Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next version of Windows or Office is easy for Microsoft, but the company has struggled when it comes to more radical innovation. Intense competition from Google, Apple, and others threatens a business model that has delivered tremendous success over 25 years. This case highlights the strategic challenges facing Microsoft and provides insights into the organizational, leadership, and operational issues that must be addressed in order to define a successful innovation strategy at one of the world's most well-known companies.

United Beverages' first product, GangBusters Interactive Beverages, has reached the stage of wide brand recognition. However, over the past 12 months, growth has stalled and the product development team at United Beverages is considering several ideas for future growth. The team must consider market and technical uncertainty as well as resource allocation issues as they define the new product-development strategy for United Beverages.

IACo. is an aerospace company developing UAVs (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles). The case describes the project of developing a bid for a large contract under severe time pressure. The case discusses project planning for rapid time-to-market.