In November 2023, OpenAI, a prominent artificial intelligence (AI) research lab, announced the unexpected removal of its co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, which sent shockwaves through the AI industry. The case first delves into OpenAI's journey from its inception as a non-profit organization aimed at developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the betterment of humanity, to its transformation into a capped-profit entity, along with the value chain and competitive dynamics of the generative AI industry. In the second section, the case documents in detail Sam Altman's sudden dismissal. In the last section, the case concludes with a look into the broader implications for the generative AI industry, including the race for AGI, the ongoing challenges of AI development, and new developments. The case is suitable for MBA, EMBA, and undergraduate students who are interested in competitive strategy, industry value chain, technology and innovation, entrepreneurship, corporate governance, stakeholder governance, and the AI industry. The case can be used in a core strategy course at different levels as it covers various topics.

In May 2021, SHEIN overtook Amazon as the most downloaded shopping app on the US iOS and Android app stores. During the pandemic in 2020, SHEIN achieved substantial sales growth and is now catching up with the fast-fashion giant Zara. This case first briefly discusses the apparel and fast-fashion industry and the creation of the fast-fashion model by Zara. Then it covers SHEIN's historical development and its "fast-fashion 2.0" business model-using big data and algorithms to identify customers and their preferences. The case also discusses various perspectives of SHEIN's business operations: products and pricing, marketing and branding, and supply chain management. The case further discusses several challenges that SHEIN faces: product quality, transparency of company disclosure, environmental impact, and geopolitical risk. In the last section, the case presents several options that SHEIN may be able to pursue in the future. The case is suitable for MBA, EMBA, and undergraduate students who are interested in competitive strategy, technology or digital strategy, innovation, blue ocean strategy, China strategy, global strategy (cross-border e-commerce), and the fashion industry. The case can be used in core strategy courses at different levels, as it covers various topics.