Publications
Publications
- October 2018 (Revised July 2019)
- HBS Case Collection
BulkWhiz: Negotiating as a Startup Founder in the UAE
By: Katherine Coffman, Christine Exley and Alpana Thapar
Abstract
This case follows Amira Rashad as she founds BulkWhiz, a Dubai-based buy-in-bulk grocery delivery platform. Following its launch in September 2017, BulkWhiz experiences rapid growth of 30 percent per month in the United Arab Emirates. Despite this initial success, Rashad finds herself at a critical juncture just nine months later, with a number of internal and external negotiations awaiting her. First, she is eager to convince her Chief Technology Officer to come on-board full-time, and needs to finalize details on his transition and compensation. Second, she is wrestling with how to expand her business beyond the UAE market. Finally, she is seeking series A fundraising, to fuel the company’s growth. How should she approach and sequence these negotiations, and what obstacles might loom?
Keywords
Entrepreneurial Management; Start-ups; Startup; Female Entrepreneur; Technology; E-commerce; Decision-making; Negotiations; Co-founders; Fundraising; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Management; Internet and the Web; Growth and Development Strategy; Decision Making; Negotiation; Expansion; Middle East; United Arab Emirates
Citation
Coffman, Katherine, Christine Exley, and Alpana Thapar. "BulkWhiz: Negotiating as a Startup Founder in the UAE." Harvard Business School Case 919-004, October 2018. (Revised July 2019.)