Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • September 2018
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Kevin Ryan Inc.

By: Shikhar Ghosh and Greg Marsh
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:22
ShareBar

Abstract

The case focuses on the hiring process for a CEO. Kevin Ryan had a solid trajectory as a serial entrepreneur of well-known ventures like Gilt Group, DoubleClick, Business Insider, among others. Ryan tended to involve himself in all aspects of his ventures: ideation, hiring/ managing initial teams, providing seed funding, and finding a CEO to scale the business. Over the years, Ryan refined his process of identifying the most appropriate person to serve as CEO, whom he bestowed with a co-founder title. He often made unconventional choices – but always trusted his instinct. Ryan believed that execution was more important than the idea, and talent determined the efficacy of execution.
The case delves into Ryan’s most recent company Truebird – an innovative, automated coffee café concept. In 2018, Truebird was at the stage at which Ryan typically hired a CEO. The case ends with Ryan mulling over how he should make the choice between the two candidates, and whether the timing was right for the candidates – and for Truebird. Hiring the wrong CEO was a high-risk proposition, and one that Ryan definitely wanted to avoid.

Keywords

Hiring; Team Building; Interviews; CEO; Human Resources; Selection and Staffing; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; United States; North America

Citation

Ghosh, Shikhar, and Greg Marsh. "Kevin Ryan Inc." Harvard Business School Case 819-047, September 2018.
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Shikhar Ghosh

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

Related Work

    • July 2019
    • Faculty Research

    Kevin Ryan Inc.

    By: Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai
Related Work
  • Kevin Ryan Inc. By: Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.