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Lack of Female Scientists Means Fewer Medical Treatments for Women

by Kristen Senz

Women scientists are more likely to develop treatments for women, but many of their ideas never become inventions, research by Rembrand Koning says. What would it take to make innovation more equitable? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

One More Way the Startup World Hampers Women Entrepreneurs

by Michael Blanding

Early feedback is essential to launching new products, but women entrepreneurs are more likely to receive input from men. Research by Rembrand Koning, Ramana Nanda, and Ruiqing Cao. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Is A/B Testing Effective? Evidence from 35,000 Startups

by Kristen Senz

A/B tests help startup founders capitalize on good ideas—and move on from duds—faster, says research from Rembrand Koning. How can established companies benefit? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Biased Sampling of Early Users and the Direction of Startup Innovation

by Ruiqing Cao, Rembrand Koning, and Ramana Nanda

New ventures catering to female customers should be aware that the underrepresentation of women among early users on digital platforms can reduce the venture’s growth and chances of survival. As a result of gaining fewer early users, these ventures reduce future product development and are less likely to raise VC funding.

Why Companies Hunt for Talent on Digital Platforms, Not in Resume Piles

by Michael Blanding

Rather than sit back and wait for applicants to send resumes, companies are proactively targeting prospective employees on digital platforms and social media, often with a recruiter's help, says research by Rembrand Koning. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

6 Ways That Emerging Technology Is Disrupting Business Strategy

by Danielle Kost

How are AI, data analytics, and the Internet of Things changing the way business leaders think about strategy? Harvard Business School faculty members discuss how emerging technology has changed the rules of competition. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

For Better Ideas, Bring the Right People to the Brainstorm

by Michael Blanding

Better ideas emerge when extroverts and people open to new experiences put their heads together, according to research by Rembrand M. Koning. But what about introverts? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Female Inventors and Inventions

by Rembrand Koning, Sampsa Samila, and John-Paul Ferguson

Does the gender of inventors make a difference for who benefits from their inventions? Analysis of all U.S. biomedical patents issued between 1976 and 2010 shows that research teams with women were more likely to produce patents addressing women’s health conditions, especially when female researchers led the teams. This link suggests that the dearth of women inventors might also result in fewer female-focused inventions.

Experimentation and Startup Performance: Evidence from A/B Testing

by Rembrand Koning, Sharique Hasan, and Aaron Chatterji

Is experimentation the right strategy for startups? This analysis of the adoption of A/B testing technology by 35,000 global startups provides evidence that a strategy based on repeated experimentation will improve performance over time. However, the benefits of experimentation vary. Experimentation helps younger startups “fail faster,” while older firms may discover new, high-growth products.

Incubators Take Notice: Your Entrepreneurs Are Networking with the Wrong People

by Danielle Kost

Startup incubators used by cities and companies to jump-start innovation have a problem to overcome. Attendees tend to network with people they already know, says research by Rembrand M. Koning. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Does Public Ownership and Accountability Increase Diversity? Evidence from IPOs

by Rembrand Koning and John-Paul Ferguson

Going public has no effect on workforce diversity, according to this study comparing changes in firms’ ownership type with longitudinal data on employment. For workforce diversity, the time to make a difference is probably not after an initial public offering but rather in the years just after firm founding.

We May Have Taken Too Much Credit for Easing Workplace Segregation

by Dina Gerdeman

Racial integration of American businesses hasn't improved much despite 40 years of trying. Rembrand Koning discusses the unexpected reason why. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Most Successful Startups Have Hands-On Founders

by Dina Gerdeman

Research by Rembrand Koning and colleagues says the best-performing startups are those where the founder is hands-on with people management. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Conversational Peers and Idea Generation: Evidence from a Field Experiment

by Sharique Hasan and Rembrand Koning

To develop a theory of innovator capability, this study extends existing research linking personality and creativity to take into account the social nature of idea generation. Using data from an experiment embedded in a bootcamp for aspiring entrepreneurs, results show that better ideas are generated by “open” innovators exposed to extroverted peers. Extroverts provide more raw information that innovators high in openness are best able to recombine into novel ideas.

Learning to Manage: A Field Experiment in the Indian Startup Ecosystem

by Aaron Chatterji, Solene Delecourt, Sharique Hasan, and Rembrand Koning

This study of 100 high-growth startups in India finds that founder-executives can learn how to improve their management style from their peers at other firms. These interfirm network connections between founders may help explain why some companies are well managed and others less so. Despite the apparent value of this peer learning, founders don’t appear to naturally connect with peers who could help them improve their management style.

Innovating in the Feminine Care Market

Re: Rembrand M. Koning

Founded in 2014, Thinx, Inc. makes absorbent underwear that can be worn during menstruation. But the feminine care market had seen virtually no innovation in half a century because of the taboo against discussing the topic of menstruation. As a result, the startup was competing against large incumbents like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Can CEO Maria Molland (MBA 2002) lead a marketing strategy that confronts those taboos in order to bring innovation to the feminine care market? Assistant Professor Rembrand Koning examines these strategic marketing challenges and discusses the importance of removing taboos and biases in order to bring innovation to the feminine care market in his case, “Thinx, Inc.—Breaking Barriers in Feminine Care.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.