In 2013, two entrepreneurs founded Magic Markers, a whiteboard animation company in Bogotá, Colombia, with the mission of gracefully explaining complex issues to interested audiences. The (A) case describes how the company experienced unanticipated growth after one of its videos went viral. The two founders faced several challenges and needed to quickly learn how to manage their growing business. Human resources issues proved to be particularly trying and difficult to manage. In late 2017, an investor presented Magic Markers with an investment offer, which the owners needed to evaluate carefully. The (B) case focuses on social media reactions to content posted by the company.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Rosch Innovations and his team had developed a kinetic power plant that used the buoyancy force of air in water to generate electricity. This breakthrough innovation defied old principles of physics and was therefore difficult to comprehend and communicate. The CEO and his team had grown their network behind the scenes, careful not to raise too much attention from the powerful German energy lobby in the beginning. They had selected partners and investors that Rosch could manage without losing control. The plan to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) was shaping up in 2016. Major clients and investors were on board, yet the energy lobby was trying to discredit the company and its founder. With major projects lined up for funding, what was the right strategy? Which type of endorsement would help mute the critics and lead the way for an unprecedented IPO?
A young Peruvian MBA graduate, who previously had worked in international marketing firms, founded an online fashion store and has been selling North American fashion products through Facebook, personal sales events and pop-up stores. The business has been growing profitably with an increasing customer base, overcoming initial supply side issues. Three years after the launch, however, the personal approach to satisfy each customer, a stronghold of the founder's business philosophy, is making expansion difficult. The business has grown to a point where it is barely manageable personally. Is expansion the right decision and if so, which type? Can the fashion store founder scale the business and still enjoy the lifestyle benefits of independence and flexible working hours?
This case highlights entrepreneur Tom Wilson's dilemma: he must decide how to expand Springy Fields, his adult sport and recreation business. After the economic aftermath of 9/11 cost Tom his structural engineering job, he decided to turn his side business of running a spring and summer Ultimate Frisbee league into his full-time job. Over time, Tom's league grew substantially and he expanded into beach volleyball, soccer, flag football, and dodge ball. The Internet helped Tom remove the biggest expansion roadblock: the time required to complete administrative and customer-service tasks. Without the Internet, Tom doubted he could have achieved a fraction of the success he enjoyed between 2002 and 2010. Heading into the 2010 season, Tom realized he had plateaued and needed a new growth strategy. Each of the numerous options for expansion had its own unique set of financial risks and lifestyle implications. The case examines the myriad issues associated with developing a growth strategy that meets Tom's financial and lifestyle goals.
The founder of Lakkard Leather Company has headed the company for 24 years. He is proud of his business, and attributes much of its success to his own leadership style, which did not allow for anyone else's participation in decisions of substance. When he was badly injured in a car accident, his son stepped in and kept the business going. Without any intention to take over, the son altered the leadership and operations of the company in the space of a few months, so that by the time the founder returned, the company had changed and his role was significantly reduced. The son, in the meantime, grew to like his interim position and believed he did a better job than his father. Both men become locked in a power struggle; yet the company faced several key decisions that had to be taken in terms of expansion, product offering and sale opportunities.