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Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

Jeffrey J. Bussgang is a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at the Harvard Business School as well as Co-Founder and General Partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm.  He studies lean startups as well as strategy and management challenges for founders.  He teaches Launching Technology Ventures in the MBA Elective Curriculum (a class focusing on pre-product-market fit startups) and oversees the Rock Venture Partners program (a year-long seminar for aspiring venture capitalists in the elective curriculum).

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General Partner, Flybridge Capital Partners

Former entrepreneur turned VC, HBS Senior Lecturer, author, dad of three, husband of one, civic leader, Cross Fitter and fan of all Boston sports.

Jeffrey J. Bussgang is a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at the Harvard Business School as well as Co-Founder and General Partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm.  He studies lean startups as well as strategy and management challenges for founders.  He teaches Launching Technology Ventures in the MBA Elective Curriculum (a class focusing on product-market fit startups) and oversees the Rock Venture Partners program (a year-long seminar for aspiring venture capitalists).

Jeff’s investment interests and entrepreneurial experience are in blockchain, consumer, e-commerce, machine learning, and mobile start-ups. On behalf of Flybridge, he has led investments in dozens of companies, including Analytical Space, bloXroute, Bowery Farming, Codecademy, DataXu, Enigma, Plastiq, and ZestFinance. Jeff is also the cofounder of The Graduate Syndicate, a micro-seed fund that invests in recent Harvard graduates.

Prior to Flybridge, Jeff co-founded and served as President, Chief Operating Officer and Board Director at Upromise, a loyalty marketing and financial services firm that was acquired by Sallie Mae. He also served as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Business Development, Vice President of Worldwide Professional Services and head of Product Management at Open Market, an Internet commerce software leader that went public in 1996. Prior to Open Market, Jeff was with the strategy consulting firm, The Boston Consulting Group.

In 2017, Jeff authored a book for startup joiners, Entering StartUpLand:  An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job. In 2010, Jeff authored a book on venture capital and entrepreneurship, Mastering the VC Game, to provide entrepreneurs an insider’s guide to financing and company-building. The book has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, TechCrunch and The Financial Times as an essential guide for entrepreneurs.  The first chapter of Mastering the VC Game can be downloaded here.

Jeff is an active community member, serving as co-chairman of the board of educational non-profit, Facing History and Ourselves, co-founder and co-chair of an immigration reform non-profit, the Global EIR Coalition, and co-founder and chair of the progressive policy organization, The Alliance for Business Leadership. Jeff also serves on the board of EdX, the massively open online course provider created through a joint venture between Harvard and MIT.

Jeff holds a BA in Computer Science from Harvard University where he graduated magna cum laude and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar and a Ford Scholar.

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Entrepreneurial Management
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Jeffrey J. Bussgang
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Featured Work Publications Research Summary Teaching Awards & Honors

Books
Books

  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2017. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms. Portfolio, 2010. View Details

Journal Articles
Journal Articles

  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Ramana Nanda. "The Hidden Costs of Initial Coin Offerings." Harvard Business Review (website) (November 7, 2018). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Samuel Clemens. "Continuous Development Will Change Organizations as Much as Agile Did." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 4, 2018). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey. "Are You Suited for a Start-up?" Harvard Business Review 95, no. 6 (November–December 2017): 150–153. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Nadav Benbarak. "Every Company Needs a Growth Manager." Harvard Business Review (website) (February 19, 2016). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "How Israeli Startups Can Scale." Harvard Business Review (website) (September 10, 2015). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "You Found Your Product-Market Fit. Now What?" Harvard Business Review (website) (July 30, 2013). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "The Secrets to TripAdvisor’s Impressive Scale." Harvard Business Review (website) (October 2, 2012). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "Scaling Is Hard. Here's How Akamai Did It." Harvard Business Review (website) (August 7, 2012). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "Should I Become an Entrepreneur?" Harvard Business Review (website) (January 21, 2011). View Details
  • Spar, D. L., and Jeffrey J. Bussgang. "Ruling the Net." Harvard Business Review 74, no. 3 (May–June 1996): 125–133. View Details

