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Show Results For
-
All HBS Web
(1,050)
- News (123)
- Research (445)
- Events (8)
- Multimedia (73)
- Faculty Publications (364)
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- October 2008 (Revised February 2011)
- Case
Apple's Core
By: Noam T. Wasserman
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are best friends who enjoy pulling pranks together and talking about electronics. After several small collaborations, Jobs pitches Wozniak on starting a company together to sell computers based on Wozniak's design for a personal computer....
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Keywords:
Business Startups;
Entrepreneurship;
Equity;
Managerial Roles;
Partners and Partnerships;
Conflict Management
Wasserman, Noam T. "Apple's Core." Harvard Business School Case 809-063, October 2008. (Revised February 2011.)
- May 2017 (Revised February 2024)
- Case
Battle for the Soul of Capitalism: Unilever and the Kraft Heinz Takeover Bid (A)
By: William W. George and Amram Migdal
This case describes Kraft Heinz Company’s (KHC) February 2017 unsolicited $143 billion takeover offer to acquire Unilever. The offer was made to Unilever CEO Paul Polman by KHC chairman Alexandre Behring, who was also co-founder and CEO of Brazilian-based 3G Capital...
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George, William W., and Amram Migdal. "Battle for the Soul of Capitalism: Unilever and the Kraft Heinz Takeover Bid (A)." Harvard Business School Case 317-127, May 2017. (Revised February 2024.)
- March 2022
- Case
Tensions at SearchLight Cures
By: Laura Huang and Sarah Mehta
This general experience case tells the story of SearchLight Cures, a fictional biotechnology startup. Having discovered a new therapy for a rare disease, the company’s co-founders find themselves at an impasse over a pricing disagreement.
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Keywords:
Business Ventures;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Startups;
Communication;
Interpersonal Communication;
Values and Beliefs;
Management;
Negotiation;
Relationships;
Partners and Partnerships;
Science;
Biotechnology Industry;
United States;
California;
San Francisco
Huang, Laura, and Sarah Mehta. "Tensions at SearchLight Cures." Harvard Business School Case 422-059, March 2022.
- July 2020
- Case
Amanda and Kristen: Mented Cosmetics
By: Steven Rogers, Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Alterrell Mills
The co-founders (Black HBS alumnae) of an e-commerce beauty startup explore the unmet needs within the beauty industry. This case study examines the entrepreneurial opportunities that come from identifying an underserved market, specifically within the Black community...
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Keywords:
Brands and Branding;
Competition;
Customers;
Disruption;
Disruptive Innovation;
Distribution Channels;
Entrepreneurship;
Finance;
Macroeconomics;
Marketing;
Marketing Channels;
Marketing Communications;
Marketing Strategy;
Mission and Purpose;
Organizational Culture;
Product Design;
Product Development;
Product Positioning;
Sales;
Social Issues;
Social Marketing;
Business Startups;
Strategic Planning;
Strategy;
Supply Chain Management;
Venture Capital;
Beauty and Cosmetics Industry;
Advertising Industry;
Public Relations Industry;
Chemical Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
Retail Industry;
North and Central America;
United States;
New York (city, NY);
New York (state, US)
Rogers, Steven, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Alterrell Mills. "Amanda and Kristen: Mented Cosmetics." Harvard Business School Case 321-002, July 2020.
- 22 Feb 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
How to Scale a Startup Marketplace for Used Furniture
- February 2022
- Teaching Note
AptDeco: Circular Economy Furniture Marketplace
By: Ayelet Israeli
Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 521-069. AptDeco, a used furniture marketplace, was growing rapidly in the tri-state area. The co-founders were confident that the business model, financial position, and unit economics positioned AptDeco for scaling in the massive $120...
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Keywords:
E-Commerce Strategy;
Mobile;
Word-of-Mouth;
Word Of Mouth;
Word-of-mouth Marketing;
Internet Marketing;
Growth Strategy;
Platform;
Platforms;
Two Sided Markets;
Two-sided Market;
Two-sided Marketplace;
Two-Sided Markets;
Two-sided Network;
Black Entrepreneurs;
Black Leadership;
African Americans;
African-American Protagonist;
Circular;
Peer-to-peer Markets;
Furniture Industry;
Growth Hacking;
Monetization Strategy;
Growth Management;
Marketing Strategy;
Entrepreneurship;
Digital Platforms;
Marketing Channels;
Digital Marketing;
Consumer Behavior;
Acquisition;
Retention;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Expansion;
Brands and Branding;
E-commerce;
Retail Industry;
Consumer Products Industry;
Technology Industry;
Web Services Industry;
United States;
North America;
New York (city, NY);
New York (state, US)
- February 2021 (Revised March 2021)
- Case
AptDeco: Circular Economy Furniture Marketplace
By: Ayelet Israeli and Jamie Merkrebs
AptDeco, a used furniture marketplace, was growing rapidly in the tri-state area. The co-founders were confident that the business model, financial position, and unit economics positioned AptDeco for scaling in the massive $120 billion furniture market, despite its...
