HBR On Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcasts/on-strategyBusiness strategy isn’t just a plan, it’s a framework for success. Whether you’re building, innovating, or executing, HBR On Strategy is your destination for insights and inspiration from the world’s top experts on business strategy and innovation. Every Wednesday, the editors at the Harvard Business Review hand-picked case studies and conversations from across HBR podcasts, videos, articles, and beyond to help you unlock new ways of doing business.enCopyright 2025 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.onstrategy@hbr.org (onstrategy@hbr.org)Thu, 13 Nov 2025 17:03:35 UTThu, 13 Nov 2025 12:04:16 UTMThttp://feed2.w3.org/docs/rss2.htmlhttps://hbr.org/resources/images/podcasts/1400-on-strategy-lg.jpgHBR On Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcasts/on-strategyCopyright 2025 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.Harvard Business Review Business/Entrepreneurship Business/Management falseideacast@hbr.orgHarvard Business ReviewBusiness strategy isn’t just a plan, it’s a framework for success. Whether you’re building, innovating, or executing, HBR On Strategy is your destination for insights and inspiration from the world’s top experts on business strategy and innovation. Every Wednesday, the editors at the Harvard Business Review hand-picked case studies and conversations from across HBR podcasts, videos, articles, and beyond to help you unlock new ways of doing business.From Harvard Business Reviewepisodicstrategy,innovation,leadership,entrepreneurship,management,economics,finance,communication,teams,hbr,harvardstrategy,innovation,leadership,entrepreneurship,management,economics,finance,communication,teams,hbr,harvardAn Announcement from HBR On Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/an-announcement-from-hbr-on-strategyFor the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of  the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes. We think that you deserve the highest-possible quality HBR content. And to do that, we’re going to focus our efforts for now on our sister feed, HBR On Leadership. But don’t worry—you can still enjoy the archive of episodes. Plus you can find brand new episodes of HBR IdeaCast, HBR’s Women at Work, Cold Call, and Coaching Real Leaders wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, we hope you’ll subscribe to our sister podcast, HBR On Leadership, which will continue dropping new episodes every week. Thank you for joining us each week. See you next time.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0116bWed, 25 Jun 2025 07:22:03 -0500An Announcement from HBR On StrategyfalseFor the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of  the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes. We think that you deserve the highest-possible quality HBR content. And to do that, we’re going to focus our efforts for now on our sister feed, HBR On Leadership. But don’t worry—you can still enjoy the archive of episodes. Plus you can find brand new episodes of HBR IdeaCast, HBR’s Women at Work, Cold Call, and Coaching Real Leaders wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, we hope you’ll subscribe to our sister podcast, HBR On Leadership, which will continue dropping new episodes every week. Thank you for joining us each week. See you next time.116bbonus65 For the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes.

We think that you deserve the highest-possible quality HBR content. And to do that, we’re going to focus our efforts for now on our sister feed, HBR On Leadership. But don’t worry—you can still enjoy the archive of episodes. Plus you can find brand new episodes of HBR IdeaCast, HBR’s Women at Work, Cold Call, and Coaching Real Leaders wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, we hope you’ll subscribe to our sister podcast, HBR On Leadership, which will continue dropping new episodes every week.

Thank you for joining us each week. See you next time.

  • Listen to HBR On Leadership
  • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org
]]> The Strategic Advantage of Tapping Freelancershttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/the-strategic-advantage-of-tapping-freelancersThe rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor and Jin Paik say these structural changes call for a reimagining of your talent strategy—one that is open to flexible, project-based work for talent inside or outside your organization—and they explain how to go about it. Winsor is the founder and chair of Open Assembly and an executive-in-residence at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. Paik is a cofounder and managing partner at the AI consultancy Altruistic and a visiting research scientist at Harvard Business School. Together, they wrote the book Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve Your Biggest Challenges and the HBR article “Do You Need an External Talent Cloud?“tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0116Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:22:02 -0500The Strategic Advantage of Tapping FreelancersfalseThe rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor and Jin Paik say these structural changes call for a reimagining of your talent strategy—one that is open to flexible, project-based work for talent inside or outside your organization—and they explain how to go about it. Winsor is the founder and chair of Open Assembly and an executive-in-residence at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. Paik is a cofounder and managing partner at the AI consultancy Altruistic and a visiting research scientist at Harvard Business School. Together, they wrote the book Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve Your Biggest Challenges and the HBR article “Do You Need an External Talent Cloud?“116full1826 The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence.  

John Winsor and Jin Paik say these structural changes call for a reimagining of your talent strategy—one that is open to flexible, project-based work for talent inside or outside your organization—and they explain how to go about it.

Winsor is the founder and chair of Open Assembly and an executive-in-residence at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. Paik is a cofounder and managing partner at the AI consultancy Altruistic and a visiting research scientist at Harvard Business School. Together, they wrote the book Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve Your Biggest Challenges and the HBR article “Do You Need an External Talent Cloud?“

Key episode topics include: talent strategy, competitive strategy, talent management, freelancing, gig economy, contractors, agile project management

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Promises, Pitfalls, and Trade-offs of the Circular Economyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/the-promises-pitfalls-and-trade-offs-of-the-circular-economyMost businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In her masterclass at HBR’s 2024 Leaders Who Make a Difference conference, she explains how companies can shift to a circular economic strategy. One that reduces waste, reinvests in communities, and creates long-term value. She shares how businesses around the world are rethinking products, partnerships, and growth itself to build more resilient, regenerative business models.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0115Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:22:00 -0500The Promises, Pitfalls, and Trade-offs of the Circular EconomyfalseMost businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In her masterclass at HBR’s 2024 Leaders Who Make a Difference conference, she explains how companies can shift to a circular economic strategy. One that reduces waste, reinvests in communities, and creates long-term value. She shares how businesses around the world are rethinking products, partnerships, and growth itself to build more resilient, regenerative business models.115full1236 Most businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate.

Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In her masterclass at HBR’s 2024 Leaders Who Make a Difference conference, she explains how companies can shift to a circular economic strategy. One that reduces waste, reinvests in communities, and creates long-term value. She shares how businesses around the world are rethinking products, partnerships, and growth itself to build more resilient, regenerative business models. 

Key episode topics include: environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, ESG, climate change, business models, strategy, competitive strategy

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week

]]> Sustainability Is Fueling Innovation at Ferrarihttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/sustainability-is-fueling-innovation-at-ferrariWhen Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, committed to achieving carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet, investors and employees applauded the new strategy. But among the company’s suppliers, the reaction was mixed. Many were nervous about how this shift would affect their bottom lines. Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna discuss how Ferrari collaborated with suppliers to work toward achieving the company’s goal. They also explore how sustainability can be a catalyst for innovation in the case, “Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0114Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:22:30 -0500Sustainability Is Fueling Innovation at FerrarifalseWhen Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, committed to achieving carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet, investors and employees applauded the new strategy. But among the company’s suppliers, the reaction was mixed. Many were nervous about how this shift would affect their bottom lines. Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna discuss how Ferrari collaborated with suppliers to work toward achieving the company’s goal. They also explore how sustainability can be a catalyst for innovation in the case, “Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality.”114full1836 When Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, committed to achieving carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet, investors and employees applauded the new strategy. But among the company’s suppliers, the reaction was mixed. Many were nervous about how this shift would affect their bottom lines.

Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna discuss how Ferrari collaborated with suppliers to work toward achieving the company’s goal. They also explore how sustainability can be a catalyst for innovation in the case, Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality.

Key episode topics include: strategy, environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, luxury goods, ESG, climate change, car manufacturing, innovation

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the full Cold Call episode: Can Sustainability Drive Innovation at Ferrari?
• Find more episodes of Cold Call
• Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

]]> Stress Test Your Strategy Before It Failshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/stress-test-your-strategy-before-it-failsWhile many teams and organizations engage in scenario planning, most don’t go far enough. Arjan Singh, consultant and adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University, says a more disciplined approach, borrowed from the military, can help leaders truly test how their strategies, operations, and tactics hold up against competitors, shifting market dynamics, and unexpected events. He’s helped hundreds of companies identify risks and find new ways to innovate by leading them through corporate war games, and he explains his process and results. Singh is the author of the book Competitive Success: Building Winning Strategies with Corporate War Games.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0113Wed, 04 Jun 2025 06:22:38 -0500Stress Test Your Strategy Before It FailsfalseWhile many teams and organizations engage in scenario planning, most don’t go far enough. Arjan Singh, consultant and adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University, says a more disciplined approach, borrowed from the military, can help leaders truly test how their strategies, operations, and tactics hold up against competitors, shifting market dynamics, and unexpected events. He’s helped hundreds of companies identify risks and find new ways to innovate by leading them through corporate war games, and he explains his process and results. Singh is the author of the book Competitive Success: Building Winning Strategies with Corporate War Games.113full1611 While many teams and organizations engage in scenario planning, most don’t go far enough. Arjan Singh, consultant and adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University, says a more disciplined approach, borrowed from the military, can help leaders truly test how their strategies, operations, and tactics hold up against competitors, shifting market dynamics, and unexpected events. He’s helped hundreds of companies identify risks and find new ways to innovate by leading them through corporate war games, and he explains his process and results. Singh is the author of the book Competitive Success: Building Winning Strategies with Corporate War Games.

Key episode topics include: competitive strategy, strategy, scenario planning, risk management, military, wargaming

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Rethink Your Pricing Strategies Amid Economic Uncertaintyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/05/rethink-your-pricing-strategies-amid-economic-uncertaintyRafi Mohammed, founder of the consulting firm Culture of Profit, says a crisis or recession is not the time to panic and slash prices. He says leaders should instead reevaluate their pricing strategy—or develop one for the first time—to better respond to customers during the slump and keep them when the economy recovers. Since this conversation took place in 2020, the crisis you'll hear them referring to is—obviously—the Covid-19 pandemic. But these lessons apply well beyond that moment—to any period of economic instability. Mohammed shares examples of companies across a variety of industries that created effective price strategies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mohammed is the author of The 1% Windfall: How Successful Companies Use Price to Profit and Grow and the recent HBR article, “Setting a Pricing Strategy Amid Ever-Changing Tariffs.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0112Wed, 28 May 2025 06:22:33 -0500Rethink Your Pricing Strategies Amid Economic UncertaintyfalseRafi Mohammed, founder of the consulting firm Culture of Profit, says a crisis or recession is not the time to panic and slash prices. He says leaders should instead reevaluate their pricing strategy—or develop one for the first time—to better respond to customers during the slump and keep them when the economy recovers. Since this conversation took place in 2020, the crisis you'll hear them referring to is—obviously—the Covid-19 pandemic. But these lessons apply well beyond that moment—to any period of economic instability. Mohammed shares examples of companies across a variety of industries that created effective price strategies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mohammed is the author of The 1% Windfall: How Successful Companies Use Price to Profit and Grow and the recent HBR article, “Setting a Pricing Strategy Amid Ever-Changing Tariffs.”112full1240 Rafi Mohammed, founder of the consulting firm Culture of Profit, says a crisis or recession is not the time to panic and slash prices. He says leaders should instead reevaluate their pricing strategy—or develop one for the first time—to better respond to customers during the slump and keep them when the economy recovers.

Since this conversation took place in 2020, the crisis you’ll hear them referring to is—obviously—the Covid-19 pandemic. But these lessons apply well beyond that moment—to any period of economic instability. Mohammed shares examples of companies across a variety of industries that created effective price strategies in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mohammed is the author of The 1% Windfall: How Successful Companies Use Price to Profit and Grow and the recent HBR article, “Setting a Pricing Strategy Amid Ever-Changing Tariffs.”

Key episode topics include: pricing strategy, competitive strategy, crisis management, customer strategy, economic downturns, economics, inflation, recessions, risk management, strategy 

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> AMD’s Lisa Su on Experimenting with AIhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/05/amds-lisa-su-on-experimenting-with-aiHBR editor at large Adi Ignatius speaks with Lisa Su, CEO of leading semiconductor company AMD, about the company’s evolution toward high-performance and adaptive computing, the future of AI use in different sectors, and the importance of responsible risk-taking. She advocates for fast experimentation and implementation while ensuring safety through initiatives like AMD’s Responsible AI Council, active learning within the organization and among industry peers, and the hiring of diverse talent to drive innovation. Time Magazine recently named Su their "CEO of the Year."tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0111Wed, 21 May 2025 06:22:38 -0500AMD’s Lisa Su on Experimenting with AIfalseHBR editor at large Adi Ignatius speaks with Lisa Su, CEO of leading semiconductor company AMD, about the company’s evolution toward high-performance and adaptive computing, the future of AI use in different sectors, and the importance of responsible risk-taking. She advocates for fast experimentation and implementation while ensuring safety through initiatives like AMD’s Responsible AI Council, active learning within the organization and among industry peers, and the hiring of diverse talent to drive innovation. Time Magazine recently named Su their "CEO of the Year."111full1385 HBR editor at large Adi Ignatius speaks with Lisa Su, CEO of leading semiconductor company AMD, about the company’s evolution toward high-performance and adaptive computing, the future of AI use in different sectors, and the importance of responsible risk-taking. She advocates for fast experimentation and implementation while ensuring safety through initiatives like AMD’s Responsible AI Council, active learning within the organization and among industry peers, and the hiring of diverse talent to drive innovation. Time Magazine recently named Su their “CEO of the Year.”

Key episode topics include: artificial intelligence, computing, machine learning, technology, decision-making, implementation, experimentation, ChatGPT, OpenAI, strategy 

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> A Lesson on Balancing Scaling with Stabilityhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/05/a-lesson-on-balancing-scaling-with-stabilityIn late 2013, Ryan Cohen, cofounder and then-CEO of online pet products retailer Chewy.com, was facing a decision that could determine his company’s future. Should he stay with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) for all of Chewy.com’s e-commerce fulfillment or take that function in house? Cohen worried that the company’s current 3PL may not be able to scale with Chewy.com’s projected growth or maintain the company’s performance standards for service quality and fulfillment. But neither he nor his cofounders had experience managing logistics, and the company’s board members were pressuring him to leave order fulfillment to the 3PL. What should Cohen do? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport discusses the options in his case, “Chewy.com (A).”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0110Wed, 14 May 2025 06:22:05 -0500A Lesson on Balancing Scaling with StabilityfalseIn late 2013, Ryan Cohen, cofounder and then-CEO of online pet products retailer Chewy.com, was facing a decision that could determine his company’s future. Should he stay with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) for all of Chewy.com’s e-commerce fulfillment or take that function in house? Cohen worried that the company’s current 3PL may not be able to scale with Chewy.com’s projected growth or maintain the company’s performance standards for service quality and fulfillment. But neither he nor his cofounders had experience managing logistics, and the company’s board members were pressuring him to leave order fulfillment to the 3PL. What should Cohen do? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport discusses the options in his case, “Chewy.com (A).”110full1708 In late 2013, Ryan Cohen, cofounder and then-CEO of online pet products retailer Chewy.com, was facing a decision that could determine his company’s future. Should he stay with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) for all of Chewy.com’s e-commerce fulfillment or take that function in house?

Cohen worried that the company’s current 3PL may not be able to scale with Chewy.com’s projected growth or maintain the company’s performance standards for service quality and fulfillment. But neither he nor his cofounders had experience managing logistics, and the company’s board members were pressuring him to leave order fulfillment to the 3PL.

