Publications

January 2024 (Revised February 2024)
Technical Note

Computer Science for Strategists

By: Andy Wu and Matt Higgins

Two of the most important computer science principles in the technology industry are abstraction and platformization. Our aim with this note is to explain these concepts in an approachable way that brings managers and computer scientists a little closer together. View Details

Keywords: Strategist; Computer Science; Strategy; Management Practices and Processes

November 2004 (Revised April 2005)
Background Note

Math for Strategists

By: Tarun Khanna and Jan W. Rivkin

Great strategists rely heavily on numbers as they go about their work. Offers an overview of the high- and low-brow quantitative tools that students encounter during the Strategy course. The class explores high-brow tools in detail; the focus here is on low-brow... View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Strategy

January 2018
Background Note

Math Tools for Strategists

By: Tarun Khanna and Jan W. Rivkin

Great strategists rely heavily on numbers as they go about their work. This note offers an overview of the highbrow and lowbrow quantitative tools that individuals commonly encounter during strategy courses and in actual strategy work. The note focuses especially on... View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Strategy

May 2013 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Strategy and the Strategist

By: Eric Van den Steen

This short case presents a series of brief accounts, observations, and quotations that challenge students to think about the role of the CEO — and of the CEO's (possibly strong) beliefs and convictions — in strategy. It focuses in particular on three issues and their... View Details

Keywords: Belief Systems; Strategic Analysis; Competitive Advantage; Values; Vision; Strategy And Leadership; Strategy; Leadership; Values and Beliefs

25 Apr 2014
News

Strategists analyze market forces—great strategists also look beyond the market

Traditionally, corporate strategists define industry structure, competitive positions, resources, and knowledge flows as the key sources of competitive advantage. Within these sources, they look for areas of opportunity in the market that... View Details

23 Apr 2013
News

Needed: CIO As Strategist

March 2014
Teaching Note

Strategy and the Strategist

By: Eric Van den Steen

20 Nov 2013
News

How Strategists Should Lead

03 Sep 2012
News

How to Become the Strategist Your Company Needs

November 2015
Teaching Note

Steve Jobs: Leader Strategist

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery and David B. Yoffie

10 May 2015
Blog Post

Brand Strategist Turns Entrepreneur

Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t part of Desiree Stolar’s plan. A brand strategy and market research consultant, Desiree (MBA 2015) expected to hone her skills at HBS and then return to the field she loved. That all changed when her the startup she developed during her... View Details

November 2004
Tutorial

Principles of Microeconomics for Strategists

By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Pai-Ling Yin and Elizabeth Raabe

Reviews microeconomic principles from a business strategy perspective, using the digital music industry as context. Contains three modules: demand, supply, and equilibrium. The demand module discusses the willingness to pay, market demand, price elasticity, and... View Details

Keywords: Business Strategy; Supply and Industry; Demand and Consumers; Microeconomics; Balance and Stability; Price; Cost; Revenue; Music Industry

December 1998
Article

Franco Bernabe: The Lone Strategist

By: Linda A. Hill and S. Wetlaufer

Keywords: Strategy

24 Apr 2014
News

Leaders must be strategists first

Cynthia Montgomery believes strategy should be a habit of mind, not a document; a continuous process, not a destination. Leaders need to use strategy as a dynamic tool for guiding the development of a business over time. “It takes courage for a leader to ask and answer... View Details

March 1999 (Revised January 2000)
Background Note

A Note on Microeconomics for Strategists

By: Kenneth S. Corts and Jan W. Rivkin

Summarizes the core ideas about the microeconomics of markets that are most relevant to business strategy. Sections I and II develop two basic building blocks of any market, demand and supply. Section II discusses how demand and supply interact to determine the... View Details

Keywords: Microeconomics; Cost; Cost of Capital; Market Entry and Exit; Business Strategy; Competition; Corporate Strategy

16 Jul 2001
Research & Ideas

How to Compete Like a Judo Strategist

help you become a better judo strategist. Rule One: Maintain A Deep Focus On Your Core Business Whether we are talking about Palm Computing, Intuit, or even big companies such as Charles Schwab, the most successful judo strategists have... View Details

Keywords: by David B. Yoffie & Mary Kwak

03 Dec 2013
News

Second Act for Top Wall Street Strategist

Keywords: Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

19 Apr 2015
News

Business Bookshelf: Lessons from master strategists in the tech world

Article

How to Launch Your Digital Platform: A Playbook for Strategists

By: Benjamin Edelman

The ubiquity of Internet access has caused a sharp rise in the number of businesses offering platforms that connect users for communication or commerce. Entrepreneurs are particularly drawn to these platforms because they create significant value and have modest... View Details

Keywords: Platforms; Launch; Mobilization Strategy; Two-Sided Platforms; Network Effects; Adoption; Entrepreneurship; Information Technology Industry; Advertising Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Transportation Industry; Financial Services Industry