View Details
Keywords:
E-Commerce Strategy;
Mobile;
Word-of-Mouth;
Word-of-mouth Marketing;
Word Of Mouth;
Internet Marketing;
Growth Strategy;
Platform;
Platforms;
Two Sided Markets;
Two-sided Market;
Two-sided Marketplace;
Two-Sided Markets;
Two-sided Network;
Black Entrepreneurs;
Black Leadership;
African Americans;
Circular;
Peer-to-peer Markets;
Furniture Industry;
Furniture;
Growth Hacking;
Monetization Strategy;
African-American Protagonist;
Growth Management;
Marketing Strategy;
Entrepreneurship;
Digital Platforms;
Marketing Channels;
Digital Marketing;
Consumer Behavior;
Acquisition;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
E-commerce;
Retail Industry;
Consumer Products Industry;
Technology Industry;
Web Services Industry;
United States;
North America;
New York (city, NY);
New York (state, US)
Israeli, Ayelet, and Jamie Merkrebs. "AptDeco: Circular Economy Furniture Marketplace." Harvard Business School Case 521-069, February 2021. (Revised March 2021.)
- July 2021 (Revised October 2021)
- Case
Trouble at Basecamp: Managing Politics, Polarization, and Conflict in the Workplace (A)
By: Nour Kteily, Deepak Malhotra and David Lane
As founders of the software company Basecamp, Jason Fried and David H. Hansson were used to being the subjects of social media attention. Both maintained active and dedicated Twitter followings for their unique perspectives on management and life. But on April 26,...
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Keywords:
Change;
Communication;
Policy;
Diversity;
Fairness;
Values and Beliefs;
Governance;
Employees;
Working Conditions;
Leading Change;
Leadership Style;
Mission and Purpose;
Organizational Culture;
Work-Life Balance;
Labor and Management Relations;
Conflict and Resolution;
Identity;
Social Issues;
Equality and Inequality;
Digital Platforms;
Conflict Management;
Information Technology Industry;
United States
Kteily, Nour, Deepak Malhotra, and David Lane. "Trouble at Basecamp: Managing Politics, Polarization, and Conflict in the Workplace (A)." Harvard Business School Case 922-003, July 2021. (Revised October 2021.)
- November 2005 (Revised December 2007)
- Case
Motion Computing, Inc. -- 2004
By: William A. Sahlman and Caroline Perkins
Scott Eckert, the co-founder and CEO of Motion Computing, must decide whether to raise additional capital to support growth. Motion manufactures and distributes Tablet PCs. If the company opts to raise money, it must decide on the source and terms of the financing.
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- January 2021 (Revised March 2021)
- Supplement
Juno (C): Leveraging Student Power
By: Joshua Schwartzstein, Kathleen L. McGinn and Amy Klopfenstein
In May 2020, Juno co-founders Chris Abkarians and Nikhil Agarwal decided to hold the annual auction for their student loan assistance startup. Five lenders submitted bids, and the co-founders ultimately opted to select Eager Bank as their partner for the 2020-2021...
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Keywords:
Decision Making;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Decisions;
Cost vs Benefits;
Judgments;
Education;
Higher Education;
Finance;
Borrowing and Debt;
Strategy;
Adaptation;
Alignment;
Negotiation;
Agreements and Arrangements;
Negotiation Deal;
Negotiation Offer;
Negotiation Participants;
Negotiation Process;
Negotiation Tactics;
Negotiation Types;
Financial Services Industry;
Education Industry;
North and Central America;
United States;
Massachusetts;
Boston
Schwartzstein, Joshua, Kathleen L. McGinn, and Amy Klopfenstein. "Juno (C): Leveraging Student Power." Harvard Business School Supplement 921-034, January 2021. (Revised March 2021.)
- 28 Jun 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
Scaling a Fintech Startup for the Greater Good
- October 2008
- Case
TripIt: The Traveler's Agent
By: Lynda M. Applegate, Gabriele Piccoli and Kathryn Brohman
In July 2008, the co-founders of TripIt, a free online travel organizer that aggregated travelers' bookings from many top travel websites, had recently secured $5.1 million in new financing. While the co-founders believed that their company offered travelers a unique...
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Keywords:
Entrepreneurship;
Investment;
Profit;
Revenue;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Competition;
Internet;
Travel Industry
Applegate, Lynda M., Gabriele Piccoli, and Kathryn Brohman. "TripIt: The Traveler's Agent." Harvard Business School Case 809-059, October 2008.
- February 2009 (Revised February 2011)
- Case
"Lather, Rinse, Repeat": FeedBurner's Serial Founding Team
By: Noam T. Wasserman and Eric Olson
"Is this the right time or is it still too early?" Dick Costolo wondered as he reflected on the latest acquisition offer. He had been building FeedBurner with his three co-founders for almost four years and was staring at the details of an acquisition offer from...
