Uncharted Play (A)

Shikhar  Ghosh; Ali  Huberlie

Case | HBS Case Collection | July 2015

Uncharted Play (A)

by Shikhar Ghosh and Ali Huberlie

Abstract

The case recounts the process of launching an early stage venture, from idea conception through initial efforts to validate the concept, followed by product launch, and fund raising. It emphasizes the Customer Value Proposition of the business model, and asks – Who is the payer? Who is the user? How do you measure value? While in college at Harvard University, Jessica O. Matthews and a few friends came up with a way to harness kinetic energy from a soccer ball. The technology would ultimately allow owners of the ball to play with it, and then use the ball to power a small lamp, potentially helping people in countries without access to power. The magic of the ball was instant – Matthews was heralded by the media and celebrities. As Matthews started to turn the product into a company, she realized how difficult it was to go from prototype, to product, to a functioning, profit-making company. Moreover, she was physically and emotionally drained from the constant travel between Boston (where she was attending business school at HBS) and New York (where she was building the company), and by the challenges of manufacturing a product without adequate capital. How she could translate the hype around the company into stable revenues and a positive cash flow? Towards the end of case (April 2014), Matthews was positive about the viability of the company and its future. She had sponsorships from large companies, and the Nigerian government had expressed interest in a multimillion dollar contract. Moreover, the World Cup in Brazil was nearing, where the company could get more visibility and renewed interest from sponsors. Matthews faced a decision: should she raise money now to get ready for scale, or following the World Cup (with a possibly higher valuation)?

Keywords: early stage; female protagonist; value proposition; Team building; Founders' agreements; start-up; Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Business Startups; Sports; United States; North America; Nigeria; Africa;

Language: English

Format: Print

10 pages

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Citation:

Ghosh, Shikhar, and Ali Huberlie. "Uncharted Play (A)." Harvard Business School Case 816-018, July 2015.

Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2020

Truebird—An AlleyCorp Venture

Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

In December 2018, Kevin Ryan and Wendy Tsu faced an important decision – to finalize the CEO candidate for Truebird, an innovative, automated coffee café concept. Like many of AlleyCorp and Ryan’s companies, Truebird started with the observation of an unmet need – an inability to get good coffee at a reasonable price without a wait. Ryan’s track record as a serial entrepreneur included companies such as MongoDB, Gilt Groupe, Zola, and Business Insider. The commonality across AlleyCorp’s diverse businesses was a systematic process to ideation, led by Wendy Tsu, and an emphasis on the early Co-founder/CEO. Over the years, Ryan had refined his process of identifying the most appropriate person to serve as CEO. Two strong candidates had been shortlisted for the CEO position at Truebird. Unlike traditional approaches that used the reference check as a safety net, Ryan and Tsu considered reference check interviews as a stronger indicator of on-the-job performance. How should they structure a reference check process that would allow a complete understanding of each candidate? What questions should they ask when they found people who had worked with, or for, each of the candidates?

Keywords: Startup; hiring; staffing; recruiting; Business Ventures; Finance; Leadership; Management Skills; Management Teams; Jobs and Positions; Job Interviews; Human Resources; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Technology Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States;