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Estimating Walmart's Cost of Capital
Stephen R. FoersterCase IVEY-9B19N011-EFinanceIn March 2019, two senior managers attending an executive education program had been assigned the task of applying their learnings from readings in order to estimate the costs of capital for Walmart Inc. (Walmart). They also needed to discuss why the cost of capital was such an important topic. The managers had with them background information, including a recent Walmart balance sheet and income statement; a U.S. Department of Treasury yield curv...Starting at €8.20
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Sun Life Financial: A Potential Indian Life Insurance Joint Venture
Stephen R. Foerster; Tony S. Frost; Eric Morse; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B07M046-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyThis supplement to Sun Life Financial: Planning for the Future, product 9B07M045, hones in on Sun Life's decision to re-enter the Indian insurance market.Starting at €8.20
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'It Just Works' (Spanish version)
Eisenmann, Thomas R.; Pao, Michael; Barley, LaurenCase HBS-812S02EntrepreneurshipDropbox is a venture-backed Silicon Valley startup, founded in 2006, that provides online storage and backup services to millions of customers using a "freemium" (free + premium offers) business model. The case recounts Dropbox's history from conception through mid-2010, when founder/CEO Drew Houston must make strategic decisions about new product features, how to target enterprise customers, and whether to pursue distribution deals with smartpho...Starting at €8.20
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Hypothesis-Driven Entrepreneurship: The Lean Startup
Eisenmann, Thomas R.; Ries, Eric; Dillard, SarahCase HBS-812095-EEntrepreneurshipFirms that follow a hypothesis-driven approach to evaluating entrepreneurial opportunity are called "lean startups." Entrepreneurs in these startups translate their vision into falsifiable business model hypotheses, then test the hypotheses using a series of "minimum viable products," each of which represents the smallest set of features/activities needed to rigorously validate a concept. Based on test feedback, entrepreneurs must then decide whe...Starting at €8.20
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Business Model Analysis for Entrepreneurs (Spanish version)
Eisenmann, Thomas R.Case HBS-813S07Entrepreneurshipa customer value proposition, a technology and operations management plan, a go-to-market plan, and a profit formula. For each element, the note lists questions that an entrepreneur must address when evaluating an early-stage opportunity. The note explores in greater depth several business model issues that are especially relevant to entrepreneurial ventures, including the impact of network effects and customer switching costs; conditions when a...Starting at €8.20
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Pacing Issues (Spanish version)
Eisenmann, Thomas R.Case HBS-814S05Entrepreneurship(1) Which of the three company's approach to using people analytics for talent acquisition and development is most appealing (or most concerning)?; and (2) Should Fukuhara turn on the most advanced part of the artificial intelligence engine, allowing GROW not just to provide recommendations to clients about whom they should hire, but also (based on performance and attribute data of previous hires) to overrule clients' specifications (or biases) ...Starting at €8.20
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Project AgriNova (Spanish version)
Eisenmann, Thomas R.; Bijlani, TanyaCase HBS-816S10EntrepreneurshipIn late 2008, a team from Intuit's office in Bangalore, India is evaluating an opportunity to launch a new venture that would use SMS to deliver crop price information to farmers in India.The case describes the structure of Indian agriculture and the problems experienced by farmers, who were often exploited by middlemen who entered into obtuse private arrangements with wholesale buyers. After five weeks of research, the team concludes that the op...Starting at €8.20
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Strategies for Two-Sided Markets
Eisenmann, Thomas R.; Parker, Geoffrey; Van Alstyne, Marshall W.Article HBS-R0610F-EStrategyIf you listed the blockbuster products and services that have redefined the global business landscape, you'd find that many of them tie together two distinct groups of users in a network. Case in point: The most important innovation in financial services since World War II is almost certainly the credit card, which links consumers and merchants. The list would also include newspapers, HMOs, and computer operating systems--all of which serve what ...Starting at €8.20
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The North West Company: Cross-enterprise Strategy
Stephen R. Foerster; Mary M. Crossan; James E. Hatch; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B07M047-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyThe North West Company cases allow students to take a cross-enterprise leadership approach in looking at the dilemma facing the president and chief executive officer of The North West Company (North West), a food and general merchandise retailer operating primarily in Northern Canada. In early 2003, North West had negotiated a master franchisor agreement with Giant Tiger Stores Limited (Giant Tiger) with the objective of opening stores west of Wi...Starting at €8.20
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Time Value of Money: The Buy Versus Rent Decision
Sean Cleary; Stephen R. FoersterCase IVEY-9B14N024-EFinanceA recent MBA graduate had been renting a condominium, and a similar unit next door had just been listed for sale. Now facing the classic buy-versus-rent decision, the young grad decided it was time for her to apply some of the analytical tools she had acquired in business school — including “time value of money” concepts — to her personal life.Starting at €8.20