Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 6, 2014

In hindsight, this thinking turned out to be far less important than what we learned about leadership, control, and trust, which ultimately were reflected in how each of the businesses was created, capitalized, and staffed. By mid-2004, however, the operation was mired in conflict over control and differences in management style.

Chief Financial Officer 14

Chief Financial Officer Learning-by-Doing Operations IPO 14

Harvard Business Review

MAY 16, 2016

For example, as it grew, Facebook found that its early “move fast and break things” culture had to be funneled into focused technical teams and product groups to make its product development process faster and less erratic, and for it to have a chance of meeting the demands of its new public shareholders following its IPO.

Banking 15

Banking Strategy Film Operations 15

Harvard Business Review

JULY 17, 2017

It’s far from the only case of a failure to embrace a more digital approach; the larger shift to digital is changing the way every industry operates. Some industries, like photography and media, were impacted earlier. Others, like financial services, are only now experiencing this change in earnest.

Industry 15

Industry Short-term Planning Long-term 15

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

Since positioning is vital in new markets, today’s boards must include Chief Marketing Officers, not just directors with operations or finance backgrounds. Only a small minority thought low-cost operations would be an advantage in three years’ time. Rebrand from the inside out. That may say more about the xenophobia of U.S.

Brand 9

Brand Globalization Company Development 9

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

On February 13, 2018, the New York Times reported that Uber is planning an IPO. Twitter reported a loss of $79 million before its IPO, yet it commanded a valuation of $24 billion on its IPO date in 2013. Its value growth is powered by the network in place, not by increments of operating costs.

Company 8

Company Intangible Assets Depreciation IPO 8

N2Growth Blog

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

Maybe you’re prepping for the IPO. There are warning signs you may be stuck in founder-mode and not making the turn to leadership. Leadership is uncomfortable sometimes. And, you operate in a fishbowl. Leadership involves uncertainty. Leadership is messier that being the founder. You started a company.

Delegation 249

Delegation Maturity CEO Execution 249

Harvard Business Review

MAY 24, 2013

I used to think our great technology would take us to leadership in our market — now I realize it is our team, our organization, our marketing and our ambition to sell. Without it, you will always be a mom-and-pop operation. Even though I am a startup, I think more like a market leader than a small business.

Entrepreneur 8

Entrepreneur IPO Open-book Marketing 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 29, 2015

Brian Fitzpatrick joined Google as a senior software engineer in 2005, shortly after the company’s IPO. In our view, Brian’s work is an excellent demonstration of strategic leadership. But Brian’s accomplishment challenges conventional definitions of strategic leadership.

Strategy 8

Strategy Power Idea Generation Project 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 17, 2015

With a strong, competent, and independent chair able to step in and assume responsibility (and possibly act as interim CEO), a company in a crisis that destroys its leadership is better placed to navigate the storm. Hayward’s leadership had contributed to BP underplaying safety its U.S. Take the case of BP.

CFO 8

CFO Crisis Mass Marketing IPO 8

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 4, 2016

But as a venture scales and becomes more complex , more operational and commercial sophistication is required to manage it. Silicon Valley lore offers examples of exceptional founder-CEOs, such as Salesforce.com’s Marc Benioff, who were able to lead their companies through an IPO.

Venture Capitalist 8

Venture Capitalist Sample Long-term IPO 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 14, 2014

Its IPO in 1999 was a sensation ; by autumn 2000 its market capitalization topped $65 billion and the ratio of its stock price to the next year’s projected earnings was a staggering 483. attempt to change the leadership and strategic direction of the company. There’s no rocket science here, no Ackmanesque (Ackmaniacal?)

Hedge 8

Hedge Chief Technology Officer Maturity IPO 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 27, 2017

Talented founders know that corporations simply cannot replicate the deep experience private VCs have in starting companies, nor their expertise in assisting startups with complex challenges such as deal making, business modeling, resolving disputes among founders, executing a successful IPO, and so on.

Venture Capitalist 8

Venture Capitalist Meyer Innovation Fixed Costs 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 12, 2017

India, with its 462 million internet users , has a digital economy representing arguably the greatest market potential for global players ; however, it operates in multiple languages and multiple infrastructure challenges, despite the government having taken sweeping actions that affect the digital market.

Policies 8

Policies Innovation Technology Politics 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 30, 2014

The typical enterprise software startup that IPOs is at least 7 years old (to say nothing of those that try and fail). In the year before Google IPO’d, it did about $962 million in revenue. Regardless of swings in the public markets, Page, Bezos, Immelt, and Rometty expect to stay in their jobs for a while.

Long-term 14

Long-term Innovation Company IPO 14

Harvard Business Review

MAY 14, 2014

Alibaba, the Chinese internet titan that filed for an IPO in the U.S. last week, could be the largest tech IPO in history. Instead, it operates more like GE. But Alibaba doesn’t look much like Facebook, Google, or even Amazon. Sure enough, this resembles how Alibaba is organized.

IPO 15

IPO Welch Strategy Long-term 15