What should Cohen do? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport discusses the options in his case, “Chewy.com (A).”

Key episode topics include: strategy, supply chain management, operations management, growth strategy, operations strategy

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Right Way to Launch an AI Initiativehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/05/the-right-way-to-launch-an-ai-initiativeUnfortunately, you can’t set up your organization’s artificial intelligence projects like just any other IT project. By their nature, AI endeavors are quite different and suffer high failure rates. But there are proven approaches you can take to increase your odds of success. Iavor Bojinov, assistant professor at Harvard Business School and former LinkedIn data scientist, breaks down five critical steps for an AI project to turn into an effective product: selection, development, evaluation, adoption, and management. He’s the author of the HBR article “Keep Your AI Projects on Track.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0109Wed, 07 May 2025 06:22:04 -0500The Right Way to Launch an AI InitiativefalseUnfortunately, you can’t set up your organization’s artificial intelligence projects like just any other IT project. By their nature, AI endeavors are quite different and suffer high failure rates. But there are proven approaches you can take to increase your odds of success. Iavor Bojinov, assistant professor at Harvard Business School and former LinkedIn data scientist, breaks down five critical steps for an AI project to turn into an effective product: selection, development, evaluation, adoption, and management. He’s the author of the HBR article “Keep Your AI Projects on Track.”109full1501 Unfortunately, you can’t set up your organization’s artificial intelligence projects like just any other IT project. By their nature, AI endeavors are quite different and suffer high failure rates. But there are proven approaches you can take to increase your odds of success. Iavor Bojinov, assistant professor at Harvard Business School and former LinkedIn data scientist, breaks down five critical steps for an AI project to turn into an effective product: selection, development, evaluation, adoption, and management. He’s the author of the HBR article “Keep Your AI Projects on Track.”

Key episode topics include: artificial intelligence, project management, product management, product launches, trust, employee engagement, technology and analytics, competitive strategy, strategy,

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The 6 Forces of Failure—and How to Protect Your Company from Themhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/04/the-6-forces-of-failure-and-how-to-protect-your-company-from-themWhat can failures like Harley-Davidson Cologne or Cheetos Lip Balm teach us about success? Sean Jacobsohn, partner at Norwest Venture Partners and founder of the Failure Museum, takes us on a tour of notable product failures, sharing insights into why they failed and the lessons we can learn from them. Discover the six forces of failure and learn how companies can avoid making the same mistakes.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0108Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:22:36 -0500The 6 Forces of Failure—and How to Protect Your Company from ThemfalseWhat can failures like Harley-Davidson Cologne or Cheetos Lip Balm teach us about success? Sean Jacobsohn, partner at Norwest Venture Partners and founder of the Failure Museum, takes us on a tour of notable product failures, sharing insights into why they failed and the lessons we can learn from them. Discover the six forces of failure and learn how companies can avoid making the same mistakes.108full533 What can failures like Harley-Davidson Cologne or Cheetos Lip Balm teach us about success?

Sean Jacobsohn, partner at Norwest Venture Partners and founder of the Failure Museum, takes us on a tour of notable product failures, sharing insights into why they failed and the lessons we can learn from them. Discover the six forces of failure and learn how companies can avoid making the same mistakes.

Key episode topics include: business failures, growth strategy, product management, product development, product launches, competitive strategy, competition, financial management, customer strategy, timing, strategy

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Turn Your Customer Base into a Communityhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/04/how-to-turn-your-customer-base-into-a-community”Community” is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot in the business world. But what does it really mean to build one—and what does it take to make it last? More importantly, how can businesses create communities that drive long-term success? Matt Mullenweg, the cofounder of WordPress and the founder and CEO of Automattic, tackles these questions in this episode. He shares insights on fostering community within a firm—like hiring the right people through auditions instead of resumes—and within a customer base by encouraging engagement and feedback.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0107Wed, 23 Apr 2025 06:22:46 -0500How to Turn Your Customer Base into a Communityfalse”Community” is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot in the business world. But what does it really mean to build one—and what does it take to make it last? More importantly, how can businesses create communities that drive long-term success? Matt Mullenweg, the cofounder of WordPress and the founder and CEO of Automattic, tackles these questions in this episode. He shares insights on fostering community within a firm—like hiring the right people through auditions instead of resumes—and within a customer base by encouraging engagement and feedback.107full1042 “Community” is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot in the business world. But what does it really mean to build one—and what does it take to make it last? More importantly, how can businesses create communities that drive long-term success? Matt Mullenweg, the cofounder of WordPress and the founder and CEO of Automattic, tackles these questions in this episode. He shares insights on fostering community within a firm—like hiring the right people through auditions instead of resumes—and within a customer base by encouraging engagement and feedback.

Key episode topics include: customer strategy, customer experience, customer feedback, hiring and recruitment, brand management, strategy,

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Great Strategy Starts with Experimentationhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/04/great-strategy-starts-with-experimentationStefan Thomke, professor at Harvard Business School, says running experiments can give companies tremendous value, but too often business leaders make decisions based on intuition. While A/B testing on large transaction volumes is common practice at Google, Booking.com, and Netflix, Thomke says even small firms can get a competitive advantage from experiments. He explains how to introduce, run, and learn from them, as well as how to cultivate an experimental mindset at your organization. Thomke is the author of the book Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments and the HBR article “Building a Culture of Experimentation.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0106Wed, 16 Apr 2025 06:22:04 -0500Great Strategy Starts with ExperimentationfalseStefan Thomke, professor at Harvard Business School, says running experiments can give companies tremendous value, but too often business leaders make decisions based on intuition. While A/B testing on large transaction volumes is common practice at Google, Booking.com, and Netflix, Thomke says even small firms can get a competitive advantage from experiments. He explains how to introduce, run, and learn from them, as well as how to cultivate an experimental mindset at your organization. Thomke is the author of the book Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments and the HBR article “Building a Culture of Experimentation.”106full1408 Stefan Thomke, professor at Harvard Business School, says running experiments can give companies tremendous value, but too often business leaders make decisions based on intuition.

While A/B testing on large transaction volumes is common practice at Google, Booking.com, and Netflix, Thomke says even small firms can get a competitive advantage from experiments. He explains how to introduce, run, and learn from them, as well as how to cultivate an experimental mindset at your organization. Thomke is the author of the book Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments and the HBR article “Building a Culture of Experimentation.”

Key episode topics include: experimentation, data and analytics, risk management, decision-making, strategy

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Bringing Innovation to an Underserved Markethttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/04/bringing-innovation-to-an-underserved-marketFounded in 2014, Thinx, Inc. makes absorbent underwear that can be worn during menstruation. But the feminine care market had seen virtually no innovation in half a century because of the taboo against discussing the topic of menstruation. As a result, the startup was competing against large incumbents like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Harvard Business School Associate Professor Rembrand Koning examines these strategic marketing challenges and discusses the importance of removing taboos and biases in order to bring innovation to the feminine care market in his case, “Thinx, Inc.—Breaking Barriers in Feminine Care.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0105Wed, 09 Apr 2025 06:22:02 -0500Bringing Innovation to an Underserved MarketfalseFounded in 2014, Thinx, Inc. makes absorbent underwear that can be worn during menstruation. But the feminine care market had seen virtually no innovation in half a century because of the taboo against discussing the topic of menstruation. As a result, the startup was competing against large incumbents like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Harvard Business School Associate Professor Rembrand Koning examines these strategic marketing challenges and discusses the importance of removing taboos and biases in order to bring innovation to the feminine care market in his case, “Thinx, Inc.—Breaking Barriers in Feminine Care.”105full1592 Founded in 2014, Thinx, Inc. makes absorbent underwear that can be worn during menstruation. But the feminine care market had seen virtually no innovation in half a century because of the taboo against discussing the topic of menstruation. As a result, the startup was competing against large incumbents like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

Harvard Business School Associate Professor Rembrand Koning examines these strategic marketing challenges and discusses the importance of removing taboos and biases in order to bring innovation to the feminine care market in his case, “Thinx, Inc.—Breaking Barriers in Feminine Care.”

Key episode topics include: disruptive innovation, startups, marketing, gender, health and wellness

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> To Make Better Decisions, Think Like a Venture Capitalisthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/04/to-make-better-decisions-think-like-a-venture-capitalistVenture capital firms notoriously embrace risk and take big swings, hoping that one startup will become a monster hit that pays for many other failed investments. This VC approach scares established companies, but it shouldn’t. Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Ilya Strebulaev says that VC firms have proven best practices that all leaders should apply in their own companies. He explains exactly how VC’s operationalize risk, embrace disagreement over consensus, and stay agile in their decision-making—all valuable lessons that apply outside of Silicon Valley. With author Alex Dang, Strebulaev cowrote the new book The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth and the HBR article “Make Decisions with a VC Mindset.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0104Wed, 02 Apr 2025 06:22:51 -0500To Make Better Decisions, Think Like a Venture CapitalistfalseVenture capital firms notoriously embrace risk and take big swings, hoping that one startup will become a monster hit that pays for many other failed investments. This VC approach scares established companies, but it shouldn’t. Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Ilya Strebulaev says that VC firms have proven best practices that all leaders should apply in their own companies. He explains exactly how VC’s operationalize risk, embrace disagreement over consensus, and stay agile in their decision-making—all valuable lessons that apply outside of Silicon Valley. With author Alex Dang, Strebulaev cowrote the new book The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth and the HBR article “Make Decisions with a VC Mindset.”104full1484 Venture capital firms notoriously embrace risk and take big swings, hoping that one startup will become a monster hit that pays for many other failed investments. This VC approach scares established companies, but it shouldn’t. Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Ilya Strebulaev says that VC firms have proven best practices that all leaders should apply in their own companies. He explains exactly how VC’s operationalize risk, embrace disagreement over consensus, and stay agile in their decision-making—all valuable lessons that apply outside of Silicon Valley. With author Alex Dang, Strebulaev cowrote the new book The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth and the HBR article “Make Decisions with a VC Mindset.”

Key episode topics include:

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Lead a Successful Turnaroundhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/03/how-to-lead-a-successful-turnaroundWhen a company, division, or product line has been struggling for some time, it can feel nearly impossible to get things back on track. But big turnarounds are possible, provided you have a team willing to work hard, be creative, and embrace change. When he was president and CEO of Marvel, Peter Cuneo oversaw the resurgence and sale of the media company, but even before that he had a long track record for turning around many types of consumer-facing businesses. He shares the strategies that work best for shaking up organizations and teams and boosting their performance. Cuneo is also the managing principal of Cuneo and Company.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0103Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:22:12 -0500How to Lead a Successful TurnaroundfalseWhen a company, division, or product line has been struggling for some time, it can feel nearly impossible to get things back on track. But big turnarounds are possible, provided you have a team willing to work hard, be creative, and embrace change. When he was president and CEO of Marvel, Peter Cuneo oversaw the resurgence and sale of the media company, but even before that he had a long track record for turning around many types of consumer-facing businesses. He shares the strategies that work best for shaking up organizations and teams and boosting their performance. Cuneo is also the managing principal of Cuneo and Company.103full1713 When a company, division, or product line has been struggling for some time, it can feel nearly impossible to get things back on track. But big turnarounds are possible, provided you have a team willing to work hard, be creative, and embrace change. When he was president and CEO of Marvel, Peter Cuneo oversaw the resurgence and sale of the media company, but even before that he had a long track record for turning around many types of consumer-facing businesses. He shares the strategies that work best for shaking up organizations and teams and boosting their performance. Cuneo is also the managing principal of Cuneo and Company.

Key episode topics include: strategy execution, strategic planning, strategy, turnarounds, decision-making, problem solving, entertainment industry

HBR On Strategy curates the best and conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Alphabet CEO on AI as a Workplace Collaboratorhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/03/alphabet-ceo-on-ai-as-a-workplace-collaboratorThe use of artificial intelligence—specifically generative AI—is growing rapidly, and tech giants like Google have an important role to play in how that technology gets adopted and developed. Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google as well as its parent company Alphabet, which he’s led as an AI-first company for several years. He speaks with HBR Editor at Large Adi Ignatius about shaping Google’s AI strategy, putting safeguards in place, and how work and leadership will change as AI advances.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0102Wed, 19 Mar 2025 06:22:55 -0500Alphabet CEO on AI as a Workplace CollaboratorfalseThe use of artificial intelligence—specifically generative AI—is growing rapidly, and tech giants like Google have an important role to play in how that technology gets adopted and developed. Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google as well as its parent company Alphabet, which he’s led as an AI-first company for several years. He speaks with HBR Editor at Large Adi Ignatius about shaping Google’s AI strategy, putting safeguards in place, and how work and leadership will change as AI advances.102full1743 The use of artificial intelligence—specifically generative AI—is growing rapidly, and tech giants like Google have an important role to play in how that technology gets adopted and developed. Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google as well as its parent company Alphabet, which he’s led as an AI-first company for several years. He speaks with HBR Editor at Large Adi Ignatius about shaping Google’s AI strategy, putting safeguards in place, and how work and leadership will change as AI advances.

Key episode topics include: artificial intelligence, generative AI, innovation, technology, strategy

HBR On Strategy curates the best and conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Push for Change in a Large Organizationhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/03/how-to-push-for-change-in-a-large-organizationGetting a big, bureaucratic organization to innovate or adopt new technologies is hard. That’s why Harvard Business School professor Maria Roche wrote a case study about U.S. Air Force Major Victor “SALSA” Lopez. He helped launch a program that uncovers ways to use AI to strengthen U.S. defense efforts. Professor Roche and Major Lopez talked about the challenges of fostering innovation within a large bureaucracy in a conversation with host Brian Kenny on Cold Call back in 2023.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0101Wed, 12 Mar 2025 06:22:17 -0500How to Push for Change in a Large OrganizationfalseGetting a big, bureaucratic organization to innovate or adopt new technologies is hard. That’s why Harvard Business School professor Maria Roche wrote a case study about U.S. Air Force Major Victor “SALSA” Lopez. He helped launch a program that uncovers ways to use AI to strengthen U.S. defense efforts. Professor Roche and Major Lopez talked about the challenges of fostering innovation within a large bureaucracy in a conversation with host Brian Kenny on Cold Call back in 2023.101full1624 Getting a big, bureaucratic organization to innovate or adopt new technologies is hard. That’s why Harvard Business School professor Maria Roche wrote a case study about U.S. Air Force Major Victor “SALSA” Lopez. He helped launch a program that uncovers ways to use AI to strengthen U.S. defense efforts. Professor Roche and Major Lopez talked about the challenges of fostering innovation within a large bureaucracy in a conversation with host Brian Kenny on Cold Call back in 2023.

Key episode topics include: innovation, change management, artificial intelligence, defense sector, technology, analytics

HBR On Strategy curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Right Way to Make Data-Driven Decisionshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/03/the-right-way-to-make-data-driven-decisionsFueled by the promise of concrete insights, organizations are increasingly prioritizing data in their decision-making processes. But that process can easily go wrong. Many leaders don’t understand that their decisions are only as good as how they interpret the data. In this episode, John Hopkins Carey School Professor Michael Luca and Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson explain their framework for making better decisions by interpreting data more effectively.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0100Wed, 05 Mar 2025 06:22:27 -0500The Right Way to Make Data-Driven DecisionsfalseFueled by the promise of concrete insights, organizations are increasingly prioritizing data in their decision-making processes. But that process can easily go wrong. Many leaders don’t understand that their decisions are only as good as how they interpret the data. In this episode, John Hopkins Carey School Professor Michael Luca and Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson explain their framework for making better decisions by interpreting data more effectively.100full1624 Fueled by the promise of concrete insights, organizations are increasingly prioritizing data in their decision-making processes. But that process can easily go wrong. Many leaders don’t understand that their decisions are only as good as how they interpret the data.

