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  • March 2016 (Revised February 2017)
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Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy

By: Joseph B. Fuller and Carin-Isabel Knoop
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:26
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Abstract

On a mission to "automate the on-demand economy," Harvard Business School classmates Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck launched Hello Alfred in 2013 to provide subscribers with an "Alfred" to complete various chores for a monthly fee. In early 2016, the company has built an infrastructure, including a mobile app, to develop Alfred’s routes and respond to customer requests in conjunction with other service providers, for example grocery delivery services, in what the founders describe as their "B2B2C" business model. Alfred won the coveted TechCrunch San Francisco Disrupt Cup in 2014, and by April 2015 had secured $12.5 million in seed and Series A funding. The founders must determine the best growth strategy for Alfred. Should they expand Alfred beyond their present operating cities, New York and Boston, or should they focus on their current markets? Should they increase public visibility to attract more customers, or should they enroll landlords in Alfred and reach consumers in that way?

Keywords

On-demand Economy; Sharing Economy; Technology Startup; Technology; Growth Strategy; Business Startups; Business Growth and Maturation; Entrepreneurship; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Strategic Planning; Service Industry; United States; Boston; Cambridge; New York (city, NY); California

Citation

Fuller, Joseph B., and Carin-Isabel Knoop. "Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy." Harvard Business School Case 316-154, March 2016. (Revised February 2017.)
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About The Author

Joseph B. Fuller

Entrepreneurial Management
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Related Work

    • January 2017
    • Faculty Research

    Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy — Operating the Business Model Exercise

    By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton
    • March 2017
    • Faculty Research

    Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy

    By: Joseph B. Fuller and Carin-Isabel Knoop
    • May 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy — Operating the Business Model Exercise, Instructor Version

    By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton
    • March 2016 (Revised February 2017)
    • Faculty Research

    Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy

    By: Joseph B. Fuller and Carin-Isabel Knoop
Related Work
  • Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy — Operating the Business Model Exercise By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton
  • Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy By: Joseph B. Fuller and Carin-Isabel Knoop
  • Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy — Operating the Business Model Exercise, Instructor Version By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton
  • Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy By: Joseph B. Fuller and Carin-Isabel Knoop
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