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Blue Ocean Strategy

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Harvard University
Extension School

Management E-5475 – Strategic Management of Growth Companies
Course Syllabus – Spring 2012
November 25, 2011 Course Logistics Day and Time: Tuesday, 7:35-9:35pm Location: Byerly Hall 013 Course iSite: http://isites.harvard.edu/course/ext-23550/2012/spring Instructor: Dave Power 617.694.2472 President, Power Strategy dave@powerstrategy.com Office Hours: Before class and by appointment

------------------------------------------------- About the Course Course Description and Overview
Growth companies are the engines of product innovation, market expansion and value creation. But sustaining the growth of these dynamic private companies -- typically with revenues of $10 to $100 million -- requires a unique set of skills, different from those required in either startups or large public companies. Many promising growth companies stall as their business models mature and they outgrow the processes and teams responsible for their early success.

Using a mix of case studies, group discussions, interactive exercises and written assignments, this course provides a general management perspective of growth companies: strategy, execution, team, and capital. You first learn different growth strategies, including market disruption, “white space” discovery, and business model innovation. You then connect strategy with execution through market selection and positioning, “lean” development of new offers, and pipeline management. Because execution depends on team effectiveness, you explore team alignment and meeting rhythms, and the role of leadership in creating a growth culture. Finally, you learn about raising growth capital, managing boards and planning for a successful exit.

Readings draw from Clay Christensen, Jim Collins, Verne Harnish, Patrick Lencioni, Alexander Osterwalder, and Eric Ries. In a final project, students select a growth company, examine its decisions about strategy, execution, team, and capital, and develop recommendations for sustaining growth.

Course Materials This course requires students to invest a substantial amount of time in case preparation, background reading and project work. We will use case studies and articles which are available at reduced cost through the Harvard Business Press (HBP). Use this link to purchase these course materials: http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/11343870. There are also required readings from two books that can be purchased from many bookstores, including the Harvard Coop and online booksellers: “Business Model Generation”, Alex Osterwalder. “Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, Patrick Lencioni. Grading A student’s final grade in this course will be based on the following weighting: 20% Class Participation 60% Short Assignments 20% Final Project Grades reflect the quality of a student’s work submitted throughout the term according to the Harvard Extension School’s grading standards (http://www.extension.harvard.edu/policies/grades/). Coursework/Assignments This is a graduate-level course that requires active participation in class discussions and high-quality written work. Because communication is critical to managerial success, effective written and oral communication will determine a significant portion of a student’s grade. Written work should be clear, logical, grammatically correct, spell-checked, persuasive, supported by examples, and backed up by citations for any data, ideas or other content used. Short Assignments There will be four Short Assignments. These assignments should not only address the case study issues but also incorporate concepts from class lectures and assigned readings. All Short Assignments should be 3-4 pages of double-spaced text. Each of these assignments will be given equal weight and collectively account for 60% of the final course grade. Each Short Assignment must be submitted electronically in the appropriate Drop Box by 7:30 PM of the due date (before the start of class). Final Project Each student will evaluate the growth strategy of a private company they will select in the first few weeks of the course. For each stage of the company’s growth they will examine company decisions about strategy, execution, team and capital. They will identify what the company did well and what it could have done better. And they will make recommendations on how the company can sustain profitable growth. Students may choose companies they work for, local private companies or well known growth companies such as eBay, Starbucks and Apple where a great deal has been written about their early years of growth as private companies (e.g., “The Perfect Store - Inside EBay” by Adam Cohen). Students are expected to integrate appropriate frameworks and concepts from the course into a document with up to 8 pages of written text plus exhibits. The project is due in Session 14 and will account for 20% of the grade. Class Participation Because most of the learning will occur in class, students are expected to attend all sessions, complete all assigned readings and participate in discussions. Class participation will account for 20% of the grade and students may be called on to lead a part of a case discussion. You may miss two class sessions without penalty, but all other absences will result in a negative score for class participation for that session. Please notify the instructor via email prior to the start of class if you will not be in attendance. Academic Integrity Common sense warning: Academic integrity is important in this course. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the Harvard’s policies on academic integrity, which can be found at http://www.extension.harvard.edu/policies/responsible.jsp#integrity. Other resources including, Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students and Writing with Internet Sources, are also available for download from the above Extension School site. The Fine Print Workload. The value you receive from this course will be commensurate with the thought, effort and reflection that you put into the endeavor. Students should expect to spend 3-8 hours outside of class each week to read the assigned materials, reflect, complete assignments, and prepare for the next class session. More time will be required to do the Final Project. On Time. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay for the duration of the session. If you expect to be late or absent from class – or need to leave early – let the instructor and TA know prior to the start of class. Deadlines. All assignments must be submitted to the correct assignment drop box on the course iSite (http://isites.harvard.edu/course/ext-23550/2011/spring) at the specified day and time and late submissions will not be accepted. If you experience any problems uploading your assignment to the drop box, you should email the document to the instructor. Please note that, if you email the assignment because you cannot upload it, the email and the relevant attachment must be received on or before the assignment deadline to be accepted. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, the assignment is still due at the specified day and time. True medical or family emergencies will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Professional Conduct. Professional behavior is expected throughout the class. During discussions, civil discourse should be maintained at all times and comments should be aimed at moving the discussion forward. This does not mean that students must always agree with others since reasoned, respectful dissention may be part of the discovery process and lead to previously unconsidered options. In addition, please turn off and put away all cell phones and PDAs prior to class and refrain from texting, emailing or web surfing during class. If you are awaiting an urgent call and need to leave your phone on during class, let the instructor know prior to class.