In this episode, Professor Michael Luca of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School share a framework for making better decisions by interpreting data more effectively.

Luca and Edmondson are coauthors of the HBR article “Where Data-Driven Decision-Making Can Go Wrong.”

Key episode topics include: Analytics and data, data management, data strategy, data analysis, organizational decision making, strategy

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> To Grow Profitably, Take It Slowhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/02/to-grow-profitably-take-it-slowMany companies, especially in the tech world, have come to embrace the idea of growth at all costs. But according to research from Gary Pisano, professor at Harvard Business School, most firms fail to consistently increase revenues and profits over the long term, adjusting for inflation. In this episode, Pisano explains why it’s important for leaders to think more strategically about not just the rate of growth they want to achieve but the direction they want to grow in and their method for doing so. Trying to grow too fast can be the downfall of many organizations. He shares examples of companies that have fallen into this trap, as well as those getting the balance right.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0099Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:22:47 -0500To Grow Profitably, Take It SlowfalseMany companies, especially in the tech world, have come to embrace the idea of growth at all costs. But according to research from Gary Pisano, professor at Harvard Business School, most firms fail to consistently increase revenues and profits over the long term, adjusting for inflation. In this episode, Pisano explains why it’s important for leaders to think more strategically about not just the rate of growth they want to achieve but the direction they want to grow in and their method for doing so. Trying to grow too fast can be the downfall of many organizations. He shares examples of companies that have fallen into this trap, as well as those getting the balance right.99full1810 Many companies, especially in the tech world, have come to embrace the idea of growth at all costs. But according to research from Gary Pisano, professor at Harvard Business School, most firms fail to consistently increase revenues and profits over the long term, adjusting for inflation.

In this episode, Pisano explains why it’s important for leaders to think more strategically about not just the rate of growth they want to achieve but the direction they want to grow in and their method for doing so. Trying to grow too fast can be the downfall of many organizations. He shares examples of companies that have fallen into this trap, as well as those getting the balance right.

Pisano wrote the HBR article “How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?“

Key episode topics include: Growth strategy, strategy, competitive advantage, profitability, sustainable business practices

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Turn Your Supply Chain into an Innovation Enginehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/02/turn-your-supply-chain-into-an-innovation-engineImagine a company that, in a matter of weeks, can develop, prototype, build, and deliver innovative products. That’s exactly what Haier, one of the world’s largest home appliance manufacturers, achieved in 2019. When the city of Wuhan urgently needed mobile isolation wards to curb the spread of Covid-19, Haier leveraged their open digital supply chain platform. In this episode, Kasra Ferdows, an operations management professor at Georgetown University, explains how open digital platforms facilitate innovation and problem solving by making the entire supply chain more transparent to suppliers.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0098Wed, 19 Feb 2025 06:22:32 -0500Turn Your Supply Chain into an Innovation EnginefalseImagine a company that, in a matter of weeks, can develop, prototype, build, and deliver innovative products. That’s exactly what Haier, one of the world’s largest home appliance manufacturers, achieved in 2019. When the city of Wuhan urgently needed mobile isolation wards to curb the spread of Covid-19, Haier leveraged their open digital supply chain platform. In this episode, Kasra Ferdows, an operations management professor at Georgetown University, explains how open digital platforms facilitate innovation and problem solving by making the entire supply chain more transparent to suppliers.98full1529 Imagine a company that, in a matter of weeks, can develop, prototype, build, and deliver innovative products. That’s exactly what Haier, one of the world’s largest home appliance manufacturers, achieved in 2019. When the city of Wuhan urgently needed mobile isolation wards to curb the spread of Covid-19, Haier leveraged their open digital supply chain platform to deliver in record time.

In this episode, Kasra Ferdows, an operations management professor at Georgetown University, explains how open digital platforms facilitate innovation and problem solving by making the entire supply chain more transparent to suppliers.

Key episode topics include: Supply chain management, strategy, innovation, competitive advantage, operations

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Using New Tech to Compete in an Old Industryhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/02/using-new-tech-to-compete-in-an-old-industryThe insurance industry is centuries old and has historically been dominated by a few large incumbents. To buy insurance, customers usually go through a broker or an agent. But the industry is experiencing disruption from smaller tech-driven companies—known as insurtechs—that are changing how insurance is bought and sold. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen explores how insurtech firm Hippo is challenging traditional insurance models. He explains how Hippo is eliminating the need for insurance agents and using AI to lower prices. He also shares Hippo’s unique approach to targeting customers who live in riskier markets and are comfortable with digital platforms.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0097Wed, 12 Feb 2025 06:22:52 -0500Using New Tech to Compete in an Old IndustryfalseThe insurance industry is centuries old and has historically been dominated by a few large incumbents. To buy insurance, customers usually go through a broker or an agent. But the industry is experiencing disruption from smaller tech-driven companies—known as insurtechs—that are changing how insurance is bought and sold. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen explores how insurtech firm Hippo is challenging traditional insurance models. He explains how Hippo is eliminating the need for insurance agents and using AI to lower prices. He also shares Hippo’s unique approach to targeting customers who live in riskier markets and are comfortable with digital platforms.97full1626 The insurance industry is centuries old and has historically been dominated by a few large incumbents. But the industry is experiencing disruption from smaller tech-driven companies—known as insurtechs—that are changing how insurance is bought and sold.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen explores how insurtech firm Hippo is challenging traditional insurance models. He explains how Hippo is eliminating the need for insurance agents and using AI to lower prices. And he breaks down Hippo’s unique approach to targeting customers who live in riskier markets and are comfortable with digital platforms.

Key episode topics include: insurance, disruptive innovation, artificial intelligence, growth strategy, long-term growth, competitive advantage, climate change, case studies

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Key to Sustaining an Enduring Competitive Advantagehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/02/the-key-to-sustaining-an-enduring-competitive-advantageIt’s a holy grail for many businesses — the search for sustainable competitive advantage. But Chris Zook points out that it’s elusive for most companies. He notes that less than one in ten achieve profitable growth over a decade, on average. Zook is the former head of Bain’s global strategy practice and coauthor of the book Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change. In this episode, he shares three key principles that can help your organization find and maintain an enduring competitive advantage, with real-world examples drawn from IKEA, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Nike.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0096Wed, 05 Feb 2025 06:22:23 -0500The Key to Sustaining an Enduring Competitive AdvantagefalseIt’s a holy grail for many businesses — the search for sustainable competitive advantage. But Chris Zook points out that it’s elusive for most companies. He notes that less than one in ten achieve profitable growth over a decade, on average. Zook is the former head of Bain’s global strategy practice and coauthor of the book Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change. In this episode, he shares three key principles that can help your organization find and maintain an enduring competitive advantage, with real-world examples drawn from IKEA, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Nike.96full1135 It’s a holy grail for many businesses—the search for sustainable competitive advantage. But Chris Zook points out that it’s elusive for most companies. He notes that less than one in 10 companies even achieve a modest level of sustained and profitable growth over a 10-year period on average.

Zook is the former head of Bain’s global strategy practice and coauthor of the book Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change.

In this episode, he shares three key principles that can help your organization find and maintain an enduring competitive advantage, with real-world examples drawn from IKEA, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Nike.

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership, growth strategy, long-term growth, competitive advantage, case studies.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> A Restaurant Innovator’s Recipe for Strategic Growthhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/01/a-restaurant-innovators-recipe-for-strategic-growthFor a long time in the restaurant industry, there were two types of dining experiences: fast food or table service. But Ron Shaich, founder and former chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, managed to create an entirely new category in between the two: fast casual. That innovative idea laid the groundwork for companies like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and beyond. In this episode, Shaich breaks down his core strategies for successful innovation in the restaurant industry: figure out what your customers truly want, create a differentiated offering, execute with excellence, and focus on growth. He argues that these strategies aren’t only relevant for the food industry — they can be used to scale any type of organization.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0095Wed, 29 Jan 2025 06:22:01 -0500A Restaurant Innovator’s Recipe for Strategic GrowthfalseFor a long time in the restaurant industry, there were two types of dining experiences: fast food or table service. But Ron Shaich, founder and former chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, managed to create an entirely new category in between the two: fast casual. That innovative idea laid the groundwork for companies like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and beyond. In this episode, Shaich breaks down his core strategies for successful innovation in the restaurant industry: figure out what your customers truly want, create a differentiated offering, execute with excellence, and focus on growth. He argues that these strategies aren’t only relevant for the food industry — they can be used to scale any type of organization.95full1911 For a long time in the restaurant industry, there were two types of dining experiences: fast food or table service. But Ron Shaich, founder and former chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, managed to create an entirely new category in between the two: fast casual. That innovative idea laid the groundwork for companies like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and beyond.

In this episode, Shaich breaks down his core strategies for successful innovation in the restaurant industry: pinpoint what your customers truly want, differentiate your offering, execute with excellence, and focus on growth. He argues that these strategies aren’t only relevant for the food industry — they can be used to scale any type of organization.

Key episode topics include: strategy, customer service, entrepreneurship, going public, growth strategy, scaling entrepreneurial ventures, strategy execution, restaurants, fast casual, panera, chipotle, sweetgreen, innovation, disruption. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> A Middle Manager’s Guide to Executing Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/01/a-middle-managers-guide-to-executing-strategyImagine this scenario: Your company’s executive team has just announced their new master plan for growing the business. Now it’s your job, as a mid-level manager, to put it into practice. So where do you start? In this episode, strategist Andrea Belk Olson explains how to make the most of a plan that you may or may not agree with and that you may or may not have had any input into. She also has advice about the questions you should ask yourself before taking action, how to handle resistance from people you manage, and what to do if the new strategy isn’t working well.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0094Wed, 22 Jan 2025 06:22:40 -0500A Middle Manager’s Guide to Executing StrategyfalseImagine this scenario: Your company’s executive team has just announced their new master plan for growing the business. Now it’s your job, as a mid-level manager, to put it into practice. So where do you start? In this episode, strategist Andrea Belk Olson explains how to make the most of a plan that you may or may not agree with and that you may or may not have had any input into. She also has advice about the questions you should ask yourself before taking action, how to handle resistance from people you manage, and what to do if the new strategy isn’t working well.94full2795 Imagine this scenario: Your company’s executive team has just announced their new master plan for growing the business. Now it’s your job, as a mid-level manager, to put it into practice. So where do you start?

In this episode, strategy consultant Andrea Belk Olson explains how to make the most of a plan that you may or may not agree with and that you may or may not have had any input into. She also has advice about the questions you should ask yourself before taking action, how to handle resistance from people you manage, and what to do if the new strategy isn’t working well.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategy execution, growth strategy, managing people, managing up.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Competitive Strategy Lessons from the LIV Golf and PGA Tour Mergerhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/01/competitive-strategy-lessons-from-the-liv-golf-and-pga-tour-mergerIn June 2022, the first ever LIV Golf event teed off outside of London. Offering players larger prizes and more flexibility, LIV Golf aimed to disrupt the sport. In response, the PGA Tour suspended all players who participated in the LIV Golf event, escalating tensions between the two entities. This conflict culminated in LIV Golf filing an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. Then, in a surprising turn of events, the two tours announced their merger in June 2023. University of Virginia associate professor Alexander  MacKay discusses the competitive and regulatory issues at stake and whether or not the PGA Tour took the right actions in response to LIV Golf’s entry in his case, “LIV Golf.”  In this episode, he explores how a dominant organization like the PGA Tour can respond to challenges from innovative competitors. He also shares lessons from the PGA Tour’s response to LIV Golf’s market entrance and explains when it makes more sense to treat a competitor as a partner rather than an adversary.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0093Wed, 15 Jan 2025 06:22:05 -0500Competitive Strategy Lessons from the LIV Golf and PGA Tour MergerfalseIn June 2022, the first ever LIV Golf event teed off outside of London. Offering players larger prizes and more flexibility, LIV Golf aimed to disrupt the sport. In response, the PGA Tour suspended all players who participated in the LIV Golf event, escalating tensions between the two entities. This conflict culminated in LIV Golf filing an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. Then, in a surprising turn of events, the two tours announced their merger in June 2023. University of Virginia associate professor Alexander  MacKay discusses the competitive and regulatory issues at stake and whether or not the PGA Tour took the right actions in response to LIV Golf’s entry in his case, “LIV Golf.”  In this episode, he explores how a dominant organization like the PGA Tour can respond to challenges from innovative competitors. He also shares lessons from the PGA Tour’s response to LIV Golf’s market entrance and explains when it makes more sense to treat a competitor as a partner rather than an adversary.93full1677 In June 2022, the first ever LIV Golf event teed off outside of London. Offering players larger prizes and more flexibility, LIV Golf aimed to disrupt the sport.

In response, the PGA Tour suspended all players who participated in the LIV Golf event, escalating tensions between the two entities. This conflict culminated in LIV Golf filing an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. Then, in a surprising turn of events, the two tours announced their merger in June 2023.

University of Virginia associate professor Alexander MacKay discusses the competitive and regulatory issues at stake and whether or not the PGA Tour took the right actions in response to LIV Golf’s entry in his case, “LIV Golf.” In this episode, he explores how a dominant organization like the PGA Tour can respond to challenges from innovative competitors. He also shares lessons from the PGA Tour’s response to LIV Golf’s market entrance and explains when it makes more sense to treat a competitor as a partner rather than an adversary.

Key episode topics include: strategy, business management, antitrust laws, disruptive innovation, professional sports industry, media, entertainment, and professional sports, golf, merger. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Strategies for Managing Talent Amid Uncertainty and Competitionhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/01/strategies-for-managing-talent-amid-uncertainty-and-competitionIn the last half century, relationships between employers and their employees have evolved away from being rooted in long-term loyalty to a new paradigm of short-term alliances driven by uncertainty and competition. Entrepreneurs and coauthors Ben Casnocha and Chris Yeh argue that the new world of work isn’t so different from the typical conditions that many entrepreneurs operate in. And if you’re a manager, you may need a new strategy to hire and retain top talent. Casnocha and Yeh, coauthors of the book The Startup of You, explain why it’s important for your organization to build internal and external employee networks—and how to get started if you don’t already have those groups in place informally.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0092Wed, 08 Jan 2025 06:22:37 -0500Strategies for Managing Talent Amid Uncertainty and CompetitionfalseIn the last half century, relationships between employers and their employees have evolved away from being rooted in long-term loyalty to a new paradigm of short-term alliances driven by uncertainty and competition. Entrepreneurs and coauthors Ben Casnocha and Chris Yeh argue that the new world of work isn’t so different from the typical conditions that many entrepreneurs operate in. And if you’re a manager, you may need a new strategy to hire and retain top talent. Casnocha and Yeh, coauthors of the book The Startup of You, explain why it’s important for your organization to build internal and external employee networks—and how to get started if you don’t already have those groups in place informally.92full1280 In the last half century, relationships between employers and their employees have evolved away from being rooted in long-term loyalty to a new paradigm of short-term alliances driven by uncertainty and competition.

