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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Eric Hawkins Leading Agile Teams @ Digitally-Born AppFolio (A)

  Tsedal Neeley, Paul Leonardi and Michael Norris

  Eric Hawkins, director of engineering at AppFolio—a digital technology firm that offered cloud-based business software to small and medium sized companies—was shocked by an unusual request from his senior leadership team. Could Hawkins and one of his agile teams build a check scanner feature inside their management software? AppFolio’s founders had instructed to never build a check scanner; providing technologies to help businesses move into the digital era was a primary company goal. A scanner for paper checks would contradict the hard-won culture of software innovation and project self-selection that AppFolio and Hawkins’ teams lived by. Hawkins also worried that creating a new team to work on the check scanning project would cause workload and morale issues. But the sales team believed that this technology could close deals with larger, more complex property management companies, some with managers who wanted the check scanner feature. Several large-scale deals were on the line. Hawkins quickly assembled an agile market validation team and considered two options: hold fast to the company’s values and refuse to build the check scanner feature or capitulate and build a basic check scanner with minimum functionality. Engineers would likely consider this a “loser” project, yet sales might get a boost that could open a new revenue stream. Hawkins had to make his decision quickly.

  Keywords: digital transformation; values; Agile; vision; corporate culture; Leadership; Values and Beliefs; Organizational Culture; Decision Choices and Conditions; Technology Industry; United States; California;

  Citation:

  Neeley, Tsedal, Paul Leonardi, and Michael Norris. "Eric Hawkins Leading Agile Teams @ Digitally-Born AppFolio (A)." Harvard Business School Case 419-066, June 2019.  View Details

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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Eric Hawkins Leading Agile Teams @ Digitally-Born AppFolio (B)

  Tsedal Neeley, Paul Leonardi and Michael Norris

  Keywords: Agile; digital transformation; values; vision; corporate culture; Leadership; Transformation; Organizational Culture; Technology Industry; United States; California;

  Citation:

  Neeley, Tsedal, Paul Leonardi, and Michael Norris. "Eric Hawkins Leading Agile Teams @ Digitally-Born AppFolio (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 419-088, June 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2014 (Revised June 2019)

  Cravia: Launching High Growth Ventures in the Middle East

  Lynda Applegate and Michael Norris

  Walid Hajj (HBS '95), CEO of Dubai-based restaurant franchising company Cravia considers how best to expand his business in the fast-growing Gulf region. Should he add more American brands, expand to nearby countries, or open more of his current lineup of restaurants?

  Keywords: Entrepreneurship in emerging markets; entrepreneurs; Middle East; franchise; Food retail franchising; Franchise Ownership; Entrepreneurship; Food and Beverage Industry; United Arab Emirates; Dubai;

  Citation:

  Applegate, Lynda, and Michael Norris. "Cravia: Launching High Growth Ventures in the Middle East." Harvard Business School Case 315-049, November 2014. (Revised June 2019.)  View Details

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