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Photo of Shikhar Ghosh

Unit: Entrepreneurial Management

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(617) 384-5430

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Areas of Interest

  • entrepreneurship
  • scaling-up
  • teams

Shikhar Ghosh

Professor of Management Practice

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Shikhar Ghosh is a Professor of Management Practice in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit. He teaches and is the course head for Founders' Journey in the elective curriculum and teaches The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) in the required curriculum of the MBA program.

Shikhar has been a successful entrepreneur for the last 20 years. He has been the founder and CEO or Chairman of eight technology-based entrepreneurial companies and was the past Chairman of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MTLC) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) - two leading entrepreneurial organizations. He was selected by Business Week as one of the best Entrepreneurs in the US, by Forbes as one of the ‘Masters of the Internet Universe’ and by Fortune as the CEO of one of the 10 most innovative companies in the US. Companies he founded were selected as both the ‘hottest’ and ‘coolest’ emerging companies by business publications.

Shikhar joined the Boston Consulting Group after getting his MBA from HBS in 1980. At BCG he focused on organization and innovation in large organizations. He was elected a worldwide partner of the firm in 1987. Shikhar left BCG in 1988 to become CEO of Appex, an early-stage venture backed company that built the inter-carrier infrastructure for the US mobile phone industry. Appex provided centralized services that enabled independent mobile carriers to operate as a single seamless network. Appex’s services included call forwarding across carriers, fraud prevention services, billing and customer service. Appex was bought by EDS in 1990. By the time Shikhar left in 1993, Appex’s revenues exceeded $100 million with an order backlog of over $1 billion. It was selected by Business week as the fastest growing private company in the US.

Shikhar founded Open Market in 1993. Open Market was one of the pioneering companies in the commercialization of the Internet. It built the first commercial infrastructure for enabling secure commerce on the Internet and provided the software and services that enabled companies like Time Warner and AT&T to offer their services on the Internet. Open Market was one of the first Internet companies to go public. It was selected by numerous business publications as one of the companies that helped to make the Internet what it is today.

After leaving Open Market Shikhar has been the founder, CEO or Chairman of several companies in the wireless, payment, Internet marketing, and on-line retailing industries. He has worked in all facets of the entrepreneurial process – starting companies with technical teams, providing and raising capital with venture capitalists, buying and selling companies, or taking them public and closing down unsuccessful companies. He has been a keynote speaker in numerous conferences on innovation, entrepreneurship, digital media and on the future of the Internet.

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Publications Research Summary

Working Papers

    Cases and Teaching Materials

    1. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2018

      BlackBuck (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

      The case presents the challenges of scaling an asset-heavy company (that relies on its operations). It highlights how decisions on the early team impact a company’s ability to scale, linkage between growth and cash flows, as well the organizational impact of high growth. Rajesh Yabaji, Chanakya Hridaya and B. Ramasubramaniam (Subbu) came together to create BlackBuck, with an aim to reduce inefficiencies in the movement of freight in India. A disconnect between the shippers (demand) and truck owners (supply), had created a layer of intermediaries (brokers) for transporting goods. The founders saw an opportunity in creating an online marketplace for freight—and uniting the truckers and shippers. Following its launch in April 2015, BlackBuck witnessed relentless growth and one year later, its revenue was on track to exceed the forecast by 300 percent. BlackBuck had operations in 200 locations across India, and a team of over 1,000 people. The company had raised two rounds of funding (totaling $30 million) from solid investors. However, it was not clear that the business was profitable. Rapid scale had come at a cost. In June 2016, BlackBuck had $5 million in the bank, and two months of runway. BlackBuck’s focus had been on raising capital and hiring operational staff to manage the complex service delivery for customers. There was a near absence of strong processes for internal operations such as HR, accounting, credit, invoicing, and collections. During this financial crunch, Flipkart (India’s e-commerce unicorn) offered BlackBuck $20 million in convertible debt that could potentially tide over the company’s short-term losses. The founders wondered whether they should change the approach to growth: slow it down temporarily or maintain the growth rate (and fix operational issues?) There was a high probability that BlackBuck's cash balances would fall to zero. Given that scenario, taking Flipkart's money could save BlackBuck—but at the risk of losing control.

