of her young enterprise. She is suing a co-packer for, among other things, breach of contract, theft of recipes and trade secrets,... View Details
Keywords: Law And Regulation; Start-ups; Founders' Agreements; Cross-Border Jurisdiction; Torts; Consumer Protection; Non-disclosure Agreements; Intellectual Property Protection; Fraud; Legal Remedies; Law; Lawsuits and Litigation; Laws and Statutes; Business Startups; Contracts; Intellectual Property; Food and Beverage Industry
Goldberg, Lena G. "Rocky Mountain Condiments: Close Encounters with the Legal System for the First Time." Harvard Business School Case 319-029, July 2018. (Revised August 2018.)