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Global ventures are those that weave globalization into their businesses from the start. Technological advances and emerging markets are enabling entrepreneurs to extract more value than ever before from setting up in multiple countries. At the same time, The emergence of new kinds of competitors and threats makes it even more important for founders to seize the advantages of globalization early on. As a result, many founders purposefully embed globalization into the core of their venture, rather than becoming global as the business matures. This Reading provides insights and best practices to help founders avoid pitfalls and create a truly global strategy. The author offers a framework for early ventures based on what they are globalizing: products and services; people, ideas, and technologies; or finance. It also differentiates between the venture that is seeking to globalize the best the company has to offer and the venture that are harnessing the best the world has to offer. After founders determine what they hope to gain from globalization, they must choose the best locations, decide how many countries to enter, adapt their business models to each location, and navigate the unique operational and managerial difficulties facing young global ventures. The Reading does not consider international entrepreneurship in its traditional sense, such as how establishing a domestic-market-oriented company in Brazil differs from starting one in Japan, or how established companies might open their first facility abroad or enter their 90th country. The insights in this Reading can inform managers in such companies, but does so through the lens of ventures that were born global. The focus of the Reading is on young global ventures and the specific resource constraints, opportunity costs, and founding-team challenges of new and early-stage ventures. Focusing on these businesses helps identify key business model traits related to globalization.

This case features San Francisco-based financial technology startup, LOYAL3. Founded in 2008, the company seeks to disrupt the capital markets and democratize access to those markets for retail investors. By the fall of 2014, LOYAL3 had three products. In the first, the Social IPO Platformâ„¢, LOYAL3 acted as co-manager of an issuing company's initial public offering (IPO), enabling individual investors to purchase IPO shares at the same price-and the same time-as institutional investors. The second product, the Social Stock Planâ„¢, allowed investors to purchase stock in publicly traded companies they liked. The third product, Stock Rewardsâ„¢, enabled companies to grant free stock to customers in lieu of promotional discounts or in recognition of brand loyalty. LOYAL3 CEO Barry Schneider viewed 2014 as a watershed year. The company had participated in 10 initial public offerings to date. In the case he contemplates the product roadmap going forward.

This case explores the decision-making process that small, private businesses must undertake when considering an expansion and when selling equity to outside investors. In the process, students are asked to complete two exercises: a break-even analysis and a valuation exercise.

The term "conflict minerals" referred to four minerals-tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold-that are mined in countries throughout the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These minerals, sometimes referred to as the "3TG" minerals, were used in many industries for a variety of purposes. The electronics industry was a significant user of the "3 T's" and gold. Tungsten, for instance, was used in the screens of cellphones and also created the vibrating alert. Tantalum held the battery charge in a cellphone or tablet, was critical to the exchange of text messages and emails, and was a component of cellphone camera lenses. The conflict minerals issue dated to the early 2000s but public awareness took years to develop, following the efforts of nongovernment organizations such as the Enough Project. Intel began to work on the issue internally in 2008, at the direction of its CEO, and conducted its first conflict minerals supply chain survey in 2009. Intel then pledged to manufacture microprocessors with tantalum sourced from conflict-free supply chains by 2012 and to make the world's first commercially available microprocessor that is DRC conflict free for all four metals by 2013; it achieved both goals. Intel's decision to address the conflict minerals problem head-on was one of the movement's first big successes; the policies Intel implemented to obtain conflict-free minerals went beyond what was required by Dodd-Frank.

This case illustrates the dilemma faced by the president of EGA, a Latin American business school, who chooses to innovate and has to make some controversial strategic, organizational and financial decisions. The case focuses on the challenges posed by product innovation, following the Stage-Gate model and describing its phases, from business case preparation, through protocol definition and product architecture, to identifying operation requirements. It explores the difficulties and dilemmas involved in starting and executing an innovation project.

The systematic analysis of an annual report of a large Canadian public company provides a framework and a set of skills and concepts to determine whether it is worth investing in the company. The detailed examination of the annual report includes an analysis of profitability - including return on capital employed, return on equity, return on sales, gross profit margin and asset turnover - and liquidity measures.