Cases and Teaching Materials
Cases and Teaching Materials

  • Mills, Karen, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Martin Sinozich, and Gabriella Elanbeck. "The Black New Venture Competition." Harvard Business School Case 821-029, September 2020. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Allison H. Mnookin, and James Barnett. "KhataBook." Harvard Business School Case 821-006, November 2020. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Allison H. Mnookin, and James Barnett. "KhataBook." Harvard Business School Case 821-006, November 2020. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "COVID-19 Testing at Everlywell." Harvard Business School Case 821-001, October 2020. View Details
  • Rogers, Steven, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Alterrell Mills. "Amanda and Kristen: Mented Cosmetics." Harvard Business School Case 321-002, July 2020. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Julia Kelley, Amy Klopfenstein, and Katherine Chen. "Chief." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 920-033, June 2020. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Amy Klopfenstein, and Amram Migdal. "Soofa: Displaying the Right Path?" Harvard Business School Case 820-098, May 2020. (Revised September 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Julia Kelley. "Giving Birth to Ovia Health." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 820-088, March 2020. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Olivia Hull, and Mel Martin. "C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 820-071, March 2020. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Julia Kelley, and Katherine Chen. "Scaling at Chief." Harvard Business School Case 920-021, November 2019. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Julia Kelley, and Katherine Chen. "Chief: Role for Lindsay Kaplan." Harvard Business School Case 920-020, November 2019. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Katherine Chen, and Julia Kelley. "Chief: Role for Carolyn Childers." Harvard Business School Case 920-019, November 2019. View Details
  • Eisenmann, Thomas R., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and David Lane. "Analytical Space: The Next Frontier?" Harvard Business School Case 819-089, January 2019. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil." Harvard Business School Case 820-008, October 2019. (Revised November 2019.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Julia Kelley. "Choosy." Harvard Business School Case 819-054, December 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White, and Nathaniel Schwalb. "Initial Coin Offerings in 2018." Harvard Business School Technical Note 819-057, November 2018. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Nathaniel Schwalb. "AirFox (A): Embracing the Blockchain and an ICO." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 819-065, November 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "ZappRx." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 819-018, July 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Edward B. Berk, and Nate Schwalb. "AirFox (A): Embracing the Blockchain and an ICO." Harvard Business School Case 818-097, May 2018. (Revised January 2019.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Julia Kelley. "Giving Birth to Ovia Health." Harvard Business School Case 818-004, January 2018. (Revised October 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "ZappRx." Harvard Business School Case 818-001, January 2018. (Revised January 2019.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Samuel Clemens, and Olivia Hull. "Continuous Software Development: Agile's Successor." Harvard Business School Background Note 818-055, January 2018. (Revised August 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "Delivering the Goods at Shippo." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 817-106, April 2017. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "Classtivity: Payal's Pirouette." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 817-105, March 2017. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Nadav Benbarak. "The Growth Manager." Harvard Business School Technical Note 819-034, July 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Jeffrey F. Rayport, and Olivia Hull. "Delivering the Goods at Shippo." Harvard Business School Case 817-065, January 2017. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "Classtivity: Payal's Pirouette." Harvard Business School Case 817-002, January 2017. (Revised September 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Annelena Lobb. "Mattermark." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 817-090, December 2016. View Details
  • White, Robert, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Christine Snively. "Bootstrapping at Lightricks." Harvard Business School Case 817-051, October 2016. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
  • White, Robert, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Christine Snively. "Bootstrapping at Lightricks." Harvard Business School Case 817-051, October 2016. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Christine Snively. "Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 816-084, March 2016. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, and Annelena Lobb. "Mattermark." Harvard Business School Case 816-073, February 2016. (Revised February 2017.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Christine Snively. "Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home." Harvard Business School Case 816-003, December 2015. (Revised May 2016.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa Mazzanti. "Codecademy: Monetizing a Movement?" Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 815-117, April 2015. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa C. Mazzanti. "Codecademy: Monetizing a Movement?" Harvard Business School Case 815-093, December 2014. (Revised October 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, and Matthew G. Preble. "Growth Hacking at Bazaart (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 815-077, December 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, and Matthew G. Preble. "Growth Hacking at Bazaart (A)." Harvard Business School Case 815-001, December 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa C. Mazzanti. "Yahoo: Both Sides of the Stamped Deal." Harvard Business School Case 814-051, January 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa Mazzanti. "Yahoo: Both Sides of the Stamped Deal." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 815-080, November 2014. (Revised January 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey. "Raising Startup Capital." Harvard Business School Background Note 814-089, February 2014. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa Mazzanti. "Open English." Harvard Business School Case 814-020, January 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Gaurav Jain, Liroy Haddad, Luke Langford, and Matt Noble. "Plastiq." Harvard Business School Case 813-125, December 2012. (Revised July 2018.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Gaurav Jain. "BabbaCo." Harvard Business School Case 813-107, December 2012. (Revised April 2016.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Thomas R. Eisenmann, Sarah Dillard, Katharine Nevins, and Puja Ramani. "The Business Development Manager." Harvard Business School Background Note 812-107, December 2011. (Revised March 2013.) (request a courtesy copy.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, Thomas Eisenmann, and Robert Go. "The Product Manager." Harvard Business School Background Note 812-105, December 2011. (Revised January 2015.) View Details
  • Piskorski, Mikolaj Jan, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and David Chen. "foursquare." Harvard Business School Case 711-418, January 2010. (Revised March 2013.) View Details
  • Wasserman, Noam T., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Rachel Gordon. "Curt Schilling's Next Pitch." Harvard Business School Case 810-053, December 2009. (Revised June 2011.) View Details
  • Eisenmann, Thomas R., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and David Kiron. "Predictive Biosciences." Harvard Business School Case 811-015, January 2011. (Revised March 2011.) View Details

