HBS Case Selections

Get the perspectives and context you need to solve your toughest work problems with these immersive sets of real-world scenarios from Harvard Business School.

Managing Your Organization
Managing Your Organization
The Rise of GenAI
 
Building strategies that incorporate fast-moving AI technologies is tablestakes for leaders today.
 
Curated:  April 30, 2024
 
     
  1. OpenAI: Idealism Meets Capitalism
    How does a fast growing, high-profile company balance advancing AI technology with protecting humanity's interests?
    Published:  January 05, 2024
     
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  3. Generative AI and the Future of Work
    Generative AI is poised to reshape productivity, value creation, and labor markets. Is your company prepared?
    Published:  December 22, 2023
     
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  5. Copilot(s): Generative AI at Microsoft and GitHub
    Three years after Microsoft's acquisition of Github, the company has to decide how to publicly roll out a Gitub Copilot product that suggests code snippets to software developers.
    Published:  November 16, 2023
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Innovation in Action
 
Being able to innovate and adapt to new competition and technology requires the right incentives, communication, and openness to change.
 
Curated:  October 11, 2023
 
     
  1. Innovation at Moog Inc.
    Grapple with the challenges of how to motivate and incentivize employees to create commercially successful innovations.
    Published:  March 15, 2022
     
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  3. Innovation at Google Ads: The Sales Acceleration and Innovation Labs (SAIL) (A)
    When a new leader takes over the Google Ads sales and innovation team, they must establish culture, process, metrics and more to drive innovation across a geographically dispersed team.
    Published:  March 20, 2023
     
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  5. Juan Valdez: Innovation in Caffeination
    Innovation happens at non-tech companies too. In this classic case from the early 2000s, Colombian coffee entrepreneurs attempt to revive Colombia's famous Juan Valdez brand in the age of Starbucks.
    Published:  February 22, 2013
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Competing in the Metaverse
 
Companies are facing an entirely new set of strategic questions when weighing opportunities in online virtual worlds.
 
Curated:  September 06, 2023
 
     
  1. UGG Steps into the Metaverse
    Given the importance of how physical UGGs felt on wearers feet, how should the company think about selling its products in the metaverse?
    Published:  November 18, 2022
     
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  3. Metaverse Wars
    The term "metaverse" is a catch-all for the many expectations around online virtual worlds. But how quickly can companies really bring these experiences to customers - and what will the guardrails be?
    Published:  March 24, 2023
     
  4.  
  5. Roblox: Virtual Commerce in the Metaverse
    Roblox is seen as a major metaverse testing ground - and the company has to consider what kinds of partnerships and experiences will keep revenue growth on track.
    Published:  February 15, 2023
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Putting AI to Work
 
AI-fueled tools are firmly in the hands of consumers - and companies need to be ready to ask the right questions to adapt.
 
Curated:  May 16, 2023
 
     
  1. Timnit Gebru: "SILENCED No More" on AI Bias and The Harms of Large Language Models
    When it comes to AI ethics and countering bias, where does the responsibility lie?
    Published:  May 09, 2022
     
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  3. Hugging Face: Serving AI on a Platform
    An open-source AI model company considers three priorities: Platform development, supporting the open-source community, and pursuing cutting-edge scientific research.
    Published:  November 04, 2022
     
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  5. SmartOne: Building an AI Data Business
    The data labeling company contemplates different options for growth and where it fits in the AI value chain.
    Published:  October 01, 2021
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
The Economics of Uncertainty
 
Lessons learned from companies navigating complex economic times.
 
Curated:  March 01, 2023
 
     
  1. Honeywell and the Great Recession (A)
    After staging a turnaround, Honeywell had to contend with the Great Recession.
    Published:  October 28, 2014
     
  2.  
  3. Target: Responding to the Recession
    How a retailer responded to competition during an economic downturn.
    Published:  March 12, 2010
     
  4.  
  5. MC Tool
    Leaders at a manufacturing company must decide whether to stay the course in the face of a recession.
    Published:  July 15, 2012
     
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  7. Hometown Foods: Changing Price Amid Inflation
    How leaders at a food manufacturing company made pricing decisions in unprecedented times.
    Published:  March 16, 2022
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Tesla and Elon Musk
 
How the company and its lightning rod CEO balance risk and opportunity.
 