Entrepreneurs and coauthors Ben Casnocha and Chris Yeh argue that the new world of work isn’t so different from the typical conditions that many entrepreneurs operate in. And if you’re a manager, you may need a new strategy to hire and retain top talent.

Casnocha and Yeh, coauthors of the book The Startup of You, explain why it’s important for your organization to build internal and external employee networks—and how to get started if you don’t already have those groups in place informally.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, talent management.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How McKinsey Resisted Disruptionhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2025/01/how-mckinsey-resisted-disruptionThe consulting firm McKinsey has helped its clients navigate disruption in a wide range of industries. But what can we learn from how McKinsey itself responded to disruption in the management consulting industry in the early aughts? In this episode, the originator of disruptive innovation, the late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, joined former McKinsey managing partner Dominic Barton to break down how the firm shifted its internal strategy to prioritize flexibility and efficiency.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0091Wed, 01 Jan 2025 06:22:14 -0500How McKinsey Resisted DisruptionfalseThe consulting firm McKinsey has helped its clients navigate disruption in a wide range of industries. But what can we learn from how McKinsey itself responded to disruption in the management consulting industry in the early aughts? In this episode, the originator of disruptive innovation, the late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, joined former McKinsey managing partner Dominic Barton to break down how the firm shifted its internal strategy to prioritize flexibility and efficiency.91full1742 The consulting firm McKinsey has helped its clients navigate disruption in a wide range of industries. But what can we learn from how McKinsey itself responded to disruption in the management consulting industry in the early aughts?

In this episode, the originator of disruptive innovation, the late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, joined former McKinsey managing partner Dominic Barton to break down how the firm shifted its internal strategy to prioritize flexibility and efficiency.

Key episode topics include: strategy, professional services, innovation, consulting, disruption.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> What It Takes to Thrive During a Crisishttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/12/what-it-takes-to-thrive-during-a-crisisWhy did some companies thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic while others struggled? Keith Ferrazzi, founder of the consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight, surveyed more than 2,000 executives to learn how they changed their operations during the pandemic. The results show that some companies had already been cultivating a kind of extreme adaptability before the pandemic. That practice helped them come out on top. In this episode, Ferrazzi outlines the concrete steps organizations can take to cultivate the resilience and agility to stay competitive in the post-Covid-19 world.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0090Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:22:36 -0500What It Takes to Thrive During a CrisisfalseWhy did some companies thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic while others struggled? Keith Ferrazzi, founder of the consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight, surveyed more than 2,000 executives to learn how they changed their operations during the pandemic. The results show that some companies had already been cultivating a kind of extreme adaptability before the pandemic. That practice helped them come out on top. In this episode, Ferrazzi outlines the concrete steps organizations can take to cultivate the resilience and agility to stay competitive in the post-Covid-19 world.90full1423 Why did some companies thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic while others struggled?

Keith Ferrazzi, founder of the consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight, surveyed more than 2,000 executives to learn how they changed their operations during the pandemic. The results show that some companies had already been cultivating a kind of extreme adaptability before the pandemic. That practice helped them come out on top.

In this episode, Ferrazzi outlines the concrete steps organizations can take to cultivate the resilience and agility to stay competitive in the post-Covid-19 world.

Key episode topics include: strategy, adaptive leadership, organizational transformation, collaboration and teams.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Glossier Maintained Brand Integrity While Scalinghttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/12/how-glossier-maintained-brand-integrity-while-scalingGlossier launched in 2014 as an e-commerce, direct-to-consumer makeup and skincare brand aimed at millennial women. From the start, Glossier’s founder Emily Weiss built a strong digital community around her brand. But after the company received its first major round of funding, Glossier was ready to scale up its marketing spending. The challenge: How to do that while also preserving the brand’s all-important authenticity? In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jill Avery explains how to think about marketing when scaling a business. Drawing from her business case on Glossier, Avery breaks down how their management team incorporated paid micro-influencers to grow their brand value without undermining their credibility.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0089Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:22:31 -0500How Glossier Maintained Brand Integrity While ScalingfalseGlossier launched in 2014 as an e-commerce, direct-to-consumer makeup and skincare brand aimed at millennial women. From the start, Glossier’s founder Emily Weiss built a strong digital community around her brand. But after the company received its first major round of funding, Glossier was ready to scale up its marketing spending. The challenge: How to do that while also preserving the brand’s all-important authenticity? In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jill Avery explains how to think about marketing when scaling a business. Drawing from her business case on Glossier, Avery breaks down how their management team incorporated paid micro-influencers to grow their brand value without undermining their credibility.89full1739 Glossier launched in 2014 as an e-commerce, direct-to-consumer makeup and skincare brand aimed at millennial women. From the start, Glossier’s founder Emily Weiss built a strong digital community around the brand. But after the company received its first major round of funding, Glossier was ready to scale up its marketing spending. The challenge: How to do that while also preserving the brand’s all-important authenticity?

In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jill Avery explains how to think about marketing when scaling a business. Drawing from her business case on Glossier, Avery breaks down how their management team incorporated paid micro-influencers to grow their brand value without undermining their credibility. She also explores how Glossier leveraged their existing community to engage new customers.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, marketing, social media, beauty care, startup, scaling, DTC, digital marketing. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Build Long-Term Social Valuehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/12/how-to-build-long-term-social-valueWhat does it take to succeed as a business while doing well by your employees? Harvard Business School professor emeritus Mike Beer has studied companies who invest in building long-term social value and he says they offer some key lessons for other firms. In this episode, he breaks down how these companies set their strategies for new products and services, hiring, and even how much debt to accrue by first considering their company’s larger identity and higher purpose. Beer calls this “strategic identity.” He also explains how to manage short-term pressures from Wall Street through storytelling that emphasizes long-term results.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0088Wed, 11 Dec 2024 06:22:17 -0500How to Build Long-Term Social ValuefalseWhat does it take to succeed as a business while doing well by your employees? Harvard Business School professor emeritus Mike Beer has studied companies who invest in building long-term social value and he says they offer some key lessons for other firms. In this episode, he breaks down how these companies set their strategies for new products and services, hiring, and even how much debt to accrue by first considering their company’s larger identity and higher purpose. Beer calls this “strategic identity.” He also explains how to manage short-term pressures from Wall Street through storytelling that emphasizes long-term results.88full969 What does it take to succeed as a business while doing well by your employees?

Harvard Business School professor emeritus Michael Beer has studied companies who invest in building long-term social value, and he says they offer some key lessons for other firms.

In this episode, he breaks down how these companies set their strategies for new products and services. As he explains: “One of the key disciplines they have is what we called forging a strategic identity. So what does that mean? It means that they, first of all, start the process of deciding what they’re going to do, what services or products they’re going to offer…what markets they will go into…by first asking themselves, ‘Who are we?’ They start from the inside out…rather than from the outside in.”

Michael Beer is also the coauthor of Higher Ambition: How Great Leaders Create Economic and Social Value.

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Strategies for Competing with a Tech-Driven Insurgenthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/12/strategies-for-competing-with-a-tech-driven-insurgentLooking at business news over the past decade (including a few HBR articles), you might assume that just about every traditional company has fallen — or will soon fall — to competitors from the tech industry. But London Business School professor Julian Birkinshaw says that story of disruption and destruction is overblown. His research into Fortune 500 and Global 500 organizations shows that many industries haven’t been radically remade, despite the rise of a few tech giants like Amazon and Google. Birkinshaw outlines the strategies that many incumbents, like J.P. Morgan, Disney, and Proctor & Gamble, are using to survive and thrive. He breaks down the benefits and drawback of four key strategies that incumbents typically use to compete with insurgents. And he explains how you can decide which strategy best fits your organization.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0087Wed, 04 Dec 2024 06:22:32 -0500Strategies for Competing with a Tech-Driven InsurgentfalseLooking at business news over the past decade (including a few HBR articles), you might assume that just about every traditional company has fallen — or will soon fall — to competitors from the tech industry. But London Business School professor Julian Birkinshaw says that story of disruption and destruction is overblown. His research into Fortune 500 and Global 500 organizations shows that many industries haven’t been radically remade, despite the rise of a few tech giants like Amazon and Google. Birkinshaw outlines the strategies that many incumbents, like J.P. Morgan, Disney, and Proctor & Gamble, are using to survive and thrive. He breaks down the benefits and drawback of four key strategies that incumbents typically use to compete with insurgents. And he explains how you can decide which strategy best fits your organization.87full1816 Looking at business news over the past decade (including a few HBR articles), you might assume that just about every traditional company has fallen — or will soon fall — to competitors from the tech industry.

But London Business School professor Julian Birkinshaw says that story of disruption and destruction is overblown. His research into Fortune 500 and Global 500 organizations shows that many industries haven’t been radically remade, despite the rise of a few tech giants like Amazon and Google.

Birkinshaw outlines the strategies that many incumbents, like J.P. Morgan, Disney, and Proctor & Gamble, are using to survive and thrive. He breaks down the benefits and drawbacks of four key strategies that incumbents typically use to compete with insurgents. And he explains how you can decide which strategy best fits your organization.

Key episode topics include: strategy, disruptive innovation, digital transformation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Scaling a Startup in Emerging Marketshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/11/scaling-a-startup-in-emerging-marketsIf you’re a fast-growing company in an emerging economy, you need a strategy for competing in your home market in the short term. But you also need a longer-term strategy that will help you grow beyond that initial market. John Jullens says the challenge is building both strategies simultaneously. Jullens is a longtime management consultant who specializes in corporate and business unit strategy. He explains why so many companies in emerging markets make the mistake of focusing on execution and first mover advantage. Instead, he argues that companies need to lay the strategic foundations for long-term success early on or risk flaming out.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0086Wed, 27 Nov 2024 06:22:48 -0500Scaling a Startup in Emerging MarketsfalseIf you’re a fast-growing company in an emerging economy, you need a strategy for competing in your home market in the short term. But you also need a longer-term strategy that will help you grow beyond that initial market. John Jullens says the challenge is building both strategies simultaneously. Jullens is a longtime management consultant who specializes in corporate and business unit strategy. He explains why so many companies in emerging markets make the mistake of focusing on execution and first mover advantage. Instead, he argues that companies need to lay the strategic foundations for long-term success early on or risk flaming out.86full958 If you’re a fast-growing company in an emerging economy, you need a strategy for competing in your home market in the short term. But you also need a longer-term strategy that will help you grow beyond that initial market.

John Jullens says the challenge is building both strategies simultaneously. Jullens is a longtime management consultant who specializes in corporate and business unit strategy.

He explains why so many companies in emerging markets make the mistake of focusing on execution and first mover advantage. Instead, he argues that companies need to lay the strategic foundations for long-term success early on or risk flaming out.

Key episode topics include: strategy, international business, asia, growth strategy. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Khan Academy: A Case Study in Scaling a Start-Uphttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/11/khan-academy-a-case-study-in-scaling-a-start-upKhan Academy, the online global education nonprofit, launched in 2006 when founder Sal Khan created a few videos to help his cousin with her math homework. After a decade of growth brought Khan Academy’s user base to more than 15 million monthly visitors, Khan knew he needed expert help to formulate and lead a strategy for the organization’s future growth. He hired Ginny Lee from Intuit to serve as Khan Academy’s COO and president. Her mandate was to redefine the organization’s priorities, create a focused strategy for growth, and continue scaling the company. Harvard Business School professor Bill Sahlman studied the company’s growth strategy and wrote a business case study about it. He explains why it’s so important to build a well-balanced leadership team as part of your growth strategy. He also breaks down how to create processes for everything from budgeting to giving feedback.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0085Wed, 20 Nov 2024 06:22:38 -0500Khan Academy: A Case Study in Scaling a Start-UpfalseKhan Academy, the online global education nonprofit, launched in 2006 when founder Sal Khan created a few videos to help his cousin with her math homework. After a decade of growth brought Khan Academy’s user base to more than 15 million monthly visitors, Khan knew he needed expert help to formulate and lead a strategy for the organization’s future growth. He hired Ginny Lee from Intuit to serve as Khan Academy’s COO and president. Her mandate was to redefine the organization’s priorities, create a focused strategy for growth, and continue scaling the company. Harvard Business School professor Bill Sahlman studied the company’s growth strategy and wrote a business case study about it. He explains why it’s so important to build a well-balanced leadership team as part of your growth strategy. He also breaks down how to create processes for everything from budgeting to giving feedback.85full1885 Khan Academy, the online global education nonprofit, launched in 2006 when founder Sal Khan created a few videos to help his cousin with her math homework. After a decade of growth brought Khan Academy’s user base to more than 15 million monthly visitors, Khan knew he needed expert help to formulate and lead a strategy for the organization’s future growth.

He hired Ginny Lee from Intuit to serve as Khan Academy’s COO and president. Her mandate was to redefine the organization’s priorities, create a focused strategy for growth, and continue scaling the company.

Harvard Business School professor Bill Sahlman studied the company’s growth strategy, and wrote a business case study about it. He explains why it’s so important to build a well-balanced leadership team as part of your growth strategy. He also breaks down how to create processes for everything from budgeting to giving feedback. .

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership and managing people, operations and supply chain management, digital learning, growth strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Navigate a Leadership Transitionhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/11/how-to-navigate-a-leadership-transitionLeadership transitions are challenging for both organizations and the leaders who must directly navigate them. But Michael Watkins says they’re also a time of incredible opportunity — especially for those leaders who understand how to handle this crucial period. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School. He shares a framework for selecting a transition strategy that best matches the situation you’re facing — whether you’re building a new operation from scratch or trying to turnaround a business in crisis. Watkins also explains why it’s so important to effectively assess your new leadership context and not to rely only on transition strategies that have worked for you in the past.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0084Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:22:52 -0500How to Navigate a Leadership TransitionfalseLeadership transitions are challenging for both organizations and the leaders who must directly navigate them. But Michael Watkins says they’re also a time of incredible opportunity — especially for those leaders who understand how to handle this crucial period. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School. He shares a framework for selecting a transition strategy that best matches the situation you’re facing — whether you’re building a new operation from scratch or trying to turnaround a business in crisis. Watkins also explains why it’s so important to effectively assess your new leadership context and not to rely only on transition strategies that have worked for you in the past.84full671 Leadership transitions are challenging for both organizations and the leaders who must directly navigate them. But Michael Watkins says they’re also a time of incredible opportunity — especially for those leaders who understand how to handle this crucial period.

Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School. He shares a framework for selecting a transition strategy that best matches the situation you’re facing — whether you’re building a new operation from scratch or trying to turnaround a business in crisis. Watkins also explains why it’s so important to effectively assess your new leadership context and not to rely only on transition strategies that have worked for you in the past.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategic planning, leadership transitions.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Globalization Has Changed Strategic Planninghttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/11/how-globalization-has-changed-strategic-planningIn 1992, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. signed NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the global business landscape began transforming. NYU-Stern professor Pankaj Ghemawat studies how companies have adjusted their strategies to that disruptive change — from rethinking their supply chains to learning to navigate unpredictable trade policy environments. He discusses how companies can plan for an evolving world of multi-country international supply chains and cross-border information flows.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0083Wed, 06 Nov 2024 06:22:06 -0500How Globalization Has Changed Strategic PlanningfalseIn 1992, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. signed NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the global business landscape began transforming. NYU-Stern professor Pankaj Ghemawat studies how companies have adjusted their strategies to that disruptive change — from rethinking their supply chains to learning to navigate unpredictable trade policy environments. He discusses how companies can plan for an evolving world of multi-country international supply chains and cross-border information flows.83full1708 In 1992, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. signed NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the global business landscape began transforming.