      Keywords: founders; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Service Delivery; Cash Flow; Growth Management; Truck Transportation; Online Technology; India;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Shweta Bagai. "BlackBuck (A)." Harvard Business School Case 819-031, August 2018.  View Details
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    2. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2018 (Revised November 2018)

      Careem: Base Camp or Mountain Peak? Designing an OS for Scaling

      Shikhar Ghosh, Gamze Yucaoglu and Alpana Thapar

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Gamze Yucaoglu, and Alpana Thapar. "Careem: Base Camp or Mountain Peak? Designing an OS for Scaling." Harvard Business School Case 819-049, September 2018. (Revised November 2018.)  View Details
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    3. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2018

      Kevin Ryan Inc.

      Shikhar Ghosh and Greg Marsh

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Greg Marsh. "Kevin Ryan Inc." Harvard Business School Case 819-047, September 2018.  View Details
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    4. Case | HBS Case Collection | July 2018

      RunKeeper

      Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

      The case examines the focus of an early stage company, and how venture capital can distort a founder’s view. It encompasses issues such as financing, founders’ definition of success/failure, defining and pivoting a business model, organizational impact of a pivot, as well as the role of VCs and Boards in outlining company strategy. In 2008, Jason Jacobs, a fitness and technology enthusiast created RunKeeper – an iPhone app to track a runner’s distance, speed, calories and route taken. In its initial years, RunKeeper was a fast growing, profitable company and did not utilize the $1.5 million it raised in its Seed and Series A rounds. As RunKeeper gained momentum, Jacobs created a grand health vision (Health Graph) that would increase the chances of securing VC funding. Heralded as the “Facebook of Fitness,” RunKeeper willed itself to be the one-stop location for all important health information for consumers. Despite raising $10 million, the next few years were turbulent. RunKeeper became allergic to revenue, ramped up its burn, and tried to pursue both the running app and the Health Graph – but did neither well. At the end of the case, the company is almost out of cash, and Jacobs has exhausted his prospects for raising external capital. He needs to revert to his current investors to keep the company afloat. Jacobs’ instinct suggests that refocusing the company on its core product and runner base would be the best way forward. However, the last round was raised on the promise of a big health vision. Jacobs wonders whether his current investors would fund a smaller vision and how onerous the terms would be. Would they push Jacobs to pursue a sale in an over-crowded health app market? Or would they decide that he was not the right person for the company?

      Keywords: entrepreneurship; early stage funding; Pivot; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Business Model; Health Industry;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Shweta Bagai. "RunKeeper." Harvard Business School Case 819-020, July 2018.  View Details
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    5. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017 (Revised February 2018)

      Dinesh Moorjani and Hatch Labs

      Shikhar Ghosh, Christopher Stanton, Allison Ciechanover and Jeff Huizinga

      Dinesh Moorjani founded Hatch Labs in late 2010 as a “sandbox” for creating innovative, best-in-class businesses for the rapidly evolving mobile ecosystem. Now, after nearly two frenetic years, he faces a slew of strategic questions. In which Hatch ventures should he continue to invest money and manpower? Specifically, should he fuel a rapidly growing yet nascent online dating site or a novel customer rewards and loyalty app that has already gained commercial traction? Having nearly reached the end of Hatch’s runway, should he accept his partners’ offers to fund another Hatch vehicle, or should he pursue one of his other career options now on the table? And if he decides to continue with Hatch, what changes should he make to his business model in order to continue attracting top-level entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers? Would those proposed changes be acceptable to his backers, who include the Barry Diller—led media-giant IAC? Each decision has potentially huge consequences for Moorjani, for the young businesses he had built, and for the future of mobility.