Book Chapters
Book Chapters

  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Michael J. Roberts. "Entrepreneurship Reading: Partnering with Venture Capitalists." Core Curriculum Readings Series. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing 8240, 2015. View Details
All Publications

General Partner, Flybridge Capital Partners

Former entrepreneur turned VC, HBS Senior Lecturer, author, dad of three, husband of one, civic leader, Cross Fitter and fan of all Boston sports.

Jeffrey J. Bussgang is a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at the Harvard Business School as well as Co-Founder and General Partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm.  He studies lean startups as well as strategy and management challenges for founders.  He teaches Launching Technology Ventures in the MBA Elective Curriculum (a class focusing on product-market fit startups) and oversees the Rock Venture Partners program (a year-long seminar for aspiring venture capitalists).

Jeff’s investment interests and entrepreneurial experience are in blockchain, consumer, e-commerce, machine learning, and mobile start-ups. On behalf of Flybridge, he has led investments in dozens of companies, including Analytical Space, bloXroute, Bowery Farming, Codecademy, DataXu, Enigma, Plastiq, and ZestFinance. Jeff is also the cofounder of The Graduate Syndicate, a micro-seed fund that invests in recent Harvard graduates.

Prior to Flybridge, Jeff co-founded and served as President, Chief Operating Officer and Board Director at Upromise, a loyalty marketing and financial services firm that was acquired by Sallie Mae. He also served as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Business Development, Vice President of Worldwide Professional Services and head of Product Management at Open Market, an Internet commerce software leader that went public in 1996. Prior to Open Market, Jeff was with the strategy consulting firm, The Boston Consulting Group.

In 2017, Jeff authored a book for startup joiners, Entering StartUpLand:  An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job. In 2010, Jeff authored a book on venture capital and entrepreneurship, Mastering the VC Game, to provide entrepreneurs an insider’s guide to financing and company-building. The book has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, TechCrunch and The Financial Times as an essential guide for entrepreneurs.  The first chapter of Mastering the VC Game can be downloaded here.

Jeff is an active community member, serving as co-chairman of the board of educational non-profit, Facing History and Ourselves, co-founder and co-chair of an immigration reform non-profit, the Global EIR Coalition, and co-founder and chair of the progressive policy organization, The Alliance for Business Leadership. Jeff also serves on the board of EdX, the massively open online course provider created through a joint venture between Harvard and MIT.