Curated:  May 03, 2022
 
     
  1. Elon Musk's Big Bets
    The story of Tesla's and Elon Musk's big initiatives, from SolarCity to SpaceX.
    Published:  November 21, 2016
     
  2.  
  3. Elon Musk: Balancing Purpose and Risk
    Tesla's founding CEO contemplates the place of personal purpose versus financial risk and reward when facing critical funding decisions.
    Published:  October 19, 2016
     
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  5. Tesla's CEO Compensation Plan
    Tesla's notable compensation plan for Elon Musk depends heavily on the company's performance and hinges on high risk--and high potential for reward--for the CEO.
    Published:  April 20, 2018
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Doing Business in China
 
How to navigate building a business in one of the world's largest economies amidst tariffs, regulations, and dynamic political challenges.
 
Curated:  January 12, 2022
 
     
  1. Tencent
    The story of the country's biggest online game company shows why execution is more important than ideas when it comes to staying ahead of the competition in China.
    Published:  September 13, 2017
     
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  3. China Rapid Finance: The Collapse of China's P2P Lending Industry
    How rapid growth can spook Chinese regulators into shutting down an industry.
    Published:  February 09, 2021
     
  4.  
  5. Forbidden City: Launching a Craft Beer in China
    Leaders at an international beer company must decide the best approach for expanding into China.
    Published:  March 26, 2020
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Running Better Business Experiments
 
How companies can learn more, faster.
 
Curated:  October 22, 2021
 
     
  1. Booking.com
    How the world's leading online travel accommodation platform has put experimentation at the heart of how it designs experiences for its customers and partners.
    Published:  October 15, 2018
     
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  3. Innovation at Uber: The Launch of Express POOL
    How the ride-sharing company is structured for innovation, experimentation, and data analysis.
    Published:  October 01, 2018
     
  4.  
  5. Racial Discrimination on Airbnb (A)
    How even robust experimentation can leave product creators with blind spots.
    Published:  March 05, 2020
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Building a Future Workforce
 
How companies are transforming their talent and creating organizations that are more digital, more diverse, and more agile.
 
Curated:  December 04, 2020
 
     
  1. Unilever's Response to the Future of Work
    How one of the world's largest consumer goods companies is reskilling its workforce, adopting flexible work practices, and accelerating its pace of change.
    Published:  April 07, 2020
     
  2.  
  3. AT&T, Retraining, and the Workforce of Tomorrow
    Who bears the burdens of closing the digital skills gap for 100,000 employees?
    Published:  July 09, 2019
     
  4.  
  5. Leading Change in Talent at L'Oreal
    How a tight-knit organization is building a culture that's both cohesive and inclusive.
    Published:  February 27, 2020
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Black Business Leaders
 
Case studies featuring Black protagonists.
 
Curated:  August 03, 2020
 
     
  1. Oprah!
    How the media mogul found her voice of truth.
    Published:  March 08, 2005
     
  2.  
  3. Eve Hall: The African American Investment Fund in Milwaukee
    The newly appointed leader of Wisconsin's African American chamber of commerce seeks to revitalize the state's minority-owned small businesses.
    Published:  February 02, 2017
     
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  5. United Housing - Otis Gates
    The cofounder of a successful entrepreneurial venture must calculate the value of his business's social mission as he prepares to sell.
    Published:  January 03, 2017
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Leading in a Time of Crisis
 
How companies and governments have responded to major disasters.
 
Curated:  April 01, 2020
 
     
  1. The Home Depot: Leadership in Crisis Management
    How disasters can disrupt operations and also provide an opportunity for a company to fulfill its mission.
    Published:  March 02, 2009
     
  2.  
  3. The Great East Japan Earthquake (B): Fast Retailing Group's Response
    How a retailer responded to an unfolding tragedy.
    Published:  November 08, 2012
     
  4.  
  5. Insurer of Last Resort?: The Federal Financial Response to September 11
    Controversy over the government's economic response to the attacks.
    Published:  March 26, 2003
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Extending Your Brand
 
You have an iconic product line. How can you expand your offering into new markets without undermining your brand uniqueness?
 
