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  • January 2020
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Lunchclub: Algorithmic Networking

By: Scott Duke Kominers and George Gonzalez
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:14
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Abstract

Algorithmic networking startup Lunchclub coordinates in-person meetings between professionals who would have been unlikely to meet. The company faces marketplace design, growth, and monetization challenges: The executive team has to refine Lunchclub's marketplace strategy and determine whether the company should continue to focus on its current use cases and geographical hubs or expand the platform's scale and scope. And while Lunchclub unlocks significant value by brokering new connections, the team still has to identify whom to charge and how.

Keywords

Monetization Strategy; Networking; Business Startups; Marketplace Matching; Market Design; Growth and Development Strategy; Information Industry

Citation

Kominers, Scott Duke, and George Gonzalez. "Lunchclub: Algorithmic Networking." Harvard Business School Case 820-051, January 2020.
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About The Author

Scott Duke Kominers

Entrepreneurial Management
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More from the Authors
  • Collusion in Brokered Markets By: John William Hatfield, Scott Duke Kominers and Richard Lowery
  • Salesforce Agentforce: The Limitless Workforce By: Suraj Srinivasan, Allison Ciechanover and George Gonzalez
  • Harvard Students Should Ignore Calls to Boycott Israel Trek By: Jesse M. Fried, Paul A. Gompers, Scott Kominers and Mark C. Poznansky
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