------------------------------------------------- Course Outline and Schedule

Part I: Growth Strategy Session 1: January 24 Managing Growth Read prior to class: * Case Study: Chegg: Textbook Rental Takes Flight, 811077-PDF-ENG * Blog: “Why Growth Companies Stop Growing”, Power, http://wp.me/pG2EW-2L Due before start of class: * A brief written summary (one page or less) on your objectives in taking this course * Case Preparation: What growth challenges does Chegg face? What strategies should the company adopt in anticipation of the trend toward digital distribution of textbooks? Session 2: January 31 Creating New Markets Read prior to class: * Case Studies: The Evolution of the Circus Industry (A), BOS007-PDF-ENG; Cirque de Soleil Recreates Live Entertainment (B), BOS008-PDF-ENG * Harvard Business Review: “Blue Ocean Strategy”, Kim and Mauborgne, R0410D-PDF-ENG Due before start of class: * Case Preparation: How would you assess the attractiveness of the circus industry in the early 1980s? What was the basis of competition for traditional circus companies? How did Cirque de Soleil alter the basis of competition to open new markets?

Session 3: February 7 Disrupting Markets Read prior to class: * Case Study: Amazon Web Services, 609048-PDF-ENG * Book Chapter: “The Innovator’s Dilemma: Introduction”, Christensen, 1713BC-PDF-ENG * Blog: “Disruptive Strategy”, Power, http://wp.me/pG2EW-4s Due in Drop Box before start of class: * Short Assignment #1: Please prepare a brief written summary of the Amazon Web Services case: * What was Amazon’s rationale for entering the cloud computing market? * Who are the ‘Innovators’ in this market? * How can they respond to the dilemma of Amazon as a ‘disruptor’?

Session 4: February 14 Designing Business Models Read prior to class: * Case Study: “Innovation & Renovation: The Nespresso Story” IMD046-PDF-ENG * Text: Business Model Generation, Alexander Osterwalder, (pages 1-119) Due before start of class: * Case Preparation: What were the important turning points in the Nespresso strategy? Why did Nestle reach outside of the company to hire Lang? How did Lang redesign the Nespresso business model?