Jeff holds a BA in Computer Science from Harvard University where he graduated magna cum laude and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar and a Ford Scholar.

Featured Work
Launching Technology Ventures

Launching Technology Ventures (LTV) is an MBA elective designed for students who will join startups, launch their own companies, or work in established firms launching information technology products, in particular, new ventures in the Internet, mobile, and enterprise software sectors. The course was created by Professors Jeffrey Bussgang and Tom Eisenmann.

Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job

Many professionals aspire to work for a start-up. Executives from large companies view them as models to help them adapt to today’s dynamic innovation economy. Yes, start-ups look magical, but they can also be chaotic and inaccessible. Many books are written for those who aspire to be founders, but a company only has one or two of those. What’s needed are hundreds of employees to do the day-to-day work required to operate a fledgling company and grow it into something of value.

This practical, step-by-step guide provides an insider’s analysis of various start-up roles and responsibilities, including product development, marketing, growth strategy, and sales, to help you figure out if you want to join a start-up and what to expect if you do. You’ll gain insight into how successful start-ups operate and learn to assess which of them you might want to join―or emulate. Inside this book you’ll find:

  • A tour of typical start-up roles to help you determine which one might be the best fit for you
  • Profiles of start-up executives in many different functions who share their stories and describe their responsibilities
  • A practical approach to your job search that will help you position yourself to find the start-up opportunity that’s right for you

    Written by an experienced venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and Harvard Business School professor, Entering StartUpLand will guide you as you seek your ideal entry point into this popular, cutting-edge organizational paradigm.

Mastering the VC Game
A VC insider reveals how start-ups can successfully finance and launch their venture.

Entrepreneurs who dream of building the next Amazon, Facebook or Google have the opportunity to take advantage of one of the most powerful economic engines the world has ever known: venture capital. To do so, you need to woo, impress, and persuade venture capitalists to take a risk on an unproven endeavor. Getting funding is challenge enough, but choosing the right investor and creating a good working relationship can be harder still. You want your VC to act as a partner and adviser, not as an adversary who cares more about a quick return than about realizing the vision of your company.

Jeffrey Bussgang is one of the few people who have played on both sides of this high-stakes game. By his early thirties, he had helped build two successful start-ups—one went public, the other was acquired. Now he uses his experience and unique perspective on "the other side" as a venture capitalist helping entrepreneurs bring their dreams to fruition.

Bussgang offers detailed insights, colorful stories, and practical advice gathered from his own experience as well as from interviews with dozens of the most successful players on both sides of the game, including Twitter's Jack Dorsey and LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman. He reveals how to get noticed, perfect a pitch, and negotiate a partnership that
works for everyone.

An insider's guide to the secrets of the world of venture capital, Mastering the VC Game will prove invaluable for entrepreneurs seeking capital and successful partnerships.

Seeing Both Sides
VC Perspectives From a Former Entrepreneur
The purpose of this blog is to provide transparency into the venture capital process and to give entrepreneurs advice on company building.
Cases Featuring Jeff

Jeff’s involvement with Open Market and Upromise has been the subject of the following cases.

UPromise 2002:  Describes a set of decisions confronting the senior management of a company that has established a loyalty rewards program allocating cash to tax-advantaged college savings accounts for participants. The company has recruited a new CEO and needs to raise additional capital in the post-Internet bubble period.

Citation:  Sahlman, William A. “Upromise 2002.” Harvard Business School Case 804-058, September 2003.


UPromise
:  Describes the development of UPromise, a company that has developed a loyalty program through which corporate partners can contribute to funds that finance the education of consumers' children. Presents the accomplishments prior to the company's second round of financing and asks students to consider how the recent NASDAQ drop could or should affect the company's ability to raise money.

Citation: Sahlman, William A.,  Michael J. Roberts. “UPromise.” Harvard Business School Case 801-321, November 2000.