      Keywords: Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Decision Choices and Conditions; Business Model; Personal Development and Career;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Stanton, Allison Ciechanover, and Jeff Huizinga. "Dinesh Moorjani and Hatch Labs." Harvard Business School Case 818-026, September 2017. (Revised February 2018.)  View Details
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    6. Supplement | HBS Case Collection | October 2017

      Uncharted Play (C)

      Shikhar Ghosh, Christopher Payton and Ali Huberlie

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Payton, and Ali Huberlie. "Uncharted Play (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 818-061, October 2017.  View Details
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    7. Supplement | HBS Case Collection | October 2017

      Uncharted Play (B)

      Shikhar Ghosh, Christopher Payton and Ali Huberlie

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Payton, and Ali Huberlie. "Uncharted Play (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 818-060, October 2017.  View Details
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    8. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017 (Revised March 2018)

      Chai Point: Disrupting Chai

      Shikhar Ghosh, Ramana Nanda and Rachna Tahilyani

      Chai Point is India’s largest organized chai retailer. It has missed its target for retail store openings by approximately 25%, goals that are very important to its investors who are also board members. However, it has developed an exciting new internet-based tea dispenser that has the potential to dramatically increase Chai Point’s market opportunity and growth rate but can be seen as a change in their growth strategy. The founder needs to decide his strategy for his next board meeting. Should he focus on past performance? Or should he spend time outlining boxC.in’s technology and potential, since this will be the first time that the institutional investors will be seeing this new capability?

      Keywords: strategy; venture capital; stock; business model; mobile technology; Technological Innovation; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Internet; Mobile Technology; Food; Selection and Staffing; Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Resignation and Termination; Compensation and Benefits; Resource Allocation; Product Positioning; Distribution Channels; Product Design; Supply Chain; Governing and Advisory Boards; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry; Asia; India; Karnataka; Bangalore;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Ramana Nanda, and Rachna Tahilyani. "Chai Point: Disrupting Chai." Harvard Business School Case 818-020, September 2017. (Revised March 2018.)  View Details
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    9. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017 (Revised October 2017)

      Scaling Yesware — The Star Performance Framework

      Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Payton. "Scaling Yesware — The Star Performance Framework." Harvard Business School Case 818-049, September 2017. (Revised October 2017.)  View Details
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    10. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2017 (Revised October 2017)

      Ryan Greene at Rainier Wearables

      Shikhar Ghosh, Thomas R. Eisenmann and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Thomas R. Eisenmann, and Christopher Payton. "Ryan Greene at Rainier Wearables." Harvard Business School Case 818-047, August 2017. (Revised October 2017.)  View Details
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    11. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017

      Careem: Raising a Unicorn

      Shikhar Ghosh and Alpana Thapar

      This case follows two ex-McKinsey consultants, Magnus Olsson and Mudassir Sheikha, who in search of their true purpose decide to found Careem, a Dubai-based ride-hailing service. Following its launch in July 2012, Careem experiences rapid growth of 30% per month in the UAE and other countries in the MENA region, surpassing the co-founders’ expectations. However, as a result of such immense growth, the startup struggles with various operational and cultural organizational tensions. These challenges are described from the perspective of the founders and through the eyes of Deepika Thakur, one of the early employees. By 2014, in order to succeed in Saudi Arabia, the largest and most complex market in the Gulf, Olsson and Sheikha recognize the importance of finding a strong leader to head the Saudi operations. They have their sights on a specific German-Saudi entrepreneur, Abdulla Elyas, but he has so far declined both of their initial proposals to join Careem. In the backdrop, Uber has developed a successful track record in the West, raising close to $2 billion dollars globally, and has a growing presence in the UAE following its launch there in August 2013. Finding themselves at a crossroads, Olsson and Sheikha must figure out how to address several critical organizational issues, decide how to bring Elyas on board, and ensure a robust strategy to maintain its leadership position in the region.

      Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Technology; Organizational Culture; Decision Making; Growth Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Transportation Industry; Technology Industry; Middle East; North Africa; United Arab Emirates;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Alpana Thapar. "Careem: Raising a Unicorn." Harvard Business School Case 818-022, September 2017.  View Details
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    12. Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2016 (Revised December 2016)

      Anthology: Pivoting the Business Model

      Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      In July 2014, after 18 months and eight unsuccessful product launches, the CEO of Yabbly has agreed to sell his company to a larger, well-funded startup, providing a return of capital for his investors and a home for his team. Two weeks prior to the scheduled closing, the team launches a final experiment based on the results of a customer interview. After creating a quick landing page and announcing the product launch through social media channels, the company finds significant customer interest. With only two weeks of promising data, the CEO must decide whether or not to abandon the planned sale to pursue the new product, and if so, what terms he should offer new and existing investors to finance the next phase of product development.

