<form name="aspnetForm" method="post" action="item.aspx?num=25899" id="aspnetForm">
<input type="hidden" name="MSOWebPartPage_PostbackSource" id="MSOWebPartPage_PostbackSource" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOTlPn_SelectedWpId" id="MSOTlPn_SelectedWpId" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOTlPn_View" id="MSOTlPn_View" value="0" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOTlPn_ShowSettings" id="MSOTlPn_ShowSettings" value="False" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOGallery_SelectedLibrary" id="MSOGallery_SelectedLibrary" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOGallery_FilterString" id="MSOGallery_FilterString" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOTlPn_Button" id="MSOTlPn_Button" value="none" />
<input type="hidden" name="__REQUESTDIGEST" id="__REQUESTDIGEST" value="noDigest" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOSPWebPartManager_DisplayModeName" id="MSOSPWebPartManager_DisplayModeName" value="Browse" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOSPWebPartManager_ExitingDesignMode" id="MSOSPWebPartManager_ExitingDesignMode" value="false" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOWebPartPage_Shared" id="MSOWebPartPage_Shared" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOLayout_LayoutChanges" id="MSOLayout_LayoutChanges" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOLayout_InDesignMode" id="MSOLayout_InDesignMode" value="" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOSPWebPartManager_OldDisplayModeName" id="MSOSPWebPartManager_OldDisplayModeName" value="Browse" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOSPWebPartManager_StartWebPartEditingName" id="MSOSPWebPartManager_StartWebPartEditingName" value="false" />
<input type="hidden" name="MSOSPWebPartManager_EndWebPartEditing" id="MSOSPWebPartManager_EndWebPartEditing" value="false" />
<input type="hidden" name="__VIEWSTATE" id="__VIEWSTATE" value="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" />

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var MSOWebPartPageFormName = 'aspnetForm';
var g_presenceEnabled = true;var _fV4UI=true;var _spPageContextInfo = {webServerRelativeUrl: "\u002ffaculty", webLanguage: 1033, currentLanguage: 1033, webUIVersion:4,pageListId:"{9e9e3212-7bc2-40d8-ba11-ab047574aa0d}",pageItemId:6, alertsEnabled:true, siteServerRelativeUrl: "\u002ffaculty", allowSilverlightPrompt:'True'};//]]>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/_layouts/1033/init.js?rev=mdjxRHK1V7KZ%2BuOTcNNcmQ%3D%3D"></script>
<script src="/WebResource.axd?d=0BN16XvcGHuJm7w6ynHPQUp2bpfRBguTqcJxAewp5Z6TG9N1ORNkdbc65-xjVZfcc8oQWsz2XPVjWs3sLHPjmveJ1A8CpDbhoiiXlraAxD-GhALjyint8HT53UFez1JzfJIy8Q_LxpJS3G8QmAMxSkzh4vc1&t=636767462854137053" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var dlc_fvsi = {"DefaultViews":[],"ViewUrls":[],"WebUrl":"\/faculty"};//]]>
</script>

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
function _spNavigateHierarchy(nodeDiv, dataSourceId, dataPath, url, listInContext, type) {
    CoreInvoke('ProcessDefaultNavigateHierarchy', nodeDiv, dataSourceId, dataPath, url, listInContext, type, document.forms.aspnetForm, "", "\u002ffaculty\u002fPages\u002fitem.aspx");