Open Market, Inc.: The E-Commerce Wars:
Continues the story of Open Market, Inc., a company founded in 1994 to support electronic commerce on the Internet. Despite a very successful initial public offering, the firm had reached a growth plateau, and the management team was considering several strategic options. Should it focus on building market share of its simple "storefront" product shop site (which was targeted at small e-merchants) or develop new channels for their high-end order-processing software, Transact? The 1999 holiday season was rapidly approaching, and Open Market's management team hoped to benefit from a predicted surge in online sales.

Citation: Cash, James I., Janis Gogan, Micahel Haselkorn, and Mani Subramani. “Open Market, Inc.: The E-Commerce Wars.” Harvard Business School Case 800-255, October 2000. (Revised from original February 2000 version.)


Open Market, Inc.: Managing in a Turbulent Environment:
Presents the story of Open Market, Inc., one of numerous companies formed in 1994 to engage in electronic commerce over the Internet. This case examines the company's development--its business strategy and organization evolution--as the company increased in size and gained a firm foothold in the uncertain electronic commerce.

Citation: Applegate, Lynda M., Janis L. Gogan. “Open Market, Inc.: Managing in a Turbulent Environment.” Harvard Business School Case 196-097. August 1996. (Revised from original March 1996 version.)

Books
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2017. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms. Portfolio, 2010. View Details
Journal Articles
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Ramana Nanda. "The Hidden Costs of Initial Coin Offerings." Harvard Business Review (website) (November 7, 2018). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Samuel Clemens. "Continuous Development Will Change Organizations as Much as Agile Did." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 4, 2018). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey. "Are You Suited for a Start-up?" Harvard Business Review 95, no. 6 (November–December 2017): 150–153. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Nadav Benbarak. "Every Company Needs a Growth Manager." Harvard Business Review (website) (February 19, 2016). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "How Israeli Startups Can Scale." Harvard Business Review (website) (September 10, 2015). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "You Found Your Product-Market Fit. Now What?" Harvard Business Review (website) (July 30, 2013). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "The Secrets to TripAdvisor’s Impressive Scale." Harvard Business Review (website) (October 2, 2012). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "Scaling Is Hard. Here's How Akamai Did It." Harvard Business Review (website) (August 7, 2012). View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J. "Should I Become an Entrepreneur?" Harvard Business Review (website) (January 21, 2011). View Details
  • Spar, D. L., and Jeffrey J. Bussgang. "Ruling the Net." Harvard Business Review 74, no. 3 (May–June 1996): 125–133. View Details
Cases and Teaching Materials
  • Mills, Karen, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Martin Sinozich, and Gabriella Elanbeck. "The Black New Venture Competition." Harvard Business School Case 821-029, September 2020. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Allison H. Mnookin, and James Barnett. "KhataBook." Harvard Business School Case 821-006, November 2020. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Allison H. Mnookin, and James Barnett. "KhataBook." Harvard Business School Case 821-006, November 2020. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "COVID-19 Testing at Everlywell." Harvard Business School Case 821-001, October 2020. View Details
  • Rogers, Steven, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Alterrell Mills. "Amanda and Kristen: Mented Cosmetics." Harvard Business School Case 321-002, July 2020. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Julia Kelley, Amy Klopfenstein, and Katherine Chen. "Chief." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 920-033, June 2020. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Amy Klopfenstein, and Amram Migdal. "Soofa: Displaying the Right Path?" Harvard Business School Case 820-098, May 2020. (Revised September 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Julia Kelley. "Giving Birth to Ovia Health." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 820-088, March 2020. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Olivia Hull, and Mel Martin. "C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 820-071, March 2020. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Julia Kelley, and Katherine Chen. "Scaling at Chief." Harvard Business School Case 920-021, November 2019. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Julia Kelley, and Katherine Chen. "Chief: Role for Lindsay Kaplan." Harvard Business School Case 920-020, November 2019. View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Kathleen L. McGinn, Katherine Chen, and Julia Kelley. "Chief: Role for Carolyn Childers." Harvard Business School Case 920-019, November 2019. View Details