Pankaj Ghemawat, a professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, studies how companies have adjusted their strategies to that disruptive change — from rethinking their supply chains to learning to navigate unpredictable trade policy environments. He discusses how companies can plan for an evolving world of multi-country international supply chains and cross-border information flows.

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, business history, globalization, technology and analytics.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Innovation Doesn’t Have to Be Disruptivehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/10/innovation-doesnt-have-to-be-disruptiveDisruptive innovation has proven to be such a powerful idea that the word “innovation” is often equated with the broader idea of market disruption. But that’s not always the case. INSEAD strategy professor Renée Mauborgne says there is a way to create new markets without destroying jobs, companies, and communities. She calls this idea: “nondisruptive creation.” Mauborgne explains how some entrepreneurs and companies have been able to grow billion-dollar businesses by creating new markets rather than displacing existing ones. She points to Square, which enables credit card transactions with a mobile phone or tablet, as one prime example. Mauborgne also breaks down the key operational advantages that come with nondisruptive creation and explains how to spot a nondisruptive market opportunity and evaluate its potential.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0082Wed, 30 Oct 2024 06:22:52 -0500Innovation Doesn’t Have to Be DisruptivefalseDisruptive innovation has proven to be such a powerful idea that the word “innovation” is often equated with the broader idea of market disruption. But that’s not always the case. INSEAD strategy professor Renée Mauborgne says there is a way to create new markets without destroying jobs, companies, and communities. She calls this idea: “nondisruptive creation.” Mauborgne explains how some entrepreneurs and companies have been able to grow billion-dollar businesses by creating new markets rather than displacing existing ones. She points to Square, which enables credit card transactions with a mobile phone or tablet, as one prime example. Mauborgne also breaks down the key operational advantages that come with nondisruptive creation and explains how to spot a nondisruptive market opportunity and evaluate its potential.82full1433 Disruptive innovation has proven to be such a powerful idea that the word “innovation” is often equated with the broader idea of market disruption. But that’s not always the case.

INSEAD strategy professor Renée Mauborgne says there is a way to create new markets without destroying jobs, companies, and communities. She calls this idea: “nondisruptive creation.”

Mauborgne explains how some entrepreneurs and companies have been able to grow billion-dollar businesses by creating new markets rather than displacing existing ones. She points to Square, which enables credit card transactions with a mobile phone or tablet, as one prime example.

Mauborgne also breaks down the key operational advantages that come with nondisruptive creation and explains how to spot a nondisruptive market opportunity and evaluate its potential.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, disruptive innovation, growth strategy, entrepreneurs and founders.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How a Coal Polluter’s New Strategy for Sustainability Transformed Its Businesshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/10/how-a-coal-polluters-new-strategy-for-sustainability-transformed-its-businessEnel, Italy’s state-owned power company founded in 1962, was one of Europe’s largest coal users and polluters. Now it is recognized as a leader in renewable energy and has integrated sustainability into its business model and its operations. In this episode, former Harvard Business School senior lecturer Mark Kramer explains how Enel made that enormous strategic change — from its long-range planning to how it tackled the dreaded “innovator’s dilemma.” Kramer studied the company’s transformation into a renewable energy leader in his case, “Enel: The Future of Energy.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0081Wed, 23 Oct 2024 06:22:57 -0500How a Coal Polluter’s New Strategy for Sustainability Transformed Its BusinessfalseEnel, Italy’s state-owned power company founded in 1962, was one of Europe’s largest coal users and polluters. Now it is recognized as a leader in renewable energy and has integrated sustainability into its business model and its operations. In this episode, former Harvard Business School senior lecturer Mark Kramer explains how Enel made that enormous strategic change — from its long-range planning to how it tackled the dreaded “innovator’s dilemma.” Kramer studied the company’s transformation into a renewable energy leader in his case, “Enel: The Future of Energy.”81full1298 Enel, Italy’s state-owned power company founded in 1962, was one of Europe’s largest coal users and polluters. Now it is recognized as a leader in renewable energy services and has integrated sustainability into its business model and operations.

In this episode, former Harvard Business School senior lecturer Mark Kramer explains how Enel made that enormous strategic change — from its long-range planning to how it tackled the dreaded “innovator’s dilemma.”

Kramer studied the company’s transformation into a renewable energy leader in his case, “Enel: The Future of Energy.”

Key episode topics include: strategy, change management, leadership and managing people. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Don’t Just Create Value. Capture It.https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/10/dont-just-create-value-capture-itCreating value is table stakes for any business. But is your organization also capturing the value you create? IMD professor Stefan Michel says that many businesses don’t actually know how. He studies marketing and strategy at the Switzerland-based business school. Through his research, he created a framework for defining the value of your innovations. In this episode, he explains how to apply his framework — whether you’re developing new business ideas or formulating a strategy to compete with a new entrant in your market. He also discusses how value-capture works in the real world — drawing on examples from companies like Nespresso and Google.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0080Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:22:27 -0500Don’t Just Create Value. Capture It.falseCreating value is table stakes for any business. But is your organization also capturing the value you create? IMD professor Stefan Michel says that many businesses don’t actually know how. He studies marketing and strategy at the Switzerland-based business school. Through his research, he created a framework for defining the value of your innovations. In this episode, he explains how to apply his framework — whether you’re developing new business ideas or formulating a strategy to compete with a new entrant in your market. He also discusses how value-capture works in the real world — drawing on examples from companies like Nespresso and Google.80full806 IMD professor Stefan Michel says that many businesses don’t actually know how. “Many companies spend a lot of time on innovating, in a sense that they create more value for customers,” he argues. “What they often miss is to think about how to capture that value.”

Michel studies marketing and strategy at the Switzerland-based business school. Through his research, he created a framework for defining the value of your innovations.

In this episode, he explains how to apply his framework — whether you’re developing new business ideas or formulating a strategy to compete with a new entrant in your market. He also discusses how value-capture works in the real world — drawing on examples from companies like Nespresso and Google.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, value-based pricing, pricing, value capture, Nespresso, Google, new revenue streams, growth strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Lessons in Climate Change Strategy from the U.S. Navyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/10/lessons-in-climate-change-strategy-from-the-u-s-navyClimate change is causing severe weather, dangerously elevated temperatures, and water shortages around the world. Meanwhile, firms are struggling to reduce their carbon emissions while adapting their operations to these new conditions. To address both challenges at once, Harvard Business School professors Forest Reinhardt and Michael Toffel have proposed an unconventional path forward: learning from the climate change strategies of the U.S. Navy. They argue that the Navy’s scientific and sober view of the world’s changing climate offers insight that can also apply to the private sector. In this episode, you’ll learn how to balance mitigation activities in the shorter term with long-term investments that will help your organization adapt to future changes. You’ll also learn how climate change could shift demand in your markets and reshape shipping routes and affect your supply chains.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0079Wed, 09 Oct 2024 06:22:03 -0500Lessons in Climate Change Strategy from the U.S. NavyfalseClimate change is causing severe weather, dangerously elevated temperatures, and water shortages around the world. Meanwhile, firms are struggling to reduce their carbon emissions while adapting their operations to these new conditions. To address both challenges at once, Harvard Business School professors Forest Reinhardt and Michael Toffel have proposed an unconventional path forward: learning from the climate change strategies of the U.S. Navy. They argue that the Navy’s scientific and sober view of the world’s changing climate offers insight that can also apply to the private sector. In this episode, you’ll learn how to balance mitigation activities in the shorter term with long-term investments that will help your organization adapt to future changes. You’ll also learn how climate change could shift demand in your markets and reshape shipping routes and affect your supply chains.79full1401 Climate change is causing severe weather, dangerously elevated temperatures, and water shortages around the world. Meanwhile, firms are struggling to reduce their carbon emissions while adapting their operations to these new conditions.

To address both challenges at once, Harvard Business School professors Forest Reinhardt and Michael Toffel have proposed an unconventional path forward: learning from the climate change strategies of the U.S. Navy.

They argue that the Navy’s scientific and sober view of the world’s changing climate offers insight that can also apply to the private sector.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to balance mitigation activities in the shorter term with long-term investments that will help your organization adapt to future changes. You’ll also learn how climate change could shift demand in your markets and reshape shipping routes and affect your supply chains.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategic planning, risk management, sustainable business practices, climate change, military.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Get Forecasting Righthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/10/how-to-get-forecasting-rightDo you know the difference between accurate forecasting and effective forecasting? Technology forecaster Paul Saffo says accurate forecasting is nearly impossible to do. But if you aim for effective forecasting, he notes, then at least you’re considering the full range of reasonable possibilities for the future, rather than jumping to one conclusion and preparing only for that outcome. In this episode, he shares his six rules for effective forecasting—from visualizing future uncertainty to discerning patterns in past data—and explains why it’s important to be your own worst critic of your forecasts.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0078Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:22:06 -0500How to Get Forecasting RightfalseDo you know the difference between accurate forecasting and effective forecasting? Technology forecaster Paul Saffo says accurate forecasting is nearly impossible to do. But if you aim for effective forecasting, he notes, then at least you’re considering the full range of reasonable possibilities for the future, rather than jumping to one conclusion and preparing only for that outcome. In this episode, he shares his six rules for effective forecasting—from visualizing future uncertainty to discerning patterns in past data—and explains why it’s important to be your own worst critic of your forecasts.78full940 Do you know the difference between accurate forecasting and effective forecasting?

Technology forecaster Paul Saffo says accurate forecasting is nearly impossible to do. But if you aim for effective forecasting, he notes, then at least you’re considering the full range of reasonable possibilities for the future, rather than jumping to one conclusion and preparing only for that outcome. “If you head straight towards accurate forecasting, you may end up in a much worse situation by overlooking things that eventually come to pass,” Saffo argues.

In this episode, he shares his six rules for effective forecasting—from visualizing future uncertainty to discerning patterns in past data—and explains why it’s important to be your own worst critic of your forecasts.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategic planning, risk management, decision making and problem solving, forecasting, technology. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Startups Can Turn Failure into Successhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/09/how-startups-can-turn-failure-into-successAptDeco, a peer-to-peer marketplace for used furniture, launched in New York City in 2014. Despite its complexity and high costs, the company grew quickly. Co-founders Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis considered several different options for scaling the business—from expanding into new markets to rebranding with a sustainability focus. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ayelet Israeli and AptDeco co-founder Kalam Dennis discuss the path to scaling that AptDeco ultimately chose and what their experience can indicate about how to successfully scale a startup. They focus on how to translate early failures into valuable information that can help your business move forward and grow in the long term. They also explain how to use data and analytics to improve your value proposition.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0077Wed, 25 Sep 2024 06:22:55 -0500How Startups Can Turn Failure into SuccessfalseAptDeco, a peer-to-peer marketplace for used furniture, launched in New York City in 2014. Despite its complexity and high costs, the company grew quickly. Co-founders Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis considered several different options for scaling the business—from expanding into new markets to rebranding with a sustainability focus. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ayelet Israeli and AptDeco co-founder Kalam Dennis discuss the path to scaling that AptDeco ultimately chose and what their experience can indicate about how to successfully scale a startup. They focus on how to translate early failures into valuable information that can help your business move forward and grow in the long term. They also explain how to use data and analytics to improve your value proposition.77full1558 AptDeco, a peer-to-peer marketplace for used furniture, launched in New York City in 2014. Despite its complexity and high costs, the company grew quickly. Co-founders Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis considered several different options for scaling the business—from expanding into new markets to rebranding with a sustainability focus.

In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ayelet Israeli and AptDeco co-founder Kalam Dennis discuss the path to scaling that AptDeco ultimately chose and what their experience can indicate about how to successfully scale a startup.

They focus on how to translate early failures into valuable information that can help your business move forward and grow in the long term. They also explain how to use data and analytics to improve your value proposition.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial business strategy, marketing, furniture, analytics, start-up, scaling, growth strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> To Set a Great Strategy, Start by Imagining the Future You Wanthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/09/to-set-a-great-strategy-start-by-imagining-the-future-you-wantSome managers develop strategy by focusing on problems in the present, and that’s especially true during a crisis. But Mark Johnson, co-founder of the innovation consulting firm Innosight, argues that leaders should imagine the future and then work backward to build their organization for that new reality. In this episode, he outlines the practical steps managers can take to look beyond the typical short-term planning horizon and help their teams grasp future opportunities. Johnson also shares real-world examples from Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel to illustrate what can happen when leaders shift their strategic mindset to focus on the future.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0076Wed, 18 Sep 2024 06:22:48 -0500To Set a Great Strategy, Start by Imagining the Future You WantfalseSome managers develop strategy by focusing on problems in the present, and that’s especially true during a crisis. But Mark Johnson, co-founder of the innovation consulting firm Innosight, argues that leaders should imagine the future and then work backward to build their organization for that new reality. In this episode, he outlines the practical steps managers can take to look beyond the typical short-term planning horizon and help their teams grasp future opportunities. Johnson also shares real-world examples from Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel to illustrate what can happen when leaders shift their strategic mindset to focus on the future.76full1559 Some managers develop strategy by focusing on problems in the present, and that’s especially true during a crisis.

But Mark Johnson, co-founder of the innovation consulting firm Innosight, argues that leaders should imagine the future and then work backward to build their organization for that new reality.

In this episode, he outlines the practical steps managers can take to look beyond the typical short-term planning horizon and help their teams grasp future opportunities. Johnson also shares real-world examples from Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel to illustrate what can happen when leaders shift their strategic mindset to focus on the future.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, decision making and problem solving, growth strategy, crisis leadership, managing teams.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> 3 Signs It’s Time to Transform Your Core Businesshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/09/3-signs-its-time-to-transform-your-core-businessIs your company’s existing growth formula finally reaching its limit? Bain & Company partner Chris Zook says you may need to redefine your core business if you want to power new growth. Zook was co-head of Bain’s Global Strategy practice for 20 years. He’s also a best-selling business author. In this episode he shares three warning signs that indicate your core business needs to be redefined, and he explains how to approach that transformation. In particular, he focuses on how to uncover what he calls “hidden assets” within your company that can offer future sources of growth.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0075Wed, 11 Sep 2024 06:22:08 -05003 Signs It's Time to Transform Your Core BusinessfalseIs your company’s existing growth formula finally reaching its limit? Bain & Company partner Chris Zook says you may need to redefine your core business if you want to power new growth. Zook was co-head of Bain’s Global Strategy practice for 20 years. He’s also a best-selling business author. In this episode he shares three warning signs that indicate your core business needs to be redefined, and he explains how to approach that transformation. In particular, he focuses on how to uncover what he calls “hidden assets” within your company that can offer future sources of growth.75full1119 Is your company’s existing growth formula finally reaching its limit?

Bain & Company partner Chris Zook says you may need to redefine your core business if you want to power new growth.

Zook was co-head of Bain’s Global Strategy practice for 20 years. He’s also a best-selling business author.

In this episode, he shares three warning signs that indicate your core business needs to be redefined, and he explains how to approach that transformation. In particular, he focuses on how to uncover what he calls “hidden assets” within your company that can offer future sources of growth.