Tremendous changes in the global competitive landscape threaten Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the largest airline group in the world. Three large Gulf carriers, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, as well as Turkish Airlines, now stand to compete with Lufthansa on the traditionally profitable long-haul segment. Chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer has to act quickly if Lufthansa is to keep its top spot. Having ignored the threat from low-cost airlines in the past, Lufthansa must now be better prepared to respond. It is crucial that Lufthansa finds adequate strategic options for sustaining and further expanding its market-leading position.

Jack and Jill, first-year MBA students at the Darden School of Business, discovered their mutual interest in entrepreneurship and agreed to consider developing a small start-up during the summer after their first year. After much contemplation, they came up with an innovative idea for creating their own new business venture. Undergraduate students at the University of Virginia were welcomed on campus each fall, and Jack and Jill thought those students presented an untapped opportunity to offer these incoming students ergonomic desk chairs for their dormitory rooms.

Students are given Kesmore Corporation's balance sheet as of December 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013, as well as information pertaining to its 2014 activities and asked to prepare a statement of cash flows for 2014 using the indirect method.

Covalent Laboratories Private Ltd. is involved in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients and bulk drugs in Hyderabad, India. In March 2012, the company added a new manufacturing plant and was in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals for its products from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Directorate of Quality of Medicines. Anticipating good growth, the company approached the Commercial Development Bank of India in June 2014 for sanction of a term loan of INR350 million over seven years towards expansion and modernization of its existing manufacturing facilities, including the construction of a captive power plant and effluent treatment plant. As the proposed financial assistance is long term in nature and the company is a new client with average financial strength, the head of the bank's Corporate Banking Department faces a dilemma. He has asked a credit analyst to research the financial performance of the company and to assess the financial viability of and identify the risks in the proposal.

WeChat was developed by Tencent Holdings as a lightweight messaging platform. As it grew quickly to become the most popular messaging app in China, it added a range of products and services that sat on top that were designed to appeal to a broad range of consumers and businesses. Official accounts, WeChat payment, and online to offline features expanded its reach, but the core question was whether the company could break out from its home market and offer the rest of the world something that its competitors could not.

Set in 2009-2010, during the fractious U.S. Congressional debate over enacting the Obamacare health reform bill, this ethics case focuses on the choices and constraints facing Bart Stupak, a Democratic Congressman from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, who was both a dedicated advocate for healthcare reform and a lifelong opponent of abortion (as were the majority of voters in his rural, largely Catholic district). The case provides basic background about Stupak, his district, and the Obamacare debate but the heart of the story belongs to the abortion policy sub-plot of the larger healthcare reform drama, which culminated with the final, razor-close vote on the Affordable Care Act in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21, 2010. At this critical moment, with the fate of the ACA hanging by a thread, the Democratic leadership pressed Stupak and his small group of pro-life House Democrats to abandon their controversial abortion stance and deliver their critically-needed votes to pass the Obamacare bill. At the same time, Stupak's traditional pro-life and Catholic supporters doubled-down on demands that he and his group hold the line, even if it meant dealing the death blow to health reform. Anti-Obamacare Republicans, meantime, maneuvered around the edges, seeking to leverage the abortion issue in a last-ditch effort to kill the bill. The case closely follows Stupak's own perceptions, conflicts, and choices as he tried to walk a middle path in this highly charged atmosphere. In the end, he made a deal with President Barack Obama, who agreed to put abortion restrictions in the form of an executive order in exchange for the support of Stupak and his bloc on the ACA.

As of 2014, housing policies in Singapore continue to be a hot issue with the growing affluence of the population and the long-standing policy of ensuring home ownership for all Singaporeans. Despite the establishment of the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) in 2010, which put in place tighter competition among real estate agents and stricter regulatory rules targeted at cooling the market, ethical concerns surrounding the real estate industry remain. Complaints are mostly made against the agents' unethical behaviour that arise from unsavoury advertising, marketing and sales tactics. This is especially problematic given that real estate agents have an information advantage over buyers and sellers. Without a strong ethical compass, the desire for personal gain and self-interest can often influence agents to act against their clients' best interests. The question remains, will CEA policy action be enough to solve this dilemma?