      Keywords: Mergers & Acquisitions; Business Startups; business model; entrepreneurship; Business Model; Business Plan; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Innovation Strategy; Mobile Technology; Online Technology; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Exit or Shutdown; Fairness; Valuation; Technology Industry; Consumer Products Industry; North America; United States; Seattle;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Payton. "Anthology: Pivoting the Business Model." Harvard Business School Case 817-066, November 2016. (Revised December 2016.)  View Details
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    13. Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2016

      Triangulate: Stay, Pivot or Exit?

      Thomas Eisenmann, Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Eisenmann, Thomas, Shikhar Ghosh, and Christopher Payton. "Triangulate: Stay, Pivot or Exit?" Harvard Business School Case 817-059, October 2016.  View Details
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    14. Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2016

      Elon Musk: Balancing Purpose and Risk

      Shikhar Ghosh and Sarah Mehta

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Sarah Mehta. "Elon Musk: Balancing Purpose and Risk." Harvard Business School Case 817-040, October 2016.  View Details
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    15. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2016 (Revised May 2017)

      Help Scout

      Shikhar Ghosh, Julia Austin and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Julia Austin, and Christopher Payton. "Help Scout." Harvard Business School Case 817-049, September 2016. (Revised May 2017.)  View Details
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    16. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2016 (Revised September 2017)

      Collage.com: Scaling a Distributed Organization

      Christopher Stanton and Shikhar Ghosh

      Kevin Borders and Joe Golden, co-founders and co-CEOs of Collage.com, must decide how to grow their custom photo-products startup in the face of fierce competition. From 2011 through 2016, the business evolved from a hobby to a startup with $22 million in revenue and 45 employees, all of whom worked remotely from home. Customer acquisition was becoming more difficult and repeat purchase rates lagged behind Shutterfly, the industry leader. New hires would help to integrate new products and grow marketing efforts, but several experienced team members wondered whether virtual collaboration could continue to work with an influx of new people.

      Keywords: Online Technology; Organizational Structure; Competitive Strategy; Employees; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Service Industry;

      Citation:

      Stanton, Christopher, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Collage.com: Scaling a Distributed Organization." Harvard Business School Case 817-038, September 2016. (Revised September 2017.)  View Details
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    17. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2016

      Collective Academy

      Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Payton. "Collective Academy." Harvard Business School Case 817-026, August 2016.  View Details
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    18. Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2016 (Revised May 2016)

      Dinr: My First Start-up (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh and Kristina Maslauskaite

      In May 2012, a young employee at Google's London office, Markus Berger, was thinking whether he should quit his job and go after his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Berger's idea was to create Dinr, a company that would offer an upscale food ingredient delivery service in London. A customer would choose a recipe on Dinr's website and would receive all premeasured ingredients the same evening at their doorstep. Contrary to many existing similar companies, Dinr would not require a weekly subscription, but would operate one-off orders like other traditional food delivery services. Berger had already carried out an alpha test of the service and completed an in-depth survey of potential customers to explore the market. Most of the feedback was positive, which confirmed Berger's intuition about this market opportunity. Berger had found a more experienced co-founder with technical expertise who was willing to join Dinr part time and gathered £40,000 of initial capital. Yet, making the decision to leave his corporate job and become an entrepreneur was not easy: Was Dinr a good business opportunity? Would it be attractive to outside investors? What were the risks involved?

      Keywords: exit strategy; Startup; entrepreneurship; food; start-up; Business Exit or Shutdown; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Food;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Kristina Maslauskaite. "Dinr: My First Start-up (A)." Harvard Business School Case 816-080, February 2016. (Revised May 2016.)  View Details
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    19. Course Overview Note | December 2015

      The Entrepreneurial Manager: Course Overview, 2016 Winter Term

      Joseph B. Fuller and Shikhar Ghosh

      Course overview of "The Entrepreneurial Manager."

      Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Management; Business Education;

      Citation:

      Fuller, Joseph B., and Shikhar Ghosh. "The Entrepreneurial Manager: Course Overview, 2016 Winter Term." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 816-065, December 2015.  View Details
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    20. Exercise | February 2016

      Jim Sharpe: Operational Cash Flow Tool

      Joseph B. Fuller, Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      In this exercise, you will examine the cash flow implications of different operating model assumptions and the effect that this has on financing decisions.

      Keywords: Cash Flow; Financing and Loans;

      Citation:

      Fuller, Joseph B., Shikhar Ghosh, and Christopher Payton. "Jim Sharpe: Operational Cash Flow Tool." Harvard Business School Exercise 816-070, February 2016.  View Details
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    21. Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2016 (Revised December 2016)

      Rest Devices

      Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Payton. "Rest Devices." Harvard Business School Case 816-076, January 2016. (Revised December 2016.)  View Details
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    22. Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2015 (Revised March 2016)

      Intuit: Turbo Tax PersonalPro - A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs

      Shikhar Ghosh, Joseph Fuller and Michael Roberts

      The case tells the story of a product manager within Intuit who develops an idea for a new product that spans two of the company's existing business units—professional tax software, sold to accountants, and the consumer focused TurboTax product. The new product —TurboTax Personal Pro—connects consumers with professional accountants online, allowing them to have their taxes prepared by a professional. The cycle of product development transpires within the larger, corporate context of Intuit, where founder Scott Cook has been attempting to transform the enterprise into a leaner, more innovative company. The case describes in detail the lean startup methods used by the new product team, and how their attempts bump up against the existing, entrenched systems and processes of the larger enterprise.

      Keywords: Business Units; Business or Company Management; Software; Accounting; Product Development; Financial Services Industry;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Joseph Fuller, and Michael Roberts. "Intuit: Turbo Tax PersonalPro - A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs." Harvard Business School Case 816-048, September 2015. (Revised March 2016.)  View Details
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    23. Exercise | November 2015

      GenapSys Exercise - Introduction to Free Cash Flow Curves

      Shikhar Ghosh, Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton

      Exercise to accompany "GenapSys: Business Models for the Genome"

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Joseph B. Fuller, and Christopher Payton. "GenapSys Exercise - Introduction to Free Cash Flow Curves." Harvard Business School Exercise 816-701, November 2015.  View Details
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    24. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2015 (Revised October 2015)

      Clover Food Lab: Building Out the Team

      Shikhar Ghosh, Christopher Payton and Ali Huberlie

      Keywords: hiring; firing; foodservice industry; Business Startups; Selection and Staffing; Resignation and Termination; Food; Food and Beverage Industry; Boston;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Payton, and Ali Huberlie. "Clover Food Lab: Building Out the Team." Harvard Business School Case 816-042, August 2015. (Revised October 2015.)  View Details
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    25. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2015

      Yabbly (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      In November 2013, with less than 10 months of cash on hand, Tom Leung, the founder and CEO of Yabbly, must decide where to focus his resources. His startup, a question-and-answer application for shopping decisions, had benefited from a strong showing at the SXSW Accelerator competition and had a dedicated and engaged user base. However, Leung knew that the current growth trajectory would not lead them to the milestones needed to receive an additional round of financing. Leung must decide whether to continue pursuing user acquisition experiments, explore other product ideas, or begin searching for a potential acquirer to achieve a "soft landing" for his team and his investors.

      Keywords: Business Plan; Startup; mobile; online product reviews; consumer products; Business Model; Business Plan; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Innovation Strategy; Mobile Technology; Online Technology; North America; United States; Washington (state, US); Seattle;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Payton. "Yabbly (A)." Harvard Business School Case 816-030, August 2015.  View Details
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    26. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2015

      Yesware (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh, Christopher Payton and Ali Huberlie

      Matthew Bellows founded Yesware, a Boston-based tech startup, to solve a problem that he'd encountered as a sales manager: sales people hate entering data, rarely do it accurately, and almost always input data that can't be synthesized in a way that is useful for the manager. Together with a friend, he developed software to solve this problem—while also working towards the goal of founding a company that would be "the best place to work." But as the company grows past $5 million in annual revenue, Bellows faces challenges balancing the dual goals of continuing to scale the company and adhering to the values established for the company.