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, growth strategy, transformation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> 24 Steps to Launch a Start-Uphttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/09/24-steps-to-launch-a-start-upMany people aspire to entrepreneurship. But Bill Aulet, who has advised founders for decades, warns that it remains a high-risk endeavor. Aulet is a professor of entrepreneurship at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He’s also the author of the book Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup. In this episode, he outlines concrete steps anyone can take to get a new venture off the ground — including intrapreneurs within large organizations. He also breaks down some of the important trends he’s seeing in entrepreneurship, like the increasing commoditization of products and lower barriers to entry, due to technology.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0074Wed, 04 Sep 2024 06:22:24 -050024 Steps to Launch a Start-UpfalseMany people aspire to entrepreneurship. But Bill Aulet, who has advised founders for decades, warns that it remains a high-risk endeavor. Aulet is a professor of entrepreneurship at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He’s also the author of the book Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup. In this episode, he outlines concrete steps anyone can take to get a new venture off the ground — including intrapreneurs within large organizations. He also breaks down some of the important trends he’s seeing in entrepreneurship, like the increasing commoditization of products and lower barriers to entry, due to technology.74full1726 Many people aspire to entrepreneurship. But Bill Aulet, who has advised founders for decades, warns that it remains a high-risk endeavor.

In this episode, he outlines concrete steps anyone can take to get a new venture off the ground — including intrapreneurs within large organizations. He also breaks down some of the important trends he’s seeing in entrepreneurship, like the increasing commoditization of products and lower barriers to entry, due to technology.

Aulet is a professor of entrepreneurship at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He’s also the author of the book Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs and founders, entrepreneurial business strategy, innovation, start-ups. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Brand Strategy Lessons from Super Bowl Adshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/08/brand-strategy-lessons-from-super-bowl-adsThe Super Bowl isn’t just American football’s championship game. It’s also one of the world’s biggest stages for brand messaging. In 2024, the average 30-second Super Bowl ad cost $7 million —and that doesn’t even include production costs. So how do brand managers know if they’re getting a good return on that huge investment? In this episode, Bentley University assistant professor of marketing Shelle Santana discusses the evolution of corporate branding, using lessons from classic Super Bowl ads—like Budweiser's iconic Clydesdale horses.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0073Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:22:01 -0500Brand Strategy Lessons from Super Bowl AdsfalseThe Super Bowl isn’t just American football’s championship game. It’s also one of the world’s biggest stages for brand messaging. In 2024, the average 30-second Super Bowl ad cost $7 million —and that doesn’t even include production costs. So how do brand managers know if they’re getting a good return on that huge investment? In this episode, Bentley University assistant professor of marketing Shelle Santana discusses the evolution of corporate branding, using lessons from classic Super Bowl ads—like Budweiser's iconic Clydesdale horses.73full1950 The Super Bowl isn’t just American football’s championship game. It’s also one of the world’s biggest stages for brand messaging.

In 2024, the average 30-second Super Bowl ad cost $7 million —and that doesn’t even include production costs. So how do brand managers know if they’re getting a good return on that huge investment?

In this episode, Bentley University assistant professor of marketing Shelle Santana discusses the evolution of corporate branding, using lessons from classic Super Bowl ads, like Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdale horses.

She shares how to choose the best, measurable goal for an ad campaign, while also accounting for the risks that can accompany bold storytelling—like controversy or online backlash. She also explains why some brands release their ads ahead of the game, while others don’t. (Hint: It’s about social media engagement, and ultimately expanding the ROI on your ad investment.)

Key episode topics include: strategy, brand management, sales and marketing. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Incorporate Influencers into Your Marketing Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/08/how-to-incorporate-influencers-into-your-marketing-strategyOnline influencers are an increasingly important way for companies to find new customers and drive sales. But if you’re a marketer hoping to target consumers, it’s important to understand how the social media industry works. In this episode, Emily Hund, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that influencers grew out of Great Recession-era job cuts that forced people in creative fields to innovate. She offers advice for brands developing influencer marketing strategies. You’ll learn how to find the right influencer for your brand and how to measure success. Hund recommends starting with a small experiment to get familiar with the process before making a larger investment. You’ll also learn why longer-term creative relationships with influencers can produce stronger results than one-off endorsements.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0072Wed, 21 Aug 2024 06:22:18 -0500How to Incorporate Influencers into Your Marketing StrategyfalseOnline influencers are an increasingly important way for companies to find new customers and drive sales. But if you’re a marketer hoping to target consumers, it’s important to understand how the social media industry works. In this episode, Emily Hund, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that influencers grew out of Great Recession-era job cuts that forced people in creative fields to innovate. She offers advice for brands developing influencer marketing strategies. You’ll learn how to find the right influencer for your brand and how to measure success. Hund recommends starting with a small experiment to get familiar with the process before making a larger investment. You’ll also learn why longer-term creative relationships with influencers can produce stronger results than one-off endorsements.72full1958 Online influencers are an increasingly important way for companies to find new customers and drive sales. But if you’re a marketer hoping to target consumers, it’s important to understand how the social media industry works.

In this episode, Emily Hund, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that influencers grew out of Great Recession-era job cuts that forced people in creative fields to innovate.

She offers advice for brands developing influencer marketing strategies. You’ll learn how to find the right influencer for your brand and how to measure success. Hund recommends starting with a small experiment to get familiar with the process before making a larger investment. You’ll also learn why longer-term creative relationships with influencers can produce stronger results than one-off endorsements.

Hund is the author of the book The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media.

Key episode topics include: strategy, social media, entrepreneurship, social marketing, customer strategy, influencer marketing.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Build a Dynamic-Pricing Strategy That Workshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/08/how-to-build-a-dynamic-pricing-strategy-that-worksMore and more companies are turning to pricing algorithms to maximize profits. But many are unaware of a big downside. Marco Bertini, a marketing professor at Esade Business School in Barcelona, says constant price shifts can actually hurt the perception of your brand and its products. He warns that employing AI and machine learning without considering human psychology can damage your relationship with customers. In this episode, he outlines the steps you can take to avoid these pitfalls, including some basic guardrails, overrides, and communication tactics. He also shares real-world examples of companies that are using dynamic pricing to smooth demand and provide better customer experiences.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0071Wed, 14 Aug 2024 06:22:24 -0500How to Build a Dynamic-Pricing Strategy That WorksfalseMore and more companies are turning to pricing algorithms to maximize profits. But many are unaware of a big downside. Marco Bertini, a marketing professor at Esade Business School in Barcelona, says constant price shifts can actually hurt the perception of your brand and its products. He warns that employing AI and machine learning without considering human psychology can damage your relationship with customers. In this episode, he outlines the steps you can take to avoid these pitfalls, including some basic guardrails, overrides, and communication tactics. He also shares real-world examples of companies that are using dynamic pricing to smooth demand and provide better customer experiences.71full1685 More and more companies are turning to pricing algorithms to maximize profits. But many are unaware of a big downside.

Marco Bertini, a marketing professor at Esade Business School in Barcelona, says constant price shifts can actually hurt the perception of your brand and its products. He warns that employing AI and machine learning without considering human psychology can damage your relationship with customers.

In this episode, he outlines steps you can take to avoid these pitfalls, including some basic guardrails, overrides, and communication tactics. He also shares real-world examples of companies that are using dynamic pricing to smooth demand and provide better customer experiences.

Key episode topics include: strategy, pricing strategy, algorithms, psychology, customer experience, communication, dynamic pricing, brand, AI, machine learning, profits.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Rakuten’s Shift to English Transformed Its Culturehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/08/how-rakutens-shift-to-english-transformed-its-cultureIn 2010, Japan’s largest e-commerce platform Rakuten was rapidly expanding into global markets when CEO Hiroshi Mikitani made a surprising announcement: Rakuten’s internal language would be changing to English. That meant that all meetings, emails, and other communications would have to be conducted in English. The company’s employees had two years to become proficient in the language or be demoted. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses her case, “Language and Globalization: ‘Englishnization’ at Rakuten,” and explains why Mikitani introduced this new mandate and what results it achieved.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0070Wed, 07 Aug 2024 06:22:10 -0500How Rakuten’s Shift to English Transformed Its CulturefalseIn 2010, Japan’s largest e-commerce platform Rakuten was rapidly expanding into global markets when CEO Hiroshi Mikitani made a surprising announcement: Rakuten’s internal language would be changing to English. That meant that all meetings, emails, and other communications would have to be conducted in English. The company’s employees had two years to become proficient in the language or be demoted. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses her case, “Language and Globalization: ‘Englishnization’ at Rakuten,” and explains why Mikitani introduced this new mandate and what results it achieved.70full1184 In 2010, Japan’s largest e-commerce platform Rakuten was rapidly expanding into global markets when CEO Hiroshi Mikitani made a surprising announcement: Rakuten’s internal language would be changing to English.

That meant that all meetings, emails, and other communications would have to be conducted in English. The company’s employees had two years to become proficient in the language or be demoted.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses her case, “Language and Globalization: ‘Englishnization’ at Rakuten,” and explains why Mikitani introduced this new mandate and what results it achieved.

You’ll also learn about the early challenges that accompanied this enormous change, including loss of productivity and employee skepticism, as well as how the shift to English shaped Rakuten’s long-term working culture.

Key episode topics include: strategy, global strategy, globalization, cross-cultural management, language, communication, leadership, transformation, organizational culture.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Scale a Start-Uphttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/07/how-to-scale-a-start-upManaging rapid growth is a huge challenge for young businesses. Even start-ups with glowing reviews and skyrocketing sales can fail. That’s because new ventures and corporate initiatives alike must sustain profitability at scale, according to Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport. He has researched some of the biggest stumbling blocks to long-lasting success and he explains how to successfully transition out of the start-up phase. Rayport argues that success has a lot to do with an organization’s cash flow and its ability to meet growing demand. But it also involves something he calls “profit market fit,” which is when an enterprise becomes financially sustainable.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0069Wed, 31 Jul 2024 06:22:06 -0500How to Scale a Start-UpfalseManaging rapid growth is a huge challenge for young businesses. Even start-ups with glowing reviews and skyrocketing sales can fail. That’s because new ventures and corporate initiatives alike must sustain profitability at scale, according to Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport. He has researched some of the biggest stumbling blocks to long-lasting success and he explains how to successfully transition out of the start-up phase. Rayport argues that success has a lot to do with an organization’s cash flow and its ability to meet growing demand. But it also involves something he calls “profit market fit,” which is when an enterprise becomes financially sustainable.69full1665 Managing rapid growth is a huge challenge for young businesses. Even start-ups with glowing reviews and skyrocketing sales can fail. That’s because new ventures and corporate initiatives alike must sustain profitability at scale, according to Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Rayport. 

He has researched some of the biggest stumbling blocks to long-lasting success and he explains how to successfully transition out of the start-up phase. Rayport argues that success has a lot to do with an organization’s cash flow and its ability to meet growing demand. But it also involves something he calls “profit market fit,” which is when an enterprise becomes financially sustainable.

Key episode topics include: strategy, start-ups, entrepreneurial business strategy, customer strategy, growth, scaling, demand, cash flow, sustainable business.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Innovating Around an Existing Core Product or Servicehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/07/innovating-around-an-existing-core-product-or-serviceWhat do LEGO, GoPro, and CarMax have in common? Wharton professor David Robertson says they all have a similar strategy for growth that involves building families of complementary innovations around a core product or service. It’s an approach to innovation that’s neither disruptive nor incremental, but rather somewhere in the middle. And Robertson argues it’s a strategy that any company, no matter the industry, should consider. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use customer feedback to identify a product or service that can anchor a family of complementary innovations as well as how to prepare for common challenges.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0068Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:22:05 -0500Innovating Around an Existing Core Product or ServicefalseWhat do LEGO, GoPro, and CarMax have in common? Wharton professor David Robertson says they all have a similar strategy for growth that involves building families of complementary innovations around a core product or service. It’s an approach to innovation that’s neither disruptive nor incremental, but rather somewhere in the middle. And Robertson argues it’s a strategy that any company, no matter the industry, should consider. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use customer feedback to identify a product or service that can anchor a family of complementary innovations as well as how to prepare for common challenges.68full1523 What do LEGO, GoPro, and CarMax have in common?

Wharton professor David Robertson says they all have a similar strategy for growth that involves building families of complementary innovations around a core product or service. It’s an approach to innovation that’s neither disruptive nor incremental, but rather somewhere in the middle. And Robertson argues it’s a strategy that any company, no matter the industry, should consider.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to use customer feedback to identify a product or service that can anchor a family of complementary innovations as well as how to prepare for common challenges.

Robertson is the author of The Power of Little Ideas: A Low-Risk, High-Reward Approach to Innovation.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, growth strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> When Collaborating with Competitors Makes Sensehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/07/when-collaborating-with-competitors-makes-senseIt’s an idea that’s a non-starter at many organizations: collaborating with a competitor. But Yale School of Management professor Barry Nalebuff says leaders who refuse to consider teaming up with other companies—even when there are clear mutual benefits—may be leaving value on the table. In this episode, you’ll learn how companies like Apple, Ford, Google, and others have analyzed and capitalized on what Nalebuff calls “co-opetition” opportunities. You’ll also learn how to think strategically about which tasks work well for these collaborations and how to mitigate your organization’s risk through time-tested tools like contracts, performance guarantees, and conditional penalties.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0067Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:22:46 -0500When Collaborating with Competitors Makes SensefalseIt’s an idea that’s a non-starter at many organizations: collaborating with a competitor. But Yale School of Management professor Barry Nalebuff says leaders who refuse to consider teaming up with other companies—even when there are clear mutual benefits—may be leaving value on the table. In this episode, you’ll learn how companies like Apple, Ford, Google, and others have analyzed and capitalized on what Nalebuff calls “co-opetition” opportunities. You’ll also learn how to think strategically about which tasks work well for these collaborations and how to mitigate your organization’s risk through time-tested tools like contracts, performance guarantees, and conditional penalties.67full1558 It’s an idea that’s a non-starter at many organizations: collaborating with a competitor. But Yale School of Management professor Barry Nalebuff says leaders who refuse to consider teaming up with other companies—even when there are clear mutual benefits—may be leaving value on the table.

In this episode, you’ll learn how companies like Apple, Ford, Google, and others have analyzed and capitalized on what Nalebuff calls “co-opetition” opportunities. You’ll also learn how to think strategically about which tasks work well for these collaborations and how to mitigate your organization’s risk through time-tested tools like contracts, performance guarantees, and conditional penalties.

Key episode topics include: strategy, negotiation strategies, competitive strategies, co-opetition, collaboration.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Sodexo’s CEO Manages Global Strategy Across 50 Countrieshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/07/how-sodexos-ceo-manages-global-strategy-across-50-countriesAs the chair and CEO of Sodexo, the France-based food services and facilities management company, Sophie Bellon leads one of the largest employers in the world, with front-line workers in nearly 50 countries. Managing that workforce—and the supply chains that enable them to do their jobs—is a complex undertaking that involves balancing both global strategy with local execution. In this episode, Harvard Business Review executive editor Alison Beard sits down with Bellon to discuss her approaches to talent management, environmental sustainability, and supply chain resilience—all while driving future growth.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0066Wed, 10 Jul 2024 06:22:16 -0500How Sodexo’s CEO Manages Global Strategy Across 50 CountriesfalseAs the chair and CEO of Sodexo, the France-based food services and facilities management company, Sophie Bellon leads one of the largest employers in the world, with front-line workers in nearly 50 countries. Managing that workforce—and the supply chains that enable them to do their jobs—is a complex undertaking that involves balancing both global strategy with local execution. In this episode, Harvard Business Review executive editor Alison Beard sits down with Bellon to discuss her approaches to talent management, environmental sustainability, and supply chain resilience—all while driving future growth.66full1879 As the chair and CEO of Sodexo, the France-based food services and facilities management company, Sophie Bellon leads one of the largest employers in the world, with front-line workers in nearly 50 countries. Managing that workforce—and the supply chains that enable them to do their jobs—is a complex undertaking that involves balancing both global strategy with local execution.

