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New research on business ventures from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including lifecycle, structure, founder agreements, partnership agreements and the family business.
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Choosing Passion: A Founder’s Mission to Meet a Need for Obesity Care

Re: Jon M. Jachimowicz

Early in her career Brooke Boyarsky Pratt enjoyed considerable success in roles at McKinsey and Berkadia, a Berkshire Hathaway portfolio company. But a routine visit to the doctor in 2020, where she experienced weight stigma yet again, led her to address the problem of obesity care. Boyarsky Pratt had struggled with her weight since she was young. So when she started Knownwell, an integrated weight and primary care provider that was designed to support people with obesity, it was a huge step for her both personally and professionally. In the spring of 2023, Knownwell opened its first weight-inclusive clinic in the Boston area. But Boyarsky Pratt had to make a fundamental decision on how she wanted to grow the company. Should she grow slowly and build a small footprint of clinics in the Boston area over the next few years? Or should she scale fast to potentially help millions of people across the US? Boyarsky Pratt joins Harvard Business School assistant professor Jon Jachimowicz to discuss what it means to pursue your passion in the case, “Choosing the Course of Passion: Brooke Boyarsky Pratt at Knownwell.”

Why Small Businesses Deserve More Credit

by Rachel Layne

Small firms and startups don't always seem like sound lending opportunities to banks. But research by Olivia Kim shows that they draw down debt conservatively—and expanding their access to credit could drive growth.

Fawn Weaver’s Entrepreneurial Journey as an Outsider in the Spirits Industry

Re: Hise O. Gibson

In 2017 Fawn Weaver launched a premium American whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest. It became the fastest growing and most awarded whiskey brand in America, despite the challenges Weaver faced as a Black woman and outsider to the spirits industry, which is capital-intensive, highly regulated, competitive, and male-dominated. In October 2023, Weaver announced plans to expand into cognac with the goal of building the next major alcoholic beverages conglomerate. But the company was still heavily reliant on capital. How could Weaver convince new investors that her plans for cognac would yield success? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Hise Gibson discusses Weaver’s leadership style, growth strategies, and her use of storytelling to connect customers with her brand in the case, "Uncle Nearest: Creating a Legacy."

Why Competing With Tech Giants Requires Finding Your Own Edge

by Feng Zhu

In the new book Smart Rivals, Feng Zhu and Bonnie Yining Cao show business leaders how to create competitive advantages by uncovering their hidden strengths and leveraging their individual capabilities.

How EdTech Firm Coursera Is Incorporating GenAI into Its Products and Services

Re: Suraj Srinivasan

In early 2023, Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, started developing the EdTech firm’s strategy for incorporating GenAI into their offerings. By early 2024, the firm had made significant progress in bringing four key capabilities to market, but GenAI was evolving quickly and Coursera needed to continuously improve its offerings. While the firm had been an early mover, competitors were adapting fast. Was Coursera taking full advantage of the opportunities presented by the technology? What more could it do to remain competitive?

How a Mission to Cut Food Waste Launched a Multimillion-Dollar Venture

by Lane Lambert

Josh Domingues put purpose before profit when he created the Flashfood app to sell less-than-perfect groceries at discounted prices. A case study by Reza Satchu explores Domingues' successes and failures, and what other social entrepreneurs can learn.

Why Great Ideas Get Stuck in Universities

by Ben Rand

Academic institutions incubate novel ideas and are important innovation partners for companies, but getting products out of universities and onto the market can be challenging. A study by Maria Roche and Justine Boudou illustrates how researchers might be getting in their own way.

Chance Encounters: What's at Stake in Return-to-Office Decisions

by Jen McFarland Flint, HBS Alumni Bulletin

What's the role of the office in an increasingly virtual world? How can organizations spark collaboration among people who prefer to isolate? Andy Wu and Maria Roche discuss the value of bringing people together—and why that’s still so hard to do.

How Natural Winemaker Frank Cornelissen Innovated While Staying True to His Brand

Re: Tiona W. Zuzul

In 2018, artisanal Italian vineyard Frank Cornelissen was one of the world’s leading producers of natural wine. But when weather-related conditions damaged that year’s grapes, founder Frank Cornelissen had to decide between staying true to the tenets of natural wine making or breaking with his public beliefs to save that year’s grapes by adding sulfites. Harvard Business School assistant professor Tiona Zuzul discusses the importance of staying true to your company’s principles while remaining flexible enough to welcome progress in the case, Frank Cornelissen: The Great Sulfite Debate.