      Keywords: firing; culture change; Startup; technology; hiring; entrepreneurship; Negotiation; Sales; Human Resources; Technology Industry; Boston;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Payton, and Ali Huberlie. "Yesware (A)." Harvard Business School Case 816-039, August 2015.  View Details
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    27. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2015 (Revised August 2017)

      Sam Martin & Cathy Slater

      Shikhar Ghosh, Michael J. Roberts and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Michael J. Roberts, and Christopher Payton. "Sam Martin & Cathy Slater." Harvard Business School Case 816-029, August 2015. (Revised August 2017.)  View Details
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    28. Supplement | HBS Case Collection | August 2015 (Revised June 2016)

      Dinr: My First Start-up (B)

      Shikhar Ghosh and Kristina Maslauskaite

      Keywords: Business Exit; Business Startup; entrepreneurship; food; Business Exit or Shutdown; Business Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Food;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Kristina Maslauskaite. "Dinr: My First Start-up (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 816-025, August 2015. (Revised June 2016.)  View Details
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    29. Case | HBS Case Collection | July 2015

      Uncharted Play (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh and Ali Huberlie

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Ali Huberlie. "Uncharted Play (A)." Harvard Business School Case 816-018, July 2015.  View Details
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    30. Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2015

      Entrepreneurial Finance Lab: A Founding Story (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh, Joan Farre-Mensa and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Joan Farre-Mensa, and Christopher Payton. "Entrepreneurial Finance Lab: A Founding Story (A)." Harvard Business School Case 815-119, March 2015.  View Details
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    31. Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2015

      Yamsafer

      Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Payton. "Yamsafer." Harvard Business School Case 815-092, March 2015.  View Details
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    32. Technical Note | HBS Case Collection | March 2014

      Venture Capital Investment in the Clean Energy Sector

      Ramana Nanda and Shikhar Ghosh

      In this note, we examine the extent to which venture capital is adequately positioned for the rapid commercialization of clean energy technologies in the United States. The need for a revolution in clean energy is driven not just by environmental consequences of energy use, but also by the need for energy security, to address growing concerns about a crisis in the balance of payments, and as a potentially important source of domestic jobs. Our premise in this note is that a key aspect of such widespread change is that these issues cannot be "solved" by a single technology. Rather, technological changes will have to be pervasive and will require a whole range of different products and processes to come to market. Some of the technological progress will come from incremental innovations that do not depend on venture capital.

      Keywords: entrepreneurial finance; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Financial Services Industry;

      Citation:

      Nanda, Ramana, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Venture Capital Investment in the Clean Energy Sector." Harvard Business School Technical Note 814-052, March 2014.  View Details
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    33. Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2014

      Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth

      William A. Sahlman, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Joseph B. Fuller and Shikhar Ghosh

      The founders of Maricopa, Inc., a startup that sold proprietary hair-care products directly to salons, were preparing a board presentation to address the young company's inability to meet financial projections. While the products had caught on with customers, the financial shortcomings raised some questions about the company's business plan. The company had gone through much of its cash and needed additional funding to continue operating.

      At the same time, two VC investors were deciding how to proceed with their investments in Maricopa. The larger VC firm questioned Maricopa's management's decisions and was hesitant to further fund the company. However the Maricopa investment was much more important to the smaller VC firm, and its representative on Maricopa's board worked hard to convince her counterpart from the larger firm that while the firm had struggled, it was a young startup with strong potential. Without the larger firm investing again in Maricopa, the business was at risk of going under.