Curated:  July 03, 2019
 
     
  1. Under Armour
    How can the performance apparel company move into unfamiliar market segments--without losing touch with athletes?
    Published:  January 09, 2018
     
  2.  
  3. Longchamp
    How does the company's iconic, affordable nylon handbag fit into its portfolio of luxury leather goods?
    Published:  June 15, 2016
     
  4.  
  5. Hunley, Inc.: Casting for Growth
    In this fictionalized story based on real companies, leaders consider a high-priced versus a low-cost addition to their product line.
    Published:  September 20, 2018
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Blockchain
 
How can companies begin to work with this emerging technology?
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Bitfury: Blockchain for Government
    An introduction to Bitcoin and Blockchain--and what it might mean for governments.
    Published:  October 16, 2017
     
  2.  
  3. Deutsche Bank: Pursuing Blockchain Opportunities (A)
    How the financial giant is organizing to experiment with this new technology.
    Published:  April 11, 2017
     
  4.  
  5. Maersk: Betting on Blockchain
    How one company is launching a joint venture to bring Blockchain efficiencies to its entire supply chain and industry.
    Published:  April 03, 2018
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Entering Developing Markets
 
Understand what should stay the same and what needs to change, and what information you need to decide.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Yum! Brands
    A templated plan for moving into new markets.
    Published:  May 31, 2012
     
  2.  
  3. Bharti Airtel in Africa
    Overcoming unexpected obstacles on a new continent.
    Published:  April 10, 2012
     
  4.  
  5. Li & Fung 2012
    Changing the model to not just source from but also *sell to* emerging economies.
    Published:  January 18, 2012
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Managing a Social Media Crisis
 
When fans go rogue online, do you contain the viral threat or take advantage of the opportunity to gain more followers?
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Sony and the JK Wedding Dance
    Encourage a viral following--or protect valuable IP assets?
    Published:  December 22, 2009
     
  2.  
  3. United Breaks Guitars
    When a company's mistake goes public.
    Published:  January 06, 2010
     
  4.  
  5. David Dao on United Airlines
    Questionable ethics on board become a reputational disaster online.
    Published:  May 23, 2017
     
  6.  
  7. Bonus Material
    Marketing Reading: Digital Marketing
    Core Curriculum Readings in Marketing cover fundamental concepts, theories, and frameworks in marketing. For classroom use in higher education, this Reading...
    Published:  September 11, 2015
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Developing a Social Strategy
 
Integrating online communities and physical products.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Social Strategy at Nike
    The development of Nike+ and beyond: connecting the physical world of sport with the social element of digital.
    Published:  April 17, 2012
     
  2.  
  3. The Tate's Digital Transformation
    Moving the museum's mission online.
    Published:  April 07, 2014
     
  4.  
  5. Social Strategy at American Express
    Helping customers help each other.
    Published:  April 12, 2012
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
M&A Making the Decision
 
Considerations before the deal closes.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Mellon Financial and The Bank of New York
    Building the rationale for a merger in a rapidly consolidating industry.
    Published:  February 29, 2008
     
  2.  
  3. The Walt Disney Company and Pixar, Inc.: To Acquire or Not to Acquire?
    Exploring an acquisition as a way to maintain an innovative partnership.
    Published:  March 02, 2009
     
  4.  
  5. Dow's Bid for Rohm and Haas
    When external events get in the way of a carefully planned acquisition--at the last minute.
    Published:  November 16, 2010
     
  6.  
  7. Bonus Material
    Finance Reading: The Mergers and Acquisitions Process
    An introduction to the structure and process of mergers and acquisitions transactions.
    Published:  June 22, 2017
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Protecting Consumer Privacy
 
Companies that rely on vast troves of personal data must ask tough questions to keep it private and safe.
 
Curated:  May 02, 2019
 
     
  1. Apple: Privacy vs. Safety? (A)
    When customer privacy and law enforcement needs collide (and a company is caught in the middle).
    Published:  March 28, 2016
     
  2.  
  3. Sidewalk Labs: Privacy in a City Built from the Internet Up
    Harnessing data can transform cities, but how can you collect that data while maintaining citizens' privacy and trust?
    Published:  October 18, 2018
     
  4.  
  5. Data Breach at Equifax
    The causes behind the 2017 breach, and the company's response.
    Published:  October 21, 2017
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Apple Inc
 
The storied history of the "most creative company in the world."
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Apple's Core
    How the phenomenon began.
    Published:  October 01, 2008
     
  2.  
  3. Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple
    The creativity that has made Apple special.
    Published:  January 09, 2009
     
  4.  
  5. Apple Inc. in 2012
    The successes of Steve Jobs and the challenges facing Tim Cook.
    Published:  May 15, 2012
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Leading Change as a Middle Manager
 
Exerting influence with only some direct authority.
 