How One Insurtech Firm Formulated a Strategy for Climate Change

Re: Lauren H. Cohen

The Insurtech firm Hippo was facing two big challenges related to climate change: major loss ratios and rate hikes. The company used technologically empowered services to create its competitive edge, along with providing smart home packages, targeting risk-friendly customers, and using data-driven pricing. But now CEO and president Rick McCathron needed to determine how the firm’s underwriting model could account for the effects of high-intensity weather events. Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen discusses how Hippo could adjust its strategy to survive a new era of unprecedented weather catastrophes in his case, “Hippo: Weathering the Storm of the Home Insurance Crisis.”

How Much Does Proximity Influence Startup Innovation? 20 Meters' Worth to Be Exact

by Ben Rand

When it comes to sharing ideas, how much does close proximity matter? A study by Maria Roche evaluates how knowledge spreads in a coworking space, providing insights that could help shape the debate over remote work.

Sustaining a Legacy of Giving in Turkey

Re: Christina R. Wing

Özyeğin Social Investments was founded by Hüsnü Özyeğin, one of Turkey's most successful entrepreneurs, with a focus on education, health, gender equality, rural development, and disaster relief in Turkey. The company and the Özyeğin family have spent decades serving and improving communities in need. Their efforts led to the creation of one of Turkey’s top universities, the establishment of schools and rehabilitation centers, post 2023 earthquake humanitarian shelter and facilities, nationwide campaigns, and an internationally recognized educational training initiative for young children, among other achievements. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Christina Wing and Murat Özyeğin discuss how the company is a model for making a significant impact across multiple sectors of society through giving and how that legacy can be sustained in the future, in the case, “Özyeğin Social Investments: A Legacy of Giving."

Open Source Software: The $9 Trillion Resource Companies Take for Granted

by Rachel Layne

Many companies build their businesses on open source software, code that would cost firms $8.8 trillion to create from scratch if it weren't freely available. Research by Frank Nagle and colleagues puts a value on an economic necessity that will require investment to meet demand.

How to Bring Good Ideas to Life: The Paul English Story

Re: Frances X. Frei

Paul English is one of the most imaginative and successful innovators of his generation. He cofounded several companies, including Kayak, before starting Boston Venture Studio, where he is currently a partner. This multimedia case, “Bringing Ideas to Life: The Story of Paul English,” explores his process of creative idea generation, examining how he was able to bring so many ideas to market. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei and English discuss how to tell the difference between a good idea and a bad one, the importance of iteration, and taking a systematic (but fast) approach to developing new ideas. They also explore how his process dovetails with Frei’s “move fast and fix things,” strategy from her recent book.

How Used Products Can Unlock New Markets: Lessons from Apple's Refurbished iPhones

by Rachel Layne

The idea of reselling old smartphones might have seemed risky for a company known for high-end devices, but refurbished products have become a major profit stream for Apple and an environmental victory. George Serafeim examines Apple's circular model in a case study, and offers insights for other industries.

Slim Chance: Drugs Will Reshape the Weight Loss Industry, But Habit Change Might Be Elusive

by Lane Lambert

Medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have upended a $76 billion industry that has long touted lifestyle shifts as a means to weight loss. Regina Herzlinger says these drugs might bring fast change, especially for busy professionals, but many questions remain unanswered.

Psychological Pricing Tactics to Fight the Inflation Blues

by Jay Fitzgerald

Inflation has slowed from the epic rates of 2021 and 2022, but many consumers still feel pinched. What will it take to encourage them to spend? Thoughtful pricing strategies that empower customers as they make purchasing decisions, says research by Elie Ofek.

What Founders Get Wrong about Sales and Marketing

Re: Mark N. Roberge

Which sales candidate is a startup’s ideal first hire? What marketing channels are best to invest in? How aggressively should an executive team align sales with customer success? Senior Lecturer Mark Roberge discusses how early-stage founders, sales leaders, and marketing executives can address these challenges as they grow their ventures in the case, “Entrepreneurial Sales and Marketing Vignettes.”

What Will It Take to Confront the Invisible Mental Health Crisis in Business?

by Kara Baskin

The pressure to do more, to be more, is fueling its own silent epidemic. Lauren Cohen discusses the common misperceptions that get in the way of supporting employees' well-being, drawing on case studies about people who have been deeply affected by mental illness.

With Subscription Fatigue Setting In, Companies Need to Think Hard About Fees

by Jay Fitzgerald

Subscriptions are available for everything from dental floss to dog toys, but are consumers tiring of monthly fees? Elie Ofek says that subscription revenue can provide stability, but companies need to tread carefully or risk alienating customers.