      Keywords: Business Startups; Financial Condition; Venture Capital; Financial Strategy; Financing and Loans; Expansion; Planning; Fashion Industry; Iowa;

      Citation:

      Sahlman, William A., Thomas R. Eisenmann, Joseph B. Fuller, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Maricopa, Inc.: Finding the Right Treatment for Growth." Harvard Business School Case 314-065, January 2014.  View Details
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    34. Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2014

      Steven Carpenter at Cake Financial (Abridged)

      Thomas R. Eisenmann, Joseph B. Fuller and Shikhar Ghosh

      Steven Carpenter reflects on the successes and failures of his recent venture, Cake Financial. Carpenter had just sold the four-year-old startup and was at work on a new business plan. But first, he wanted to understand why Cake Financial, a service that allowed users to access their brokerage accounts on one platform and also see how other users were investing, had not been widely adopted by customers despite positive receptions from technology and financial observers. The startup had also received financial support from prominent angel investors. Carpenter asked himself what he should have done differently with the technology supporting the platform, and how Cake should have better targeted customers and responded to their unique needs. He also wondered whether he had made the right decisions about when, and from whom, to seek funding at various stages of the company's growth.

      Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Business or Company Management; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Internet; Financial Services Industry; Web Services Industry;

      Citation:

      Eisenmann, Thomas R., Joseph B. Fuller, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Steven Carpenter at Cake Financial (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 814-054, January 2014.  View Details
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    35. Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2013 (Revised April 2015)

      Myomo: Getting Sales in Motion

      Frank V. Cespedes, Shikhar Ghosh and Matthew Preble

      In late 2012, the management team of Myomo, a startup which had designed a unique myoelectric arm brace for patients with dysfunctional arms, was deciding which of the three sales models the company had tested to pursue as its sales strategy going forward. Each model had its own unique merits and risks. The team planned to fully examine each strategy to determine how to best get the brace into the hands of those who needed it most, the patients, and identify which one enabled Myomo to grow.

      Keywords: Technological Innovation; Technology; Marketing Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Health Care and Treatment; Business Startups; Sales; Growth and Development Strategy; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Health Industry;

      Citation:

      Cespedes, Frank V., Shikhar Ghosh, and Matthew Preble. "Myomo: Getting Sales in Motion." Harvard Business School Case 814-034, October 2013. (Revised April 2015.)  View Details
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    36. Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2013 (Revised February 2014)

      FanMode: Launching a Global Sports Venture

      Shikhar Ghosh, William R. Kerr and Alexis Brownell

      Neven Murugan is developing FanMode, an app that allows sports fans all over the world to broadcast their reactions in real time into stadiums where their team is playing. It also provides social networking across sports fans. The company is growing, and its founders face the questions of where to locate their headquarters and how to structure their company, and the legal issues surrounding these decisions, including intellectual property regulations, tax laws, and ownership structure. This case provides an example of a company that, due to the nature of its product, has had to operate globally from its earliest days and establish itself in many locations simultaneously.

      Keywords: entrepreneurship; app development; Location choices; structure of the firm; sports industry; social media; global; Entrepreneurship; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United Kingdom; South Africa;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, William R. Kerr, and Alexis Brownell. "FanMode: Launching a Global Sports Venture." Harvard Business School Case 813-190, June 2013. (Revised February 2014.)  View Details
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    37. Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2015 (Revised February 2016)

      CrossFit (A)

      Shikhar Ghosh, Ali Huberlie and Christopher Payton

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Ali Huberlie, and Christopher Payton. "CrossFit (A)." Harvard Business School Case 815-089, February 2015. (Revised February 2016.)  View Details
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    38. Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2014 (Revised January 2014)

      MuMaté: Funding Growth

      Shikhar Ghosh, Joseph B. Fuller, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Alex Godden and Andrew Sandoe

      Keywords: Startup; venture capital; Business Startups; Financing and Loans; Consumer Products Industry; United States;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Joseph B. Fuller, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Alex Godden, and Andrew Sandoe. "MuMaté: Funding Growth." Harvard Business School Case 814-063, January 2014. (Revised January 2014.)  View Details
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    39. Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2011

      Keurig and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

      Paul W. Marshall, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Shikhar Ghosh and Lauren Barley

      Provides background information for a negotiations exercise in which students will represent either Keurig, a startup that has developed an innovative "portion pack" coffee brewing solution, or Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), a fast-growing premium coffee roaster interested in licensing Keurig's technology. The negotiation will determine the royalty to be paid to Keurig by GMCR, which will bear capital expenditures, and whether GMCR secures exclusive distribution rights to Keurig's system.

