Publications
Publications
- June 2025
- HBS Case Collection
AI at QuantumBlack: McKinsey's Open Source Dilemma
By: Frank Nagle, Sam Boysel and Susan Pinckney
Abstract
The case describes the history of QuantumBlack. In 2015, McKinsey acquired data analytics company QuantumBlack. QuantumBlack produced Kedro, a ML data pipeline tool that helped McKinsey’s customers manage their data in an effective manner to gain insights from machine learning models. By 2019, McKinsey’s customers requested access to Kedro after the end of their consulting engagements. McKinsey considered releasing Kedro as open source software, or software with freely available code, despite the fact that this decision could remove the product’s revenue generation potential. The case examines open source decision making and open source business plans to evaluate McKinsey’s potential decision.
Keywords
Open Source; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; Business Startups; Change Management; Transformation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decisions; Digital Strategy; Digital Transformation; Technological Innovation; Copyright; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Timing; Competition; AI and Machine Learning; Mergers and Acquisitions; Analytics and Data Science; Applications and Software; Open Source Distribution; Computer Industry; Consulting Industry
Citation
Nagle, Frank, Sam Boysel, and Susan Pinckney. "AI at QuantumBlack: McKinsey's Open Source Dilemma." Harvard Business School Case 725-433, June 2025.