In this episode, Harvard Business Review executive editor Alison Beard sits down with Bellon to discuss her approaches to talent management, environmental sustainability, and supply chain resilience—all while driving future growth.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, talent management, operations and supply chain management, supply chain management, environmental sustainability, food and beverage sector.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Microsoft: A Case Study in Strategy Transformationhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/07/microsoft-a-case-study-in-strategy-transformationIn early 2015, Microsoft’s senior leaders were facing a set of difficult decisions. The firm had been struggling to innovate and grow as fast as its competitors. Now they were considering new opportunities that would yield higher growth but lower margins—like shifting away from perpetual licensing to focus on subscription sales. Harvard Business School professor Fritz Foley studied this period of transformative change at Microsoft for a business case study he wrote. In this episode, he shares how Microsoft’s leaders analyzed different options and worked to get both investors and employees on board with new ideas about growth. He also explains how the company’s risk-averse culture evolved in order to execute such a huge transformation.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0065Wed, 03 Jul 2024 06:22:31 -0500Microsoft: A Case Study in Strategy TransformationfalseIn early 2015, Microsoft’s senior leaders were facing a set of difficult decisions. The firm had been struggling to innovate and grow as fast as its competitors. Now they were considering new opportunities that would yield higher growth but lower margins—like shifting away from perpetual licensing to focus on subscription sales. Harvard Business School professor Fritz Foley studied this period of transformative change at Microsoft for a business case study he wrote. In this episode, he shares how Microsoft’s leaders analyzed different options and worked to get both investors and employees on board with new ideas about growth. He also explains how the company’s risk-averse culture evolved in order to execute such a huge transformation.65full1222 In early 2015, Microsoft’s senior leaders were facing a set of difficult decisions. The firm had been struggling to innovate and grow as fast as its competitors. Now they were considering new opportunities that would yield higher growth but lower margins — like shifting away from perpetual licensing to focus on subscription sales.

Harvard Business School professor Fritz Foley studied this period of transformative change at Microsoft for a business case study he wrote. In this episode, he shares how Microsoft’s leaders analyzed different options and worked to get both investors and employees on board with new ideas about growth. He also explains how the company’s risk-averse culture evolved in order to execute such a huge transformation.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, business models, corporate governance. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Should Your Business Sell on Amazon?https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/06/should-your-business-sell-on-amazonIt’s a dilemma facing more and more brands: Should your business sell on Amazon? It’s the most visited e-commerce platform in the U.S. and the dominant retailer in 28 other countries. But that reach comes at a price. Harvard Business School associate professor Ayelet Israeli says there are downsides for many Amazon sellers, like costs, competition, and the lack of data. In this episode, Israeli offers a scorecard that can help you decide, step by step, whether or not the Amazon marketplace is right for your business.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0064Wed, 26 Jun 2024 06:22:00 -0500Should Your Business Sell on Amazon?falseIt’s a dilemma facing more and more brands: Should your business sell on Amazon? It’s the most visited e-commerce platform in the U.S. and the dominant retailer in 28 other countries. But that reach comes at a price. Harvard Business School associate professor Ayelet Israeli says there are downsides for many Amazon sellers, like costs, competition, and the lack of data. In this episode, Israeli offers a scorecard that can help you decide, step by step, whether or not the Amazon marketplace is right for your business.64full3006 It’s a dilemma facing more and more brands: Should your business sell on Amazon?

It’s the most visited e-commerce platform in the U.S. and the dominant retailer in 28 other countries. But that reach comes at a price. Harvard Business School associate professor Ayelet Israeli says there are downsides for many Amazon sellers, like costs, competition, and the lack of data.

In this episode, Israeli offers a scorecard that can help you decide, step by step, whether or not the Amazon marketplace is right for your business.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, leadership, scaling, Jeff Bezos, long-term thinking, customer focus.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Why Project-Based Work Fails — and How to Get It Righthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/06/why-project-based-work-fails-and-how-to-get-it-rightCompanies of every size across the world are basing more of their work around projects, but research shows that nearly two-thirds of those efforts fail. Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez has studied projects and project management for decades. He argues that at least some of the blame for these failures lies with executives who misunderstand the fundamentals of projects and fail to dedicate enough of their time to those they sponsor. In this episode, he explains how to get better outcomes from project-based work and avoid common pitfalls.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0063Wed, 19 Jun 2024 06:22:55 -0500Why Project-Based Work Fails — and How to Get It RightfalseCompanies of every size across the world are basing more of their work around projects, but research shows that nearly two-thirds of those efforts fail. Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez has studied projects and project management for decades. He argues that at least some of the blame for these failures lies with executives who misunderstand the fundamentals of projects and fail to dedicate enough of their time to those they sponsor. In this episode, he explains how to get better outcomes from project-based work and avoid common pitfalls.63full1534 Companies of every size across the world are basing more of their work around projects than at any time in the past. But research shows that nearly two-thirds of those efforts fail.

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, who has studied projects and project management for decades, argues that at least some of the blame for these failures lies with executives who misunderstand the fundamentals of projects and fail to dedicate enough of their time to those they sponsor.

In this episode, Nieto-Rodriguez explains how to get better outcomes from project-based work. He also discusses how to frame projects, structure organizations around them, and avoid common pitfalls.

Key episode topics include: strategy, project management, operations strategy, organizational change.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Booking.com Sustains a Culture of Innovationhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/06/how-booking-com-sustains-a-culture-of-innovationBooking.com was founded by a Dutch university student in 1996. It grew slowly for almost a decade. But by 2011, the company was generating more than a billion dollars in profits annually — making it the most financially successful digital travel market, at the time. The secret to that accelerating growth was the company’s use of large-scale testing and experimentation. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Stefan Thomke explains how the company created and sustained a culture of innovation that challenged conventional assumptions about management and process.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0062Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:22:34 -0500How Booking.com Sustains a Culture of InnovationfalseBooking.com was founded by a Dutch university student in 1996. It grew slowly for almost a decade. But by 2011, the company was generating more than a billion dollars in profits annually — making it the most financially successful digital travel market, at the time. The secret to that accelerating growth was the company’s use of large-scale testing and experimentation. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Stefan Thomke explains how the company created and sustained a culture of innovation that challenged conventional assumptions about management and process.62full1676 Booking.com was founded by a Dutch university student in 1996. It grew slowly for almost a decade. By 2011, the company was generating more than a billion dollars in profits annually — making it the most financially successful digital travel market at the time. The secret to that accelerating growth was the company’s use of large-scale testing and experimentation.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Stefan Thomke explains how the company created and sustained a culture of innovation that challenged conventional assumptions about management and process.

Key episode topics include: strategy, experimentation, innovation, travel, digital, platform.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Future-Proof Your Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/06/how-to-future-proof-your-strategySo much has been written about how to future-proof a strategy. But Peter Scoblic says that too many companies still rely on short-sighted strategies that don’t effectively plan for different potential future scenarios. Scoblic is a co-founder and principal of the consultancy Event Horizon Strategies. In this episode, he explains how thoughtful and ongoing scenario-planning exercises can help organizations decide which investments will allow them to thrive in varying circumstances and navigate many types of crisis.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0061Wed, 05 Jun 2024 06:22:17 -0500How to Future-Proof Your StrategyfalseSo much has been written about how to future-proof a strategy. But Peter Scoblic says that too many companies still rely on short-sighted strategies that don’t effectively plan for different potential future scenarios. Scoblic is a co-founder and principal of the consultancy Event Horizon Strategies. In this episode, he explains how thoughtful and ongoing scenario-planning exercises can help organizations decide which investments will allow them to thrive in varying circumstances and navigate many types of crisis.61full1652 So much has been written about how to future-proof a strategy. But Peter Scoblic says that too many companies still rely on short-sighted strategies that don’t effectively plan for different potential future scenarios.

Scoblic is a co-founder and principal of the consultancy Event Horizon Strategies. In this episode, he explains how thoughtful and ongoing scenario-planning exercises can help organizations decide which investments will allow them to thrive — even in a crisis. He also shares how to balance short-term factors with longer term modeling and why it’s so important to ensure that your planning team is truly diverse. As he says, “This is a case where diversity absolutely matters, in all senses of the word, because what you want is to get people to think outside of the box.  It’s very difficult to do that if you don’t recognize the box that you’re in.”

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategic planning, crisis management, scenario panning, modeling.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How One Energy CEO Is Leading a Transition Toward Clean Energyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/05/how-one-energy-ceo-is-leading-a-transition-toward-clean-energyAs the CEO of one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., Lynn Good is leading Duke Energy’s aggressive transition to renewables and net zero emissions. It’s a complex undertaking that involves short-term planning and long-term advances in technology as well as managing a wide range of stakeholders. In this episode, HBR editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius sits down with Good to discuss her strategy for Duke’s clean energy transition.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0060Wed, 29 May 2024 06:22:14 -0500How One Energy CEO Is Leading a Transition Toward Clean EnergyfalseAs the CEO of one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., Lynn Good is leading Duke Energy’s aggressive transition to renewables and net zero emissions. It’s a complex undertaking that involves short-term planning and long-term advances in technology as well as managing a wide range of stakeholders. In this episode, HBR editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius sits down with Good to discuss her strategy for Duke’s clean energy transition.60full1931 As the CEO of one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., Lynn Good is leading Duke Energy’s aggressive transition to renewables and net zero emissions. It’s a complex undertaking that involves short-term planning and long-term advances in technology as well as managing a wide range of stakeholders.

In this episode, HBR editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius sits down with Good to discuss her strategy for Duke’s clean energy transition. They discuss how to make incremental adjustments to strategy as new technologies emerge. Good also explains how and how often she tests her assumptions, and why she nurtures collaborations both within the energy industry and beyond it.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, growth strategy, environmental sustainability, energy and natural resources sector, clean energy, transition, Duke Energy, technology, renewable energy, change management.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> A Better Framework for Solving Tough Problemshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/05/a-better-framework-for-solving-tough-problemsWhen it comes to solving complicated problems, the default for many organizational leaders is to take their time to work through the issues at hand. Unfortunately, that often leads to patchwork solutions or problems not truly getting resolved. Entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author Anne Morriss offers a different framework. In this episode, she outlines a five-step process for solving any problem and explains why starting with trust and ending with speed is so important for effective change leadership.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0059Wed, 22 May 2024 06:22:11 -0500A Better Framework for Solving Tough ProblemsfalseWhen it comes to solving complicated problems, the default for many organizational leaders is to take their time to work through the issues at hand. Unfortunately, that often leads to patchwork solutions or problems not truly getting resolved. Entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author Anne Morriss offers a different framework. In this episode, she outlines a five-step process for solving any problem and explains why starting with trust and ending with speed is so important for effective change leadership.59full1807 When it comes to solving complicated problems, the default for many organizational leaders is to take their time to work through the issues at hand. Unfortunately, that often leads to patchwork solutions or problems not truly getting resolved.

But Anne Morriss offers a different framework. In this episode, she outlines a five-step process for solving any problem and explains why starting with trust and ending with speed is so important for effective change leadership. As she says, “Let’s get into dialogue with the people who are also impacted by the problem before we start running down the path of solving it.”

Morriss is an entrepreneur and leadership coach. She’s also the coauthor of the book, Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems.

Key episode topics include: strategy, decision making and problem solving, strategy execution, managing people, collaboration and teams, trustworthiness, organizational culture, change leadership, problem solving, leadership.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Ask These Questions Before Choosing a Manufacturing Locationhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/05/ask-these-questions-before-choosing-a-manufacturing-locationOne of the world’s largest automotive glass producers, Fuyao Glass, must decide where to fulfill its upcoming contracts. One option is their U.S.-based factory, where production rates are lower. The other is an older factory in China that produces below the cost target, but also incurs extensive shipping costs and requires a far greater amount of inventory holding. Drawing on his case study, “Fuyao Glass America: Sourcing Decision,” Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih explains how to account for product life cycles and the length of your inventory pipelines when you select a manufacturing location. He also discusses how to assess other possible risks that could cause delays or increase your production costs—like customs delays and labor strikes.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0058Wed, 15 May 2024 06:22:18 -0500Ask These Questions Before Choosing a Manufacturing LocationfalseOne of the world’s largest automotive glass producers, Fuyao Glass, must decide where to fulfill its upcoming contracts. One option is their U.S.-based factory, where production rates are lower. The other is an older factory in China that produces below the cost target, but also incurs extensive shipping costs and requires a far greater amount of inventory holding. Drawing on his case study, “Fuyao Glass America: Sourcing Decision,” Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih explains how to account for product life cycles and the length of your inventory pipelines when you select a manufacturing location. He also discusses how to assess other possible risks that could cause delays or increase your production costs—like customs delays and labor strikes.58full1587 In today’s global economy, what are the factors that go into choosing a production location?

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih draws on his case study about China-based automotive glass maker Fuyao to discuss this core strategic question. The company must decide between two options to fulfill its upcoming contracts: its new Ohio factory or its factory based out of Tianjin, China. Unlike the Ohio factory, the Chinese factory produces below the cost target, but it also incurs extensive shipping costs and requires a far greater amount of inventory holding.

Shih explains how to account for product life cycles and the length of your inventory pipelines when selecting a manufacturing location. He also discusses how to assess other possible risks that could cause delays or increase production costs—like customs delays and labor strikes.

Key episode topics include: strategy, cross-cultural management, global strategy, operations and supply chain management, China, shipping, production planning, inventory pipeline.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> What’s Behind the Success of Some Tech Start-Ups?https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/05/whats-behind-the-success-of-some-tech-start-upsThe secret to success for many Silicon Valley tech companies isn’t necessarily that they’re ultra-nimble start-ups, or that they’re led by tech-savvy geniuses. Andy McAfee says their success often has more to do with a specific type of corporate culture that focuses on finding unconventional solutions to hard business problems. McAfee is a principal research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and he’s the author of The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset That Drives Extraordinary Results. In this episode, he explains why business leaders need to think more like geeks, and why it’s important to center your culture on company norms, rather than organizational structure.  He also offers tips for finding that delicate balance between human judgement and data-driven insights.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0057Wed, 08 May 2024 06:22:04 -0500What’s Behind the Success of Some Tech Start-Ups?falseThe secret to success for many Silicon Valley tech companies isn’t necessarily that they’re ultra-nimble start-ups, or that they’re led by tech-savvy geniuses. Andy McAfee says their success often has more to do with a specific type of corporate culture that focuses on finding unconventional solutions to hard business problems. McAfee is a principal research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and he’s the author of The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset That Drives Extraordinary Results. In this episode, he explains why business leaders need to think more like geeks, and why it’s important to center your culture on company norms, rather than organizational structure.  He also offers tips for finding that delicate balance between human judgement and data-driven insights.57full1957 The secret to success for many Silicon Valley tech companies isn’t necessarily that they’re ultra-nimble start-ups, or that they’re led by tech-savvy geniuses. Andy McAfee says their success often has more to do with a specific type of corporate culture that focuses on finding unconventional solutions to hard business problems.