  • Eisenmann, Thomas R., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and David Lane. "Analytical Space: The Next Frontier?" Harvard Business School Case 819-089, January 2019. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil." Harvard Business School Case 820-008, October 2019. (Revised November 2019.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Julia Kelley. "Choosy." Harvard Business School Case 819-054, December 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White, and Nathaniel Schwalb. "Initial Coin Offerings in 2018." Harvard Business School Technical Note 819-057, November 2018. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Nathaniel Schwalb. "AirFox (A): Embracing the Blockchain and an ICO." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 819-065, November 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "ZappRx." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 819-018, July 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Edward B. Berk, and Nate Schwalb. "AirFox (A): Embracing the Blockchain and an ICO." Harvard Business School Case 818-097, May 2018. (Revised January 2019.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Julia Kelley. "Giving Birth to Ovia Health." Harvard Business School Case 818-004, January 2018. (Revised October 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "ZappRx." Harvard Business School Case 818-001, January 2018. (Revised January 2019.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Samuel Clemens, and Olivia Hull. "Continuous Software Development: Agile's Successor." Harvard Business School Background Note 818-055, January 2018. (Revised August 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "Delivering the Goods at Shippo." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 817-106, April 2017. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "Classtivity: Payal's Pirouette." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 817-105, March 2017. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Nadav Benbarak. "The Growth Manager." Harvard Business School Technical Note 819-034, July 2018. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Jeffrey F. Rayport, and Olivia Hull. "Delivering the Goods at Shippo." Harvard Business School Case 817-065, January 2017. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Olivia Hull. "Classtivity: Payal's Pirouette." Harvard Business School Case 817-002, January 2017. (Revised September 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Annelena Lobb. "Mattermark." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 817-090, December 2016. View Details
  • White, Robert, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Christine Snively. "Bootstrapping at Lightricks." Harvard Business School Case 817-051, October 2016. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
  • White, Robert, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Christine Snively. "Bootstrapping at Lightricks." Harvard Business School Case 817-051, October 2016. (Revised November 2020.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Christine Snively. "Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 816-084, March 2016. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, and Annelena Lobb. "Mattermark." Harvard Business School Case 816-073, February 2016. (Revised February 2017.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Christine Snively. "Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home." Harvard Business School Case 816-003, December 2015. (Revised May 2016.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa Mazzanti. "Codecademy: Monetizing a Movement?" Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 815-117, April 2015. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa C. Mazzanti. "Codecademy: Monetizing a Movement?" Harvard Business School Case 815-093, December 2014. (Revised October 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, and Matthew G. Preble. "Growth Hacking at Bazaart (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 815-077, December 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, and Matthew G. Preble. "Growth Hacking at Bazaart (A)." Harvard Business School Case 815-001, December 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa C. Mazzanti. "Yahoo: Both Sides of the Stamped Deal." Harvard Business School Case 814-051, January 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa Mazzanti. "Yahoo: Both Sides of the Stamped Deal." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 815-080, November 2014. (Revised January 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey. "Raising Startup Capital." Harvard Business School Background Note 814-089, February 2014. View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Lisa Mazzanti. "Open English." Harvard Business School Case 814-020, January 2014. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Gaurav Jain, Liroy Haddad, Luke Langford, and Matt Noble. "Plastiq." Harvard Business School Case 813-125, December 2012. (Revised July 2018.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Gaurav Jain. "BabbaCo." Harvard Business School Case 813-107, December 2012. (Revised April 2016.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., Thomas R. Eisenmann, Sarah Dillard, Katharine Nevins, and Puja Ramani. "The Business Development Manager." Harvard Business School Background Note 812-107, December 2011. (Revised March 2013.) (request a courtesy copy.) View Details
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey, Thomas Eisenmann, and Robert Go. "The Product Manager." Harvard Business School Background Note 812-105, December 2011. (Revised January 2015.) View Details
  • Piskorski, Mikolaj Jan, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and David Chen. "foursquare." Harvard Business School Case 711-418, January 2010. (Revised March 2013.) View Details
  • Wasserman, Noam T., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and Rachel Gordon. "Curt Schilling's Next Pitch." Harvard Business School Case 810-053, December 2009. (Revised June 2011.) View Details
  • Eisenmann, Thomas R., Jeffrey J. Bussgang, and David Kiron. "Predictive Biosciences." Harvard Business School Case 811-015, January 2011. (Revised March 2011.) View Details
Book Chapters
  • Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Michael J. Roberts. "Entrepreneurship Reading: Partnering with Venture Capitalists." Core Curriculum Readings Series. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing 8240, 2015. View Details
Research Summary
Overview