Curated:  July 05, 2018
 
     
  1. Iz-Lynn Chan at Far East Organization (Abridged)
    ...
    Published:  December 02, 2014
     
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  3. Barbara Norris: Leading Change in the General Surgery Unit
    Barbara Norris struggles to address the many problems facing her as a recently promoted nurse manager in the General Surgery Unit (GSU) at Eastern Massachusetts...
    Published:  March 13, 2009
     
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  5. Adobe Systems: Working Towards a "Suite" Release (A)
    The case examines the tools a manager can use to keep her project on track and manage conflict and tension as Adobe prepares to launch Creative Suite...
    Published:  September 24, 2008
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Buying a Small Business
 
You can buy a small business and run it as CEO.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Home Nursing of North Carolina
    A self-funded search, including sourcing, filtering, and structuring the purchase.
    Published:  June 29, 2012
     
  2.  
  3. Castronics, LLC
    Buying, running, and selling a small business.
    Published:  September 19, 2012
     
  4.  
  5. Gemini Investors
    The context of investing in small- and mid-size businesses.
    Published:  February 15, 2011
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Pricing Strategy
 
Understanding tiers, discounting, and the power of free.
 
Curated:  October 04, 2019
 
     
  1. Angie's List: Ratings Pioneer Turns 20
    The home improvement review site considers whether to offer a free tier of its services.
    Published:  September 03, 2016
     
  2.  
  3. Basecamp: Pricing
    Running tests to find the most optimal pricing policy for the productivity and project management site.
    Published:  November 01, 2016
     
  4.  
  5. J.C. Penney's "Fair and Square" Pricing Strategy
    A risky change in pricing strategy at one of America's first department stores.
    Published:  September 21, 2012
     
  6.  
  7. J.C. Penney's 'Fair and Square' Strategy (C): Back to the Future
    Reverting back to the old pricing strategy--but not quite.
    Published:  January 02, 2014
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Artificial Intelligence
 
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is already reshaping business and society.
 
Curated:  January 24, 2020
 
     
  1. Osaro: Picking the best path
    Osaro considers deep reinforcement learning to allow robots to be applied in a wide range of new applications.
    Published:  July 02, 2019
     
  2.  
  3. HubSpot and Motion AI: Chatbot-Enabled CRM
    HubSpot develops best practices for the use of chatbots for CRM.
    Published:  February 12, 2018
     
  4.  
  5. GROW: Using Artificial Intelligence to Screen Human Intelligence
    An international CEO considers the ways the "big data" he is collecting is being used.
    Published:  August 25, 2017
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Running Better Business Experiments
 
How companies can learn more, faster.
 
Curated:  October 29, 2021
 
     
  1. Booking.com
    How the world's leading online travel accommodation platform has put experimentation at the heart of how it designs experiences for its customers and partners.
    Published:  October 15, 2018
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
The Future of Remote Work
 
Lessons learned from companies navigating remote and hybrid work.
 
Curated:  July 01, 2021
 
     
  1. GitLab and the Future of All-Remote Work (A)
    A profile of one of the world's largest fully remote companies.
    Published:  April 02, 2020
     
  2.  
  3. TCS: From Physical Offices to Borderless Work
    How global multinational Tata Consultancy Services developed their hybrid work model.
    Published:  January 07, 2021
     
  4.  
  5. Creating a virtual internship at Goldman Sachs
    How the global financial services firm redesigned its marquee internship program for a remote summer--and which aspects worked best.
    Published:  November 06, 2020
     
 
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Managing Your Organization
Transformation and Turnaround
 
Reinventing a company headed in the wrong direction.
 
Curated:  September 25, 2019
 
     
  1. LEGO
    The toy brick business's three-step return to growth.
    Published:  July 07, 2012
     
  2.  
  3. Starbucks Coffee Company: Transformation and Renewal
    Putting the iconic coffee company back on track for growth.
    Published:  June 02, 2014
     
  4.  
  5. JCPenney: Back in Business
    How the once-declining retailer adapted to shifts in consumer tastes and expectations.
    Published:  October 21, 2016
     
 
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Managing Your Team
Managing Your Team
Managing Global Teams
 
Miscommunication and inefficiency plague dispersed teams. How can you achieve high performance as the leader of a team that is scattered across the globe?
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Arup: Building the Water Cube
    A multidisciplinary, cross-company, international team crafts a winning design for the Beijing Olympics.
    Published:  February 18, 2010
     
  2.  
  3. (Re)Building a Global Team: Tariq Khan at Tek
    Defining the challenges of working across cultural boundaries.
    Published:  December 19, 2013
     
  4.  
  5. Managing a Global Team: Greg James at Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A)
    Understanding the tensions in a team spread across the globe.
    Published:  July 03, 2008
     
  6.  
  7. Bonus Material
    Organizational Behavior Reading: Leading Global Teams
    An introduction to the complex collaboration involved in leading a geographically dispersed team.
    Published:  June 30, 2018
     
