Case | HBS Case Collection | 2009 (Revised from original 2009 version)
by William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Manty
Now into their third year at the helm of an Internet start-up in China, Ken Pao and Bill Li were managing a totally different company (with a new name) from the one they first founded in 2006. Having changed their business model from a social networking site to an online gaming business came with new challenges. They hired almost an entirely new staff, cultivated new partnerships, and most urgently sought new funding. However, with three years of experience, they were no longer a "start-up" and now faced the ramifications of mid-life. What would it take to remain a viable competitor in China in a new industry?
Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Investment Funds; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; China;
Citation:
Kirby, William C., F. Warren McFarlan, and Tracy Manty. "A Chinese Start-up's Midlife Crisis: 99Sushe.com." Harvard Business School Case 309-060, March 2009. (Revised from original January 2009 version.)
Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | 2010
A Chinese Start-up's Midlife Crisis: 99Sushe.com (TN)
F. Warren McFarlan
Keywords: Business Startups; Business or Company Management; Business Model; Online Technology; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Partners and Partnerships; Competition; Social and Collaborative Networks; Video Game Industry; China;
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Supplement | HBS Case Collection | 2013
From Little Things Big Things Grow: The Clontarf Foundation Program for Aboriginal Boys (B)
F. Warren McFarlan and Michael Vitale
Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2009 version)
Appellation Shanxi: Grace Vineyard
William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-ta Chen and Keith Chi-ho Wong
Keywords: Family Business; Growth and Development Strategy; Family Ownership; State Ownership; Expansion; Food and Beverage Industry; China;
Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (B)
William C. Kirby, Nancy Hua Dai and Erica M. Zendell
Keywords: Business History; Global Strategy; Business Conglomerates; Vertical Integration; Goals and Objectives; Mergers and Acquisitions; Auto Industry; China; United States;