Start Up Strategy and Management

Jeff’s research focuses on applying Lean Startup principles to early-stage technology companies as well as the challenges and opportunities when scaling startups. His work led to the creation of an MBA elective course Launching Technology Ventures in partnership with Professor Tom Eisenmann and a series of case studies, teaching notes and HBR articles on startups, startup management and scaling startups. Jeff's research on deconstructing startup management and best practices led to the writing of his book, Entering StartUpLand, published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Venture Capital

Jeff’s work on how to raise venture capital culminated in a book, Mastering the VC Game, published by Penguin’s Portfolio. He wrote a chapter on VC financing in the book Entrepreneur Readings: Partnering With Venture Capitalists. Jeff also researches how to achieve alignment between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

Boston Start Up Ecosystem

Jeff's work on characterizing the start up ecosystem in Boston is part of an annual review presented to the Harvard community at the iLab and can be found at www.slideshare.net/bussgang.

Teaching
Overview

Launching Technology Ventures

Career Focus
Launching Technology Ventures (LTV) is designed for students who are actively working on their own startups or who will work at early-stage startups, launching information technology products. The course material is, in particular, focused on new businesses in the Internet, mobile, and enterprise software sectors, although the lessons from these sectors are quite generalized.

Educational Objectives
Extending concepts introduced in the MBA Required Curriculum course, The Entrepreneurial Manager, LTV explores in greater depth "lean startup" management practices as well as scaling challenges in startups. The course takes the perspective of not just the founder but also functional leaders in product management, sales, and business development. LTV will emphasize implementation rather than strategy issues, and will avoid overlap with concepts covered in Entrepreneurial Finance and Founders' Dilemmas.

Course Content and Organization
LTV is organized into classroom and project sessions. Senior Lecturer Jeff Bussgang will lead a series of case discussions that explore execution challenges before and after a startup achieves product-market fit, i.e., a match between its product solution and market needs. Topics explored in the cases include: 1) the importance of launching early and conducting experiments using a minimum viable product (MVP), i.e., the smallest set of features necessary to rapidly validate a hypothesis about a new venture based on customer feedback obtained through A/B tests, interviews, usability tests, customer support interactions, etc.; 2) the use of metrics to gauge whether hypotheses have been validated, e.g., viral coefficients, customer retention rates, unit economics; 3) the process of pivoting, i.e., modifying a product/business model based on market feedback; and 4) challenges in "crossing the chasm" from early adopters to mainstream customers; 5) challenges in scaling a direct sales force; 6) tradeoffs for startups relying on business development partnerships with large companies; and 7) why, when and how startups should introduce formal product management processes, e.g., project prioritization and tracking systems, product roadmaps.

A project session in Batten Hall will entail a team exercise supervised by Senior Lecturer Bussgang. Through this exercise, a team of students will specify, for one team member's startup idea, business model assumptions and rigorous tests to validate those assumptions, leveraging tools and techniques covered in the LTV's case sessions. Students will present their projects at the end of the term and draft a short essay, optionally published on the LTV course blog, about what they learned.

Awards & Honors
Named one of Boston Magazine's The 30 Most Disruptive People in Boston Tech.
Named one of Boston's 50 Most Powerful People by Boston Magazine in 2015.
Honored as The Civic Tech Innovator of the Year in 2015 by Civic Tech Challenge and Generation Citizen.
Co-winner of the 2015 Barry Shrage Community Builder Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston.
Named one of Boston Magazine's Most Powerful Idea People in 2014.
Named one of Mashable's Top 15 People Shaping Boston's Tech Scene.
Named a 2014 “Venture Capitalist Power Player in Digital Media” by AlwaysOn.
Named a 2014 "Venture Capitalist" Power Player in Digital Media by AlwaysOn.
Named one of Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2006.
Additional Information
About Me
  • Flybridge
  • Hack.Diversity
  • Global EIR Program
  • The Alliance for Business Leadership
  • Facing History and Ourselves
  • LinkedIn Profile
  • about.me Profile
Online
  • Seeing Both Sides (blog)
  • www.jeffbussgang.com
  • Twitter
Areas of Interest
  • entrepreneurship
  • venture capital
In The News

