Stanford Graduate School of Business (USA)
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Models of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Ellis, J; , Wismer, LCase SGSB-E365-EEntrepreneurshipAs he nears graduation from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Pat Smith is considering his career plans. He wants to be an entrepreneur, but he has no start-up idea of his own. He is interested in entrepreneurship through acquisition and, based on conversations with various entrepreneurs, is trying to decide which type of search fund is right for him: a traditional, or funded, search, a self-funded search, or a sponsored search. In ad...Starting at €8.20
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Smith & Company: The Bob Martin Vignettes
Ellis, J; Han, A; Taweel, KCase SGSB-E443-EEntrepreneurshipIt was Smith & Company Worldwide Managing Director Bob Martin’s habit while traveling to rise at 5 am and make his way over to a treadmill at the hotel gym, where he would mentally prepare for the day ahead. Today was no different. As the machine at the J.W. Marriott in Hong Kong whirred up to a brisk 10 mph, Martin considered ways to handle two live management issues: a top performing partner who had reduced staff to tears, and a sponsored consu...Starting at €8.20
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A Note on Getting the Most Out of Your Board Meetings
Dodson, D; Pohlmeyer, SCase SGSB-E631-EEntrepreneurshipIn your first year as chief executive officer (CEO), you will encounter a host of management challenges and opportunities—all of which can be navigated more skillfully if you can tap into the insights and perspectives of a handful of seasoned operators and investors. For this reason, your board can have a significant impact on the company’s performance. Unfortunately, CEOs often get far less value out of their boards in the first few years than...Starting at €8.20
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Weddington Way
Ellis, J; Randolph, JCase SGSB-E455-EEntrepreneurshipThe case profiles the protagonist, Ilana Stern, founder of Weddington Way—a wedding-related e-commerce site—during the company’s early formation stage. The case begins with an introduction of Stern’s professional background and a portrayal of Stern’s summer between her first and second years at business school, during which the idea and vision for Weddington Way took shape. The case then follows Stern as she digs deeper into the viability of th...Starting at €8.20
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Branch Metrics: "Failing" into the Idea
Mandelbaum, F; Pohlmeyer, SCase SGSB-E586-EEntrepreneurshipThis case explores the Branch Metrics’ cofounders’ early days as a team and their pursuit of a viable idea for their startup. The three original cofounders, who met in business school, transformed their business concept entirely several times before finding the idea for Branch Metrics. Starting with a fitness collar for dogs, then starting over with developing a mobile application for low-cost, high-quality photobooks, and ultimately developing a...Starting at €8.20
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2016 Search Fund Study: Selected Observations
Kelly, P; Dodson, D; Grousheck, IH; Pohlmeyer, S; Rosenthal, SCase SGSB-E605-EEntrepreneurshipSince 1996, the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (CES) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) has conducted a series of studies on the performance of search funds. These studies endeavor to gather data and gain insight into all known search funds. The studies aggregate the characteristics of search funds, present their principals’ backgrounds, and evaluate the investment returns generated by first-time search funds to their origina...Starting at €8.20
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Models of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition - Teaching Note
Ellis, J; , Wismer, LTeaching Note SGSB-E365TN-EEntrepreneurshipAs he nears graduation from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Pat Smith is considering his career plans. He wants to be an entrepreneur, but he has no start-up idea of his own. He is interested in entrepreneurship through acquisition and, based on conversations with various entrepreneurs, is trying to decide which type of search fund is right for him: a traditional, or funded, search, a self-funded search, or a sponsored search. In ad...Starting at €0.00
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John Preston
Ellis, J; Bose, K, RCase SGSB-E487-EEntrepreneurshipFor the last year, Mountain Hardware (MH), a leading hardware retailer in the Rocky Mountain region, had evaded bankruptcy and liquidation. The week prior, John Preston, the company's CEO, learned that the acquisition offers he had expected to receive from four major companies in the industry would be delayed by several weeks. While disappointed with the wait, Preston had held out hope that his shareholders could recove...Starting at €8.20
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Lynn Garcia
Ellis, JCase SGSB-E540-EEntrepreneurshipThe fictitious Lynn Garcia case examines several managerial challenges faced by first-time CEO Lynn Garcia. After graduating from Stanford’s GSB, Garcia founded eChange, a self-service coin-counting company that enabled users to convert coins into other forms of currency. As Garcia grew the company, she encountered a variety of difficult situations. Each of the five vignettes highlighted in the case can be solved through a variety of approache...Starting at €8.20