Discovery Communications Inc., an American global networks company, had entered the Indian television market in 1995 with its eponymous channel offering that focused on non-fiction, infotainment programming. Nearly two decades later, steered by a solid senior management team, it had built a formidable operation with 11 channels spanning various genres and created a strong brand presence in India. Though the company was a leader in almost all the genres in which it operated, the Discovery team knew that they could not afford to be complacent even for a single day in the extremely competitive Indian television market. With close to 800 channels fighting for viewership daily, they had to make quick and tough decisions day in and day out. Looking back on their journey and some of the strategic moves they had made in India, it was evident that they had managed to pick up certain distinct capabilities along the way. Not only had they successfully "Indianized" a global brand, they had also deftly overcome some of the challenges inherent to the television industry in India. What was next for Discovery? This was the question that the team was grappling with in 2014. With their most recent launch, "Discovery Kids," it seemed that they were once again moving in the direction of children's edutainment. Did this mean they were coming full circle? Could they successfully apply what they had learned from the past to the unknown future? How could they do things differently and yet stay true to their vision and brand promise of making the Discovery television experience deep and enriching? The case presents the hard choices that Discovery needed to make at several strategic junctures as the cable television market changed and evolved over the years. It facilitates an in-depth discussion on whether, and how, Discovery has developed the ability to make astute decisions and acquired the necessary agility to respond to the dynamic market in India.

Team Rubicon, a military veteran volunteer disaster relief organization, has experienced significant success in attracting attention and support in its first four years of operation. The challenges of managing the volunteer base, the cost of responding to disasters, and the evolution of the organization raise significant strategic and organizational issues for the founding team.

This case explores the strategic options available to TAV Airports Holding, a Turkish firm, after it withdraws from a bid to build Istanbul's newest airport. The new airport would eventually replace Istanbul Atatürk Airport, where TAV makes 43% of its current revenue, and losing it will leave the company without a presence in its nation's largest city. TAV weighs four options: continue expanding internationally to the U.S. and other distant markets, buy an ownership stake in Istanbul's other remaining airport, diversify into related businesses, or seek out large infrastructure projects unrelated to airports. Will vertical or geographic diversification be more likely to ensure TAV's future?

This case explores the strategic options available to TAV Airports Holding, a Turkish firm, after it withdraws from a bid to build Istanbul's newest airport. The new airport would eventually replace Istanbul Atatürk Airport, where TAV makes 43% of its current revenue, and losing it will leave the company without a presence in its nation's largest city. TAV weighs four options: continue expanding internationally to the U.S. and other distant markets; buy an ownership stake in Istanbul's other remaining airport; diversify into related businesses; or seek out large infrastructure projects unrelated to airports. Will vertical or geographic diversification be more likely to ensure TAV's future?

The case "Greece's Debt: Sustainable?" describes the Greek economic crisis, bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the debt restructuring that followed. Because of a lack of trust in Greece's ability to repay its debt, two programs were organized that provided financial assistance to Greece. This was followed by a debt restructuring that provided debt relief to Greece through a combination of lowering interest rates, lengthening debt maturity, and rebates on interest and principal. The case outlines how International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), U.S. GAAP, and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) define accounting for debt and describes the controversy that existed around the proper valuation of Greece's debt. Because Greece had not adopted accrual accounting, its debt was reported in face value terms, according to the Maastricht treaty. This was in contradiction to accounting practices that prescribed fair valuation of debt in line with market prices or present value techniques. The case ends with a series of questions that steer the discussion towards the importance of accrual accounting and valuation of debt. Did Greece have too much debt and as a result a solvency problem? Should Greece push lenders to take a haircut on the debt? Were the austerity measures really necessary? Or did Greece have too little debt, therefore allowing the country to avoid austerity measures, increase spending, and spark growth?

The Ethiopia: An Emerging Market Opportunity? case centers on the potential and challenges of entering an emerging market. It provides a brief overview of the Ethiopian market, market reforms and policies, and the business environment faced by foreign companies. Three multinational businesses, CareCo, ShoeCo, and MedCo, must decide whether and how to enter the Ethiopian market. Students are asked to make a recommendation for each company based on the attractiveness of the market, the factors that matter most for success, and an assessment of what applies to the companies.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 915501.