This case explores the introduction of a new product that targets both new and existing segments of the investment management services market. Cinnamon, a discretionary investment management app, was founded in the United Kingdom in 2011. With the help of the team's first product manager, Maria Pasquale (GSB '11), Cinnamon navigated the new product introduction process: identifying unmet needs, developing value hypotheses, building a minimum viable product, creating a marketing and launch plan, and setting up a customer feedback loop. The team then clarified their target customer and refined the product in pursuit of product-market fit. Throughout the process, Pasquale established Cinnamon's product management function, including the organizational structure, processes, and mindsets that fostered effective product development.
Tesla was founded in 2003 on the mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable transport through the production and sale of electric vehicles. The scope of this mission required staged business model development, beginning with low-volume production of a high-priced electric sports car and moving down-market gradually to produce higher volumes of more affordable electric vehicles. Tesla adapted its operating model at each stage and pursued innovations to unlock product performance and increased scale. With expansions into solar power, energy storage, and autonomous fleets, what business model change should Tesla pursue next?
This case describes a fictional company, FlexShyft, as its cofounders navigate and negotiate the terms of an offer to invest in the company's Series B financing round. The cofounders review and evaluate each clause of the term sheet from the venture capital firm Storm Point Ventures to understand the implications for the company, FlexShyft's existing investors, and themselves. The case is designed to be taught as a simulated negotiation, in which students are split into two groups and asked to either roleplay as investors from Storm Point or FlexShyft cofounders. Students in both groups will be given additional information - the B1 or B2 case - and be asked to negotiate the terms to arrive at a deal.
This case follows the organic growth story of ServiceNow, a workflow platform serving enterprise customers. ServiceNow found product-market fit in streamlining workflows for IT service management. It later evolved its product, engineering, and go-to-market organizations to expand first into adjacencies within IT and then into additional domains such as HR, customer service, and others. The case charts ServiceNow's path of organic growth towards $10 billion in revenue, challenging students to consider decisions around build vs. buy, organizational design, innovation investments, and the leveraging of a unified platform technology.
This case follows the formation and growth of Guild, a company founded on the mission to unlock opportunity for America's workforce through education and upskilling for working employees. By connecting employees to educational programs through its three-sided marketplace, Guild increased access to learning opportunities for employees, improved retention and employee satisfaction for companies, and drove higher numbers of learners for universities. The case explores several leadership dilemmas in the context of Guild's rapid growth and success.
Byteboard aims to replace the pre-on-site technical interview for software engineers with a more effective, efficient, and equitable web-based assessment. The case follows the founding team's journey from problem definition and customer development through the testing of their minimum viable product and validation of their core value hypothesis. By recounting Byteboard's early quest towards product-market fit, the case poses several key questions including, "What is the core value hypothesis?" "What features should be tested with customers?" and "How will they know if they proved their hypotheses?"
The case explores Google's accelerator programs and its efforts to support underrepresented start-ups that are ready to scale. Students will understand Google's approach to (1) building accelerator programs, (2) selecting which startups to participate, and (3) leveraging the resources of Google and its parent, Alphabet. The case also provides an overview of the specific accelerator programs, curriculum, and benefits, which are helpful for students and future entrepreneurs who may be considering accelerators as a path to scale.