As technology changes everything, how can existing businesses create innovation and change from within? Harvard Business School fellow Karen Mills studied how one 200-year-old regional bank in the U.S. used intrapreneurship to develop a completely automated small business lending product to compete with online lenders. Mills breaks down the case study of Eastern Bank’s strategy for innovation — from its early partnership with a fintech entrepreneur to its eventual spinoff of Numerated, the onlin...
Aug 23, 2023•20 min
When was the last time you practiced your critical thinking skills? Helen Lee Bouygues , an expert in business transformation, says many business problems are really about simple errors in critical thinking. “People believe that critical thinking is something that we do every day and it comes very natural,” she tells IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch . “But in reality, critical thinking is not only extremely important for success in life, but it’s also something that needs to be learned and practiced....
Aug 16, 2023•23 min
Innovation is a challenge for large incumbent companies. Their long-term success depends on exploring new innovations that stretch the organization beyond its core businesses. But these new opportunities must draw on the company’s existing strengths and leadership position. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Derek van Bever and former lecturer Stephen P. Kaufman studied global brewing company Molson Coors, as it prepared to enter the cannabis beverages business in 2019. “The unknowns were u...
Aug 09, 2023•28 min
Free products and services are everywhere – from buy-one-get-one-free offers to free office software like Canva and Google docs, and, yes, this very podcast. If your revenue strategy does not include give aways, these free goods and services can put extra pressure on your business. How can you compete? Brigham Young University professor of strategy David Bryce studied give-away strategies across 26 different product markets. He says that companies make two key mistakes when they try to compete w...
Aug 02, 2023•17 min
In the start-up world, when is it possible to grow too fast? Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann and entrepreneur Lindsey Hyde discuss what led to the failure of Hyde’s pet care start-up, Baroo.
Jul 26, 2023•30 min
What role does timing play in strategic thinking — for an organization's growth, but also for you and your career? New York Times best-selling author Daniel Pink says it can play a big part in how successful your strategy will be. “I think people underestimate timing,” he tells Dear HBR hosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn . “We’re very intentional in our lives about what we do. But when it comes to when we do things, we don’t take it seriously enough. We’re not intentional. And it has a material e...
Jul 19, 2023•46 min
To plan for the future, businesses usually look to their past. But what if your company is in uncharted territory? Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath has a different idea: Design experiments to test your assumptions using “discovery-driven growth.”
Jul 12, 2023•12 min
Since its founding in 1994, Amazon has expanded into streaming, cloud computing, content creation, and even groceries. But if traditional business strategy tells us that the key to success is focus, why does Amazon work?
Jul 05, 2023•23 min
Imagine you’re trying to solve a problem, but none of your options are all that great. You could walk away. Or you could try to take the best from two inadequate options to reach a smarter, strategic solution.
Jun 28, 2023•21 min
Harvard Business School assistant professor Alexander MacKay studied Uber’s strategies as it entered new markets around the world. He wanted to understand how global businesses can scale fast and survive for the long run. MacKay tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny that Uber adjusted its strategies to meet the specific challenges posed by competitors and regulators in six global markets: New York, Bogota, Delhi, Shanghai, Accra, and London.
Jun 21, 2023•30 min
The theory of disruptive innovation endures as a way to make a complicated and expensive product simpler and more affordable. But the originator of disruptive innovation argued that disruptive innovation isn’t just about simplifying technology — it also requires a new business model.
Jun 14, 2023•14 min
Quitting is often associated with failure -- whether it’s a project, job, career, or company. But Annie Duke, an author, consultant, and former professional poker champion, argues that quitting can sometimes be a strategic success.
Jun 07, 2023•30 min
Blue ocean strategy is a landmark business idea, but its co-creator, Renée Mauborgne, says it’s not a guaranteed win. She discusses what specifically can go wrong when you try to implement blue ocean strategy, including the common traps managers fall into.
May 31, 2023•23 min
In an era driven by network effects, smaller players struggle to compete against bigger platforms. The trick to gaining ground on a much larger rival, says Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, is choosing a strategy that can’t easily be imitated. A good example is TaoBao’s strategy for displacing eBay in China, back in 2007.
May 24, 2023•34 min
“Creativity has to be at the forefront because if you don't do that, then one day you will wake up and you will discover that your competitor has an edge on you,” says Cirque du Soleil executive vice chairman Daniel Lamarre. He explains why it’s important to stay true to your brand while experimenting with creative new ideas and how Cirque constantly analyzes audience feedback to measure the success of its creative experiments.
May 17, 2023•36 min
From corporate social responsibility to ESG, an increasing number of for-profit organizations are pursuing positive social impact. But to “do well by doing good,” Jacob Harold (cofounder of Candid; former CEO of Guidestar) tells HBR IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch that you need a good strategy. Otherwise, things can go very wrong.
May 10, 2023•27 min
Planning is comforting but it’s a terrible way to make strategy, says Roger Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. In contrast, setting strategy should push your organization outside its comfort zone.
May 03, 2023•12 min
Getting your sales team on board with your strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought, Harvard Business School professor Frank Cespedes argues. After all, the engine of many businesses is a strong sales core. But aligning your strategy with sales isn’t just about communicating your ideas effectively. You have to hire carefully and use smart incentives to guide sales behavior.
May 03, 2023•22 min
Subscriptions aren’t new – the business model dates back to trade guilds in the 12th century. But Robbie Kellman Baxter, an expert on the business of subscriptions, says with new billing platforms, remote customer support, and digital services, it’s worth considering how to make subscription business models work for your company.
May 03, 2023•29 min
With rapidly changing markets and emerging technologies, setting the right price is harder than ever. But pricing strategy consultant Rafi Mohammed tells HBR IdeaCast host Sarah Green Carmichael that it’s possible to make better decisions about pricing if you understand how pricing and demand interact in your business and you have good market research to guide you.
Apr 19, 2023•16 min