Part II: Execution Session 5: February 21 Creating “Lean” Products and Services Read prior to class: * Case Study: Predictive Biosciences 811015-PDF-ENG * Blog: “The Lean Growth Company”, Power, http://wp.me/pG2EW-4G * Recommended Reading: Four Steps to the Epiphany, Steve Blank, Chapters 1 and 2 Due before start of class: * What strategic decision did Predictive Biosciences need to make? Why was this a difficult decision? What decision would you recommend? Session 6: February 28 Positioning Read prior to class: * Case Study: Apple Inc in 2010, 710467-PDF-ENG * Background Note: “Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple”, 609066-PDF-ENG * Review videos of five Apple product launches (links provided in class) Due in Drop Box before start of class: * Short Assignment #2: Please prepare a brief written summary of your analysis of the five Apple product launches. For each launch: * What was the positioning challenge Apple faced? * Who were the audiences? * What were the messages Apple was targeting for each audience? Session 7: March 6 Designing the Channel Read prior to class: * Case Study: Airwide International TB0017-PDF-ENG * Sloan Management Review: “Strategic Channel Design”, Anderson, Rangan, Day, SMR030-PDF-ENG Due before start of class: * Case Preparation: What’s the state of the air conditioning industry in Europe? How have master distributors contributed to the success of Airwide? How great is the risk that Di Francesco would switch to another brand? Session 8: March 20 Building the Pipeline Read prior to class: * Case Study: Online Marketing at Big Skinny 911033-PDF-ENG * Background Note: “Market Segmentation, Target Market Selection, and Positioning”, Miklos Sarvary, Elberse, 506019-PDF-ENG Due before start of class: * Case Preparation: How should Kiril prioritize marketing initiatives for Big Skinny? How would assess the current sponsored search strategy? … the social media strategy? Should Big Skinny expand its partnerships with online distributors?

Part III: Team

Session 9: March 27 Building Teams Read prior to class: * Case Study: MediSys Corp: The IntensCare Product Development Team 4059-PDF-ENG * Text: Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni, (pages 1-190) Due in Drop Box before start of class: * Short Assignment #3: Please prepare a brief written summary of the Medisys case: * What factors are driving the behavior of the IntensCare Team? * What insights does Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions” provide”? * What should Merz do? Session 10: April 3 Leading * Case Study: Howard Shultz and Starbucks Coffee Company, 801361-PDF-ENG * Harvard Business Review: “Why Entrepreneurs Don't Scale” Hamm, R0212J-PDF-ENG * Harvard Business Review: “Building Your Company’s Vision”, Collins, Porras, 96501-PDF-ENG Due before start of class: * Case Preparation: What were the key ingredients to Shultz’s growth strategy? What makes Schultz an effective leader? How successful can Starbucks be without its founder at the helm? Session 11: April 10 Implementing Change Read prior to class: * Case Study: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: Keeping the Mission(s) Alive, 392025-PDF-ENG * Case Study: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: A Period of Transition, 796109-PDF-ENG * Harvard Business Review: “Level 5 Leadership: Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve”, Jim Collins, R0507M-PDF-ENG Due before start of class: * Case preparation: How would you handle the 5-1 compensation issue, (2) What steps would you take to prepare Ben & Jerry’s for increased competition, (3) Are Ben and Jerry “Level 5” leaders?

Part IV: Capital Session 12: April 17 Financing Growth Read prior to class: * Case Study: 1366 Technologies 810005-PDF-ENG Due in Drop Box before start of class: * Short Assignment #4: Please prepare a brief written summary of the 1366 Technologies case: * What are the financing challenges faced by capital-intensive clean tech startups? * What are the trade-offs between 1366’s different business model and financing options? * What business model and financing strategy would you recommend?

Session 13: April 24 Managing The Board Read prior to class: * Harvard Business Review, “How Serial Entrepreneurs Build and Manage a Board of Directors in a Venture-Backed Start Up” Roberts; Sahlman; Novakovich, 808163-PDF-ENG * Role Play Exercise: “Board Discussion on Growth Strategy” Due before start of class: * Read role-play background materials and be prepared to play your assigned role as management or board member at the board meeting

Session 14: May 1 Growing Through Acquisition Read prior to class: * Case Study: eClinicalWorks: Paths to Growth 807025-PDF-EN * Harvard Business Review: “Mergers and Acquisitions: Overcoming Pitfalls, Building Synergy, and Creating Value”, Hitt, King, Krishnan, Makri, Schijven, Shimizu, BH353-PDF-ENG Due in Drop Box before start of class: * Turn in Final Assignment * Case preparation: What factors should eCW founders consider in considering the acquisition? If they decide to move forward, how should they finance growth? What lessons should they take from the experiences of other founder-owned businesses such as Microsoft, Fidelity and Wang? Session 15: May 8 Exiting Read prior to class: * Case Study: Nantucket Nectars 898171-PDF-ENG * Blog: “Marketing for M&A”, Power, http://wp.me/pG2EW-1U Due before start of class: * Case Preparation: How would assess the decisions made by Tom and Tom regarding strategy, execution, people and cash? Summarize the pros and cons of a company sale versus IPO? As a founder, what direction would you choose? Why?

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