      Keywords: Negotiation; Food and Beverage Industry;

      Citation:

      Marshall, Paul W., Thomas R. Eisenmann, Shikhar Ghosh, and Lauren Barley. "Keurig and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters." Harvard Business School Case 812-101, December 2011.  View Details
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    40. Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2011

      Keurig: Confidential Information for Negotiation with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

      Thomas R. Eisenmann, Shikhar Ghosh and James K. Sebenius

      Case provides confidential information for students assuming the role of senior executives of Keurig, a startup that has developed an innovative "portion pack" coffee brewing solution, in a negotiation to license technology to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR). The negotiation will determine the royalty to be paid to Keurig by GMCR, which will bear capital expenditures, and determine whether GMCR secures exclusive distribution rights to Keurig's system.

      Keywords: Negotiation; Food and Beverage Industry;

      Citation:

      Eisenmann, Thomas R., Shikhar Ghosh, and James K. Sebenius. "Keurig: Confidential Information for Negotiation with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters." Harvard Business School Case 812-102, December 2011.  View Details
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    41. Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2011

      Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: Confidential Information for Negotiation with Keurig

      Thomas R. Eisenmann, Shikhar Ghosh and James K. Sebenius

      Case provides confidential information for students assuming the role of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) senior executives in a negotiation to license technology from Keurig, a startup that has developed an innovative "portion pack" coffee brewing solution. The negotiation will determine the royalty to be paid to Keurig by GMCR, which will bear capital expenditures, and determine whether GMCR secures exclusive distribution rights to Keurig's system.

      Keywords: Negotiation; Food and Beverage Industry;

      Citation:

      Eisenmann, Thomas R., Shikhar Ghosh, and James K. Sebenius. "Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: Confidential Information for Negotiation with Keurig." Harvard Business School Case 812-103, December 2011.  View Details
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    42. Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2011

      The Sandbox: Creating a Bottom-Up Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

      Shikhar Ghosh, Lynda M. Applegate, Rhea Ghosh and Amar Kumar

      Discussion of new model of Social Enterprise that applies the venture capital model to social enterprise.

      Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship; Non-Governmental Organizations; Venture Capital; Business Model;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, Lynda M. Applegate, Rhea Ghosh, and Amar Kumar. "The Sandbox: Creating a Bottom-Up Entrepreneurial Ecosystem." Harvard Business School Case 811-053, April 2011.  View Details
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    43. Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2010 (Revised March 2011)

      Indica

      Shikhar Ghosh and Stephanie van Sice

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Stephanie van Sice. "Indica." Harvard Business School Case 810-130, April 2010. (Revised March 2011.)  View Details
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    44. Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2009 (Revised May 2017)

      Skyhook Wireless

      Shikhar Ghosh and Thomas R. Eisenmann

      Ted Morgan, the founder of Skyhook Wireless just received a call from Steve Jobs of Apple asking for a meeting. Ted must decide how to prepare for a meeting that could finally give Skyhook an anchor customer. Ted and his team have worked for three years to build a new approach to location based services that uses WiFi rather than the well-established satellite based GPS technology. Skyhook's approach is more accurate than GPS in urban areas and, unlike GPS, it works indoors. Yet, large device manufacturers are reluctant to be the first ones to use it. Skyhook has no customers. The board and investors are getting restless. Should Ted offer Steve Jobs a free license, or pay him for Apple's user base—or should he insist on a substantial license fee? The case examines the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in creating a technology-based company and in getting market traction against an established standard.

      Keywords: Wireless Technology; Information Technology; Business Ventures; Business Startups; Technology Industry;

      Citation:

      Ghosh, Shikhar, and Thomas R. Eisenmann. "Skyhook Wireless." Harvard Business School Case 809-119, April 2009. (Revised May 2017.)  View Details
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