Bitmaker Labs: Innovation on Hold

Inspired by software development boot camps in New York and San Francisco, Bitmaker Labs has just launched a similar offering but without considering the operational constraints unique to doing business in Canada. The result is governmental scrutiny just as the business is taking off with 42 students enrolled, each having paid $7,000 for a nine-week web development boot camp. Government investigators raid Bitmaker Labs, confiscating financial documents and threatening penalties and possible jail time for running an unregistered career college.

This case is ideal for use in such courses as marketing, innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking and design-driven innovation. The case should not be made available to students before class, but rather handed out at the start of class to mitigate any web-based research on the back story or final outcome.<br><ul><li>To encourage students to conduct a thorough PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis before engaging in any business activity, especially when a model from one country is replicated in another.</li><li>To challenge students to make sound management decisions when the very survival of the business is at stake.</li><li>To place students in a crisis situation and challenge them to take into account the unique perspectives of all stakeholders relative to the business goals.</li><li>To enable students to role-play, both as representatives of the firm and as paying customers, so they can better empathize with unique perspectives while unearthing significant insights.</li><li>To introduce students to the concept of rapid prototyping as it relates to business and revenue models.</li><li>To inspire students to creatively approach resolutions to pressing business challenges.</li></ul>

• Innovation
• Design Thinking
• Canada