}
//]]>
</script>
<input type="hidden" name="__VIEWSTATEGENERATOR" id="__VIEWSTATEGENERATOR" value="E39AC016" />
<script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("sp.core.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002fsp.core.js?rev=7ByNlH\u00252BvcgRJg\u00252BRCctdC0w\u00253D\u00253D");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("sp.res.resx", "\u002f_layouts\u002fScriptResx.ashx?culture=en\u00252Dus\u0026name=SP\u00252ERes\u0026rev=b6\u00252FcRx1a6orhAQ\u00252FcF\u00252B0ytQ\u00253D\u00253D");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("sp.ui.dialog.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002fsp.ui.dialog.js?rev=Tpcmo1\u00252FSu6R0yewHowDl5g\u00253D\u00253D");RegisterSodDep("sp.ui.dialog.js", "sp.core.js");RegisterSodDep("sp.ui.dialog.js", "sp.res.resx");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("core.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002f1033\u002fcore.js?rev=RiGU6\u00252FvAzNgOjxKFQLw9pw\u00253D\u00253D");</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var _spFormDigestRefreshInterval = 1440000;window.g_updateFormDigestPageLoaded = new Date(); window.g_updateFormDigestPageLoaded.setDate(window.g_updateFormDigestPageLoaded.getDate() -5);function loadMDN2() { EnsureScript('MDN.js', typeof(loadFilterFn), null); }
function loadMDN1() { ExecuteOrDelayUntilScriptLoaded(loadMDN2, 'sp.ribbon.js'); }
_spBodyOnLoadFunctionNames.push('loadMDN1');//]]>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("sp.runtime.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002fsp.runtime.js?rev=IGffcZfunndj0247nOxKVg\u00253D\u00253D");RegisterSodDep("sp.runtime.js", "sp.core.js");RegisterSodDep("sp.runtime.js", "sp.res.resx");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("sp.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002fsp.js?rev=\u00252B4ZEyA892P3T0504qi0paw\u00253D\u00253D");RegisterSodDep("sp.js", "sp.core.js");RegisterSodDep("sp.js", "sp.runtime.js");RegisterSodDep("sp.js", "sp.ui.dialog.js");RegisterSodDep("sp.js", "sp.res.resx");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("cui.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002fcui.js?rev=OOyJv78CADNBeet\u00252FvTvniQ\u00253D\u00253D");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("inplview", "\u002f_layouts\u002finplview.js?rev=WB6Gy8a027aeNCq7koVCUg\u00253D\u00253D");RegisterSodDep("inplview", "core.js");RegisterSodDep("inplview", "sp.js");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("ribbon", "\u002f_layouts\u002fsp.ribbon.js?rev=F\u00252BUEJ66rbXzSvpf7nN69wQ\u00253D\u00253D");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "core.js");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "sp.core.js");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "sp.js");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "cui.js");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "sp.res.resx");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "sp.runtime.js");RegisterSodDep("ribbon", "inplview");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("sp.ui.policy.resources.resx", "\u002f_layouts\u002fScriptResx.ashx?culture=en\u00252Dus\u0026name=SP\u00252EUI\u00252EPolicy\u00252EResources\u0026rev=YhBHGmUAGyJ3lAgSdE4V\u00252Fw\u00253D\u00253D");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("mdn.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002fmdn.js?rev=gwmFFJ2\u00252FfFacqXWAqG\u00252FqKg\u00253D\u00253D");RegisterSodDep("mdn.js", "sp.core.js");RegisterSodDep("mdn.js", "sp.runtime.js");RegisterSodDep("mdn.js", "sp.js");RegisterSodDep("mdn.js", "cui.js");RegisterSodDep("mdn.js", "ribbon");RegisterSodDep("mdn.js", "sp.ui.policy.resources.resx");</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[

function _spNavigateHierarchyEx(nodeDiv, dataSourceId, dataPath, url, listInContext, type, additionalQString) {
    SetAdditionalNavigateHierarchyQString(additionalQString);
    g_originalSPNavigateFunc(nodeDiv, dataSourceId, dataPath, url, listInContext, type);
}

g_originalSPNavigateFunc = _spNavigateHierarchy;
_spNavigateHierarchy = _spNavigateHierarchyEx;
var _fV4UI = true;//]]>
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("msstring.js", "\u002f_layouts\u002f1033\u002fmsstring.js?rev=QtiIcPH3HV7LgVSO7vONFg\u00253D\u00253D");</script><script type="text/javascript">RegisterSod("browserScript", "\u002f_layouts\u002f1033\u002fnon_ie.js?rev=EVTj1bu32\u00252FMla6SDN\u00252FsNTA\u00253D\u00253D");</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var __wpmExportWarning='This Web Part Page has been personalized. As a result, one or more Web Part properties may contain confidential information. Make sure the properties contain information that is safe for others to read. After exporting this Web Part, view properties in the Web Part description file (.WebPart) by using a text editor such as Microsoft Notepad.';var __wpmCloseProviderWarning='You are about to close this Web Part.  It is currently providing data to other Web Parts, and these connections will be deleted if this Web Part is closed.  To close this Web Part, click OK.  To keep this Web Part, click Cancel.';var __wpmDeleteWarning='You are about to permanently delete this Web Part.  Are you sure you want to do this?  To delete this Web Part, click OK.  To keep this Web Part, click Cancel.';//]]>
</script>
</form>

Go to main content

Case | HBS Case Collection | December 1998 (Revised March 2000)

Knot, The

by William A. Sahlman, Michael J. Roberts and Matthew C. Lieb

Abstract

An online wedding resource company is seeking an equity investment to grow the business.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Venture Capital; Value Creation; Internet; Finance; Expansion; Strategic Planning; Service Industry; Consulting Industry;

Language: English

Format: Print

22 pages

Educators Purchase

Citation:

Sahlman, William A., Michael J. Roberts, and Matthew C. Lieb. "Knot, The." Harvard Business School Case 899-116, December 1998. (Revised March 2000.)

About the Author

William A. Sahlman

Baker Foundation Professor, Dimitri V. D'Arbeloff - MBA Class of 1955 Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus

Entrepreneurial Management

View Profile »
View Publications »