In The News

    • 03 Jun 2019
    • Boston Globe

    Collaborations, not tax breaks, are better for growth

    • 13 Oct 2017
    • Harvard Business Review

    So, You Want to Join a Startup

    • 31 May 2017
    • Boston Magazine

    The 21 Most Powerful People in Boston Business

    • 18 Nov 2016
    • Boston Globe

    Creating diversity in the innovation economy

    • 26 Oct 2016
    • Boston Magazine

    The Boston Tech 30

→More News for Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Jeffrey J. Bussgang In the News

03 Jun 2019
Boston Globe
Collaborations, not tax breaks, are better for growth

13 Oct 2017
Harvard Business Review
So, You Want to Join a Startup

31 May 2017
Boston Magazine
The 21 Most Powerful People in Boston Business

18 Nov 2016
Boston Globe
Creating diversity in the innovation economy

26 Oct 2016
Boston Magazine
The Boston Tech 30

14 Oct 2016
BostInno
Jeff Bussgang Is Managing A New Fund Called The Graduate Syndicate

22 Feb 2016
Harvard Business Review
Every Company Needs a Growth Manager

08 Jan 2016
Huffington Post
Impact Entrepreneurship

31 May 2015
Boston Magazine
Keep the Talent (and the Ideas) Right Here

29 Sep 2014
CNN Money
Can states solve the immigration crisis?

01 Sep 2011
Institutional Investor
Using Venture Capital to Build Companies and Save the World

21 Jan 2011
Harvard Business Review
Should I Become an Entrepreneur?

01 Mar 2001
Harvard Magazine
Who Wants to be an Entrepreneur?

Follow on Twitter
Additional Information

About Me

Flybridge
Hack.Diversity
Global EIR Program
 More
The Alliance for Business Leadership
Facing History and Ourselves
LinkedIn Profile
about.me Profile
 Less

Online

Seeing Both Sides (blog)
www.jeffbussgang.com
Twitter

Areas of Interest

entrepreneurship
venture capital

In The News

    • 03 Jun 2019
    • Boston Globe

    Collaborations, not tax breaks, are better for growth

    • 13 Oct 2017
    • Harvard Business Review

    So, You Want to Join a Startup

    • 31 May 2017
    • Boston Magazine

    The 21 Most Powerful People in Boston Business

    • 18 Nov 2016
    • Boston Globe

    Creating diversity in the innovation economy

    • 26 Oct 2016
    • Boston Magazine

    The Boston Tech 30

→More News for Jeffrey J. Bussgang

Jeffrey J. Bussgang In the News

03 Jun 2019
Boston Globe
Collaborations, not tax breaks, are better for growth

13 Oct 2017
Harvard Business Review
So, You Want to Join a Startup

31 May 2017
Boston Magazine
The 21 Most Powerful People in Boston Business

18 Nov 2016
Boston Globe
Creating diversity in the innovation economy

26 Oct 2016
Boston Magazine
The Boston Tech 30

14 Oct 2016
BostInno
Jeff Bussgang Is Managing A New Fund Called The Graduate Syndicate

22 Feb 2016
Harvard Business Review
Every Company Needs a Growth Manager

08 Jan 2016
Huffington Post
Impact Entrepreneurship

31 May 2015
Boston Magazine
Keep the Talent (and the Ideas) Right Here

29 Sep 2014
CNN Money
Can states solve the immigration crisis?

01 Sep 2011
Institutional Investor
Using Venture Capital to Build Companies and Save the World

21 Jan 2011
Harvard Business Review
Should I Become an Entrepreneur?

01 Mar 2001
Harvard Magazine
Who Wants to be an Entrepreneur?

Tweets

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