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Keywords:
Mergers and Acquisitions;
Business Exit or Shutdown;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Entrepreneurship;
Negotiation Offer;
Groups and Teams
Wasserman, Noam T., and Eric Olson. "Lather, Rinse, Repeat": FeedBurner's Serial Founding Team. Harvard Business School Case 809-089, February 2009. (Revised February 2011.)
- November 2010
- Case
Gilt Groupe
By: Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Tamara Obradov
The case explores decisions faced by Gilt Groupe co-founders in 2009 regarding how rapidly to grow, which growth strategies to pursue and how much capital to raise.
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Keywords:
Entrepreneurship;
Finance;
Growth Management;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Decision Making
Roberts, Michael J., William A. Sahlman, and Tamara Obradov. "Gilt Groupe." Harvard Business School Case 811-049, November 2010.
- July 2023
- Supplement
Honeycomb (B): Jumping on The Generative AI Bandwagon?
By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Kumba Sennaar
Honeycomb, an audio app enabling users to record stories and save family memories, considers pivoting to embrace generative AI. What should the co-founders business model look like if they pursued this new direction?
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- October 2021 (Revised September 2022)
- Case
SmartOne: Building an AI Data Business
By: Karim R. Lakhani, Pippa Armerding, Gamze Yucaoglu and Fares Khrais
The case opens in August 2021, as Habib and Shahysta Hassim, husband and wife co-founders of the data labeling company SmartOne, contemplate the strategy of the high growth company. Between 2016 and 2021, SmartOne had kept doubling its size every two years and now,...
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Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence;
Data Labeling;
Entrepreneurship;
Strategy;
Operations;
Business Model;
Growth Management;
Growth and Development Strategy;
AI and Machine Learning;
Africa;
Madagascar;
Europe;
France;
United States
Lakhani, Karim R., Pippa Armerding, Gamze Yucaoglu, and Fares Khrais. "SmartOne: Building an AI Data Business." Harvard Business School Case 622-059, October 2021. (Revised September 2022.)
- February 2018 (Revised August 2019)
- Case
The Rise Fund: TPG Bets Big on Impact
By: Vikram S. Gandhi, Caitlin Reimers Brumme and Sarah Mehta
It is March 2017, and TPG, a global alternative investment firm with $74 billion assets under management, has recently launched its inaugural impact-investing fund—the $2 billion Rise Fund. In an effort to “take the religion out of impact investing,” Maya Chorengel,...
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Keywords:
Impact Investing;
Impact Measurement;
Equity;
Investment;
Measurement and Metrics;
Financial Services Industry;
California;
San Francisco
Gandhi, Vikram S., Caitlin Reimers Brumme, and Sarah Mehta. "The Rise Fund: TPG Bets Big on Impact." Harvard Business School Case 318-041, February 2018. (Revised August 2019.)
- December 2008 (Revised March 2017)
- Case
Clutch Group - Should Abhi Shah Grab This Opportunity?
By: Daniel J. Isenberg
Abhi Shah ('06) co-founding CEO of Clutch Group in the US and Bangalore, must decide whether to risk a law suit by recruiting an entire legal services team from a large US corporation. His decision and how he implements it will have a dramatic impact on the legal...
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Keywords:
Decisions;
Lawsuits and Litigation;
Business Startups;
Legal Services Industry;
Bangalore;
United States
Isenberg, Daniel J. "Clutch Group - Should Abhi Shah Grab This Opportunity?" Harvard Business School Case 809-065, December 2008. (Revised March 2017.)
- August 2023
- Case
Floward
By: Krishna Palepu and Namrata Arora
In 2022, Abdulaziz B. Al Loughani, CEO and co-founder of Floward, an online flower and gifting company established in Kuwait in 2017, contemplated the firm's growth trajectory. Floward, an e-commerce enterprise that offered fresh-cut flowers sourced directly from...
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Keywords:
Initial Public Offering;
Expansion;
Growth and Development Strategy;
E-commerce;
Information Technology Industry;
Middle East;
North Africa;
Saudi Arabia;
Kuwait;
United Arab Emirates;
Jordan
Palepu, Krishna, and Namrata Arora. "Floward." Harvard Business School Case 124-010, August 2023.
- October 2017 (Revised November 2017)
- Case
Lovepop
By: Robert F. White, Ramana Nanda and Olivia Hull
As they prepare to graduate from Harvard Business School, the co-founders of greeting card company startup Lovepop need capital to cover the company’s operating costs and must choose between two seed financing offers. One offer is from an angel group and the other from...
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Keywords:
Accelerator;
Incubator;
Seed Financing;
Convertible Debt;
Entrepreneurship;
Venture Capital;
Financing and Loans;
Borrowing and Debt;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Valuation;
Consumer Products Industry;
Retail Industry;
Boston;
Massachusetts;
United States
White, Robert F., Ramana Nanda, and Olivia Hull. "Lovepop." Harvard Business School Case 818-015, October 2017. (Revised November 2017.)