 
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Managing Your Team
Managing Difficult Employees
 
When personalities get in the way.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Ron Ventura at Mitchell Memorial Hospital
    A gruff style gets in the way of team unity and performance.
    Published:  June 28, 2013
     
  2.  
  3. Anthony Starks at InSiL Therapeutics (A)
    When technical excellence isn't enough.
    Published:  November 09, 2016
     
  4.  
  5. Wolfgang Keller at Konigsbrau-TAK (A)
    Getting to the root cause of a clash in management styles.
    Published:  December 15, 1997
     
 
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Managing Your Team
Learning from Failure
 
The best teams and organizations don't just recover from setbacks; they purposefully learn from them to better serve their customers.
 
Curated:  February 26, 2021
 
     
  1. The 2010 Chilean Mining Rescue (A)
    How a crisis-solving team learned from repeated failures to achieve dramatic success while the world watched.
    Published:  November 01, 2011
     
  2.  
  3. IDEO: Human-Centered Service Design
    World-renowned design firm IDEO's process for iterating on offerings with their customers, in action.
    Published:  October 03, 2014
     
  4.  
  5. Supercell
    How--and why--a game design firm has built a culture that celebrates failure with champagne.
    Published:  October 17, 2016
     
 
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Building Skills
Building Skills
Calculating the Cost of Capital
 
Identifying inputs and overcoming practical problems.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Midland Energy Resources, Inc.: Cost of Capital
    Calculating the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) as part of a company's annual budgeting process.
    Published:  June 19, 2009
     
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  3. Globalizing the Cost of Capital and Capital Budgeting at AES
    Creating a practical new method of defining the cost of capital for a firm's poorly integrated international capital markets.
    Published:  December 12, 2003
     
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  5. Cost of Capital at Ameritrade
    Estimating cost of capital for large marketing and technology investments at a debt-financed brokerage firm.
    Published:  October 31, 2000
     
  6.  
  7. Bonus Material
    Finance Reading: Cost of Capital
    An introduction to practical problems encountered when estimating and applying the cost of capital in a DCF valuation.
    Published:  May 04, 2017
     
 
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Building Skills
Working with Venture Capitalists
 
Understanding the context--and the questions to ask.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Circles: Series D Financing
    Early financing successes and challenges raising a D round.
    Published:  November 20, 2002
     
  2.  
  3. WebTracker
    Thinking through the questions to ask when considering a VC partner.
    Published:  February 18, 2015
     
  4.  
  5. Andreessen Horowitz
    Understanding the VC industry and the emergence of one of its key players.
    Published:  January 30, 2014
     
  6.  
  7. Bonus Material
    Entrepreneurship Reading: Partnering with Venture Capitalists
    An introduction to the venture capital industry in the United States.
    Published:  March 02, 2015
     
 
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Managing Yourself
Managing Yourself
Authentic Leadership
 
Great leaders are shaped by their unique personal stories--strengths, challenges, and all.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Oprah!
    How the media mogul found her voice of truth.
    Published:  March 08, 2005
     
  2.  
  3. David Neeleman: Flight Path of a Servant Leader (A)
    JetBlue's CEO navigates a crisis with his humanity on display.
    Published:  November 10, 2008
     
  4.  
  5. Coach Hurley at St. Anthony High School
    A legendary local athletic coach stays true to his roots--and his mission.
    Published:  March 13, 2013
     
 
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Managing Yourself
Balancing Childcare and Work
 
Negotiating leave policies, flexible work, and maintaining work-life balance is tricky for both employees and organizations.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Shapiro Global
    Considering alternative work arrangements.
    Published:  August 04, 2006
     
  2.  
  3. Kathryn McNeil (A)
    A single parent in a high-pressure environment.
    Published:  February 10, 1994
     
  4.  
  5. Carol Fishman Cohen: Professional Career Reentry (A)
    Returning to work after taking time off for family.
    Published:  May 14, 2003
     
 
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Managing Yourself
Maintaining Work-Life Balance
 
Career decisions are about more than just your career.
 
Curated:  January 07, 2019
 
     
  1. Alex Montana at ESH Manufacturing Co.
    The offer of a promotion prompts tough thinking.
    Published:  June 30, 2005
     
  2.  
  3. Michelle Levene (A)
    Starting a family as a rising professional star.
    Published:  February 15, 2006
     
  4.  
  5. John and Andrea Rice: Entrepreneurship and Life
    A business, a marriage, and a family intertwined.
    Published:  December 03, 2007
     
 
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