McAfee is a principal research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and he’s the author of The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset That Drives Extraordinary Results.

In this episode, he explains why business leaders need to think more like geeks and explains why it’s important to center your culture on company norms, rather than organizational structure. He also offers tips for finding that delicate balance between human judgement and data-driven insights.

Key episode topics include: strategy, technology, start-ups, innovation, competitive strategy, Silicon Valley.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Fortnite: Turning a Meteoric Rise into Sustained Growthhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/05/fortnite-turning-a-meteoric-rise-into-sustained-growthIn the 1990s and 2000s, video game developer Epic Games had a string of mid-size successes. But the release of Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017 changed the company’s path forever. The game was a blockbuster. By 2019, Fortnite had registered more than 250 million users, with 10 million concurrent users. But Fortnite’s phenomenal success raised a new question for Epic: How could they turn this singular hit into a series of growth opportunities? In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Andy Wu explains why Epic monetized Fortnite through micro-transactions within the game, rather than charging a fee for the game itself. He also discusses how Epic’s creation of a platform, the Epic store, and a premium subscription service built on Fortnite’s success and helped to distinguish their brand from other free-play games.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0056Wed, 01 May 2024 06:22:08 -0500Fortnite: Turning a Meteoric Rise into Sustained GrowthfalseIn the 1990s and 2000s, video game developer Epic Games had a string of mid-size successes. But the release of Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017 changed the company’s path forever. The game was a blockbuster. By 2019, Fortnite had registered more than 250 million users, with 10 million concurrent users. But Fortnite’s phenomenal success raised a new question for Epic: How could they turn this singular hit into a series of growth opportunities? In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Andy Wu explains why Epic monetized Fortnite through micro-transactions within the game, rather than charging a fee for the game itself. He also discusses how Epic’s creation of a platform, the Epic store, and a premium subscription service built on Fortnite’s success and helped to distinguish their brand from other free-play games.56full1218 In the 1990s and 2000s, video game developer Epic Games had a string of mid-size successes. But the release of Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017 changed the company’s path forever.

The game was a blockbuster. By 2019, Fortnite had registered more than 250 million users, with 10 million concurrent users. But Fortnite’s phenomenal success raised a new question for Epic: How could they turn this singular hit into a series of growth opportunities?

In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Andy Wu explains why Epic monetized Fortnite through micro-transactions within the game, rather than charging a fee for the game itself. He also discusses how Epic’s creation of a platform, the Epic store, and a premium subscription service built on Fortnite’s success and helped to distinguish their brand from other free-play games.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, R&D, strategy execution, video games, fortnite, epic games.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Lessons from Amazon’s Early Growth Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/04/lessons-from-amazons-early-growth-strategySo much has been written about Amazon’s outsized growth. But Harvard Business School professor Sunil Gupta says it’s the company’s unusual approach to strategy that has captured his scholarly attention. In this episode, he shares how Amazon upended traditional corporate strategy by diversifying into multiple products serving many end users, instead of having a narrow focus. Gupta argues that some of Amazon’s simplest business strategies — like their obsession with customers and insistence on long-term thinking — are approaches that companies, big and small, can emulate.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0055Wed, 24 Apr 2024 06:22:36 -0500Lessons from Amazon’s Early Growth StrategyfalseSo much has been written about Amazon’s outsized growth. But Harvard Business School professor Sunil Gupta says it’s the company’s unusual approach to strategy that has captured his scholarly attention. In this episode, he shares how Amazon upended traditional corporate strategy by diversifying into multiple products serving many end users, instead of having a narrow focus. Gupta argues that some of Amazon’s simplest business strategies — like their obsession with customers and insistence on long-term thinking — are approaches that companies, big and small, can emulate.55full1715 So much has been written about Amazon’s outsized growth. But Harvard Business School professor Sunil Gupta says it’s the company’s unusual approach to strategy that has captured his scholarly attention. Gupta has spent years studying Amazon’s strategy and its founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos.

In this episode, Gupta shares how Amazon upended traditional corporate strategy by diversifying into multiple products serving many end users, instead of having a narrow focus.

He argues that some of Amazon’s simplest business strategies — like their obsession with customers and insistence on long-term thinking — are approaches that companies, big and small, can emulate.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, leadership, scaling, Jeff Bezos, long-term thinking, customer focus.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Disruptive Innovation in the Era of Big Techhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/04/disruptive-innovation-in-the-era-of-big-techClayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and businesses, ranging from small start-ups to global corporations. But three decades after the theory was introduced, debates have emerged around how it should be applied — especially within technology start-ups that have driven so much economic growth since 2000. In this episode, a panel of expert scholars discuss the legacy of disruptive innovation, and how the common perception of disruption has drifted away from its original meaning.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0054Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:22:38 -0500Disruptive Innovation in the Era of Big TechfalseClayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and businesses, ranging from small start-ups to global corporations. But three decades after the theory was introduced, debates have emerged around how it should be applied — especially within technology start-ups that have driven so much economic growth since 2000. In this episode, a panel of expert scholars discuss the legacy of disruptive innovation, and how the common perception of disruption has drifted away from its original meaning.54full2859 In 1995, the late and legendary Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen introduced his theory of “disruptive innovation” right here in the pages of the Harvard Business Review. The idea inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and businesses, ranging from small start-ups to global corporations.

Three decades later, debates have emerged around how the theory should be applied — especially within technology start-ups that have driven so much economic growth since 2000.

In this episode, Harvard Business Review editor Amy Bernstein and a panel of expert scholars discuss the legacy of disruptive innovation, and how the common perception of disruption has drifted away from its original meaning.

Expert guests include:

  • Harvard Business School senior lecturer and director of the Forum for Growth and Innovation Derek van Bever
  • Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath
  • Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, business history, disruptive innovation, Clay Christensen, innovator’s dilemma.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Merging Competitors: U.S. Airways and American Airlineshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/04/merging-competitors-u-s-airways-and-american-airlinesIn February 2013, U.S. Airways announced that it would merge with American Airlines to create the world’s largest airline. During the acquisition, then-CEO Doug Parker and his board had transformative decisions to make. How should two large corporations merge their operations? Which members of each company’s C-suites should stay? How fast should they move on these changes? Parker knew that these strategic decisions would send important signals to employees, customers, and competitors. In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer David Fubini breaks down the strategy underlying this historic airline industry merger.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0053Wed, 10 Apr 2024 06:22:45 -0500Merging Competitors: U.S. Airways and American AirlinesfalseIn February 2013, U.S. Airways announced that it would merge with American Airlines to create the world’s largest airline. During the acquisition, then-CEO Doug Parker and his board had transformative decisions to make. How should two large corporations merge their operations? Which members of each company’s C-suites should stay? How fast should they move on these changes? Parker knew that these strategic decisions would send important signals to employees, customers, and competitors. In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer David Fubini breaks down the strategy underlying this historic airline industry merger.53full1702 In February 2013, U.S. Airways announced that it would merge with American Airlines to create the world’s largest airline. During the acquisition, then-CEO Doug Parker and his board had transformative decisions to make.

How should two large corporations merge their operations? Which members of each company’s C-suites should stay? How fast should they move on these changes? Parker knew that these strategic decisions would send important signals to employees, customers, and competitors.

In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer David Fubini breaks down the strategy underlying this historic airline industry merger. He explains how Parker approached each of these strategic decisions — especially in areas, like culture and operations, where American and U.S. Airways had huge differences.

Key episode topics include: strategy, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, operations strategy, aerospace sector, airlines, leadership.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Key to Consistent Growth Is Having the Right Incentiveshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/04/the-key-to-consistent-growth-is-having-the-right-incentivesIs your growth strategy working consistently? Strategy expert Ken Favaro says creating and sustaining growth isn’t rocket science. However, you do have to understand the difference between “organic” growth and “inorganic” alternatives, which come through a merger or acquisition. In this episode, Favaro argues that it’s important to focus on creating incentives for organic growth within your organization. He also explains why you should avoid typecasting your business units as “cash cows” or “growth engines” if you want them to achieve ongoing growth.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0052Wed, 03 Apr 2024 06:22:44 -0500The Key to Consistent Growth Is Having the Right IncentivesfalseIs your growth strategy working consistently? Strategy expert Ken Favaro says creating and sustaining growth isn’t rocket science. However, you do have to understand the difference between “organic” growth and “inorganic” alternatives, which come through a merger or acquisition. In this episode, Favaro argues that it’s important to focus on creating incentives for organic growth within your organization. He also explains why you should avoid typecasting your business units as “cash cows” or “growth engines” if you want them to achieve ongoing growth.52full956 Is your growth strategy working consistently?

Strategy expert Ken Favaro says creating and sustaining growth isn’t rocket science. However, you do have to understand the difference between “organic” growth and “inorganic” alternatives, which come through a merger or acquisition.

Favaro is the chief strategy officer at BERA Brand Management. Formerly he was a senior partner at Booz & Company—now part of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

In this episode, he argues that it’s important to focus on creating incentives for organic growth within your organization. He also explains why you should avoid typecasting your business units as “cash cows” or “growth engines” if you want them to achieve ongoing growth.

Key episode topics include: strategy, operations and supply chain management, growth strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Key to Preserving a Long-Term Competitive Advantagehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/03/the-key-to-preserving-a-long-term-competitive-advantageFor more than a century, the pharmaceutical company Roche has been headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It’s one of more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies who have long been based there. Howard Yu, Lego Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD Business School in Switzerland, says that this industrial cluster is a unique example of enduring competitive advantage. In this episode, you'll learn how these historic companies began as makers of chemical dyes and later evolved into microbiology. You’ll also learn how to repackage your company’s existing knowledge to pioneer new products and services. And you’ll learn why persistence and experimentation over the long term are pre-requisites for innovation.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0051Wed, 27 Mar 2024 06:22:42 -0500The Key to Preserving a Long-Term Competitive AdvantagefalseFor more than a century, the pharmaceutical company Roche has been headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It’s one of more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies who have long been based there. Howard Yu, Lego Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD Business School in Switzerland, says that this industrial cluster is a unique example of enduring competitive advantage. In this episode, you'll learn how these historic companies began as makers of chemical dyes and later evolved into microbiology. You’ll also learn how to repackage your company’s existing knowledge to pioneer new products and services. And you’ll learn why persistence and experimentation over the long term are pre-requisites for innovation.51full1556 For more than a century, the pharmaceutical company Roche has been headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It’s one of more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies that have long been based there.

Howard Yu, Lego Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD Business School in Switzerland, discusses how this industrial cluster is a unique example of enduring competitive advantage. He explains how these companies offer a counter-narrative to the pessimistic view that you can’t stay ahead of the competition for long.

In this episode, you’ll learn how these historic companies began as makers of chemical dyes and later evolved into microbiology. You’ll also learn how to repackage your company’s existing knowledge to pioneer new products and services. And you’ll learn why persistence and experimentation over the long term are prerequisites for innovation.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, competitive strategy, pharmaceutical industry, competitive strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> When Scaling Your Start-Up, Don’t Lose What Makes It Specialhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/03/when-scaling-your-start-up-dont-lose-what-makes-it-specialHarvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati says the most successful start-ups have one thing in common: a soul. “Soul” goes beyond culture, purpose, or even the founder. It’s about having three things: strategic business intent, a strong connection to customers, and a stellar employee experience. Gulati argues that if you don’t preserve these elements as you scale, you’ll lose what makes your company special. In this episode, he explains how to define the specific problem your company solves and how to bring the voice of customers into your organization and ensure that your employees feel connected to them.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0050Wed, 20 Mar 2024 06:22:31 -0500When Scaling Your Start-Up, Don’t Lose What Makes It SpecialfalseHarvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati says the most successful start-ups have one thing in common: a soul. “Soul” goes beyond culture, purpose, or even the founder. It’s about having three things: strategic business intent, a strong connection to customers, and a stellar employee experience. Gulati argues that if you don’t preserve these elements as you scale, you’ll lose what makes your company special. In this episode, he explains how to define the specific problem your company solves and how to bring the voice of customers into your organization and ensure that your employees feel connected to them.50full1617 So, you’ve successfully scaled your start-up and you’re growing into a mature company. What, if anything, should you retain from those early days?

Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati says the most successful organizations have one thing in common: a soul. “Soul” goes beyond culture, purpose, or even the founder. It’s about having three things: strategic business intent, a strong connection to customers, and a stellar employee experience. Gulati argues that if you don’t preserve these elements as you scale, you’ll lose what makes your company special.

In this episode, he explains how to define the specific problem your company solves, with plenty of real-world examples from Netflix, Apple, and Warby Parker. You’ll also learn how to bring the voice of customers into your organization and ensure that your employees feel connected to them.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, organizational culture, start-up, scaling.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Fail Righthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/03/how-to-fail-rightWe all know Silicon Valley’s mantra: fail fast, fail often. But when is it OK to fail in the real world? Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson says it depends on how and why you fail. She’s an expert on psychological safety, and she explains the difference between good and bad types of failures. (One has to do with experimentation, while the other is rooted in inattention or lack of training.) Edmondson also explores the downsides of not experimenting enough because your team fears failure.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0049Wed, 13 Mar 2024 06:22:18 -0500How to Fail RightfalseWe all know Silicon Valley’s mantra: fail fast, fail often. But when is it OK to fail in the real world? Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson says it depends on how and why you fail. She’s an expert on psychological safety, and she explains the difference between good and bad types of failures. (One has to do with experimentation, while the other is rooted in inattention or lack of training.) Edmondson also explores the downsides of not experimenting enough because your team fears failure.49full2194 We all know Silicon Valley’s mantra: fail fast, fail often. But when is it OK to fail in the real world?

Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson says it depends on how and why you fail. She’s an expert on psychological safety and the author of the book, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well.

In this episode, she explains the difference between good and bad types of failures. One has to do with experimentation, while the other is rooted in inattention or lack of training. Edmondson also explores the downsides of not experimenting enough because your team fears failure.

Key episode topics include: strategy, psychology, business failures, psychological safety, experimentation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How 8 Successful CEOs Allocated Capital to Build Durable Businesseshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/03/how-8-successful-ceos-allocated-capital-to-build-durable-businessesInvestor and author William Thorndike studied eight CEOs who outperformed the market and their peers. The group included big names, like Warren Buffet and Katharine Graham, but also other leaders who are virtually unknown today. Thorndike noticed that these eight iconoclastic leaders all took a similar approach to capital allocation. They focused on investing their companies’ profits to repurchase their own stock when prices were optimal. But they generally avoided very large acquisitions, accruing debt, and paying dividends. In this episode, you’ll learn how effective capital allocation strategies, like the ones used by these leaders, can generate wealth for shareholders.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0048Wed, 06 Mar 2024 06:22:23 -0500How 8 Successful CEOs Allocated Capital to Build Durable BusinessesfalseInvestor and author William Thorndike studied eight CEOs who outperformed the market and their peers. The group included big names, like Warren Buffet and Katharine Graham, but also other leaders who are virtually unknown today. Thorndike noticed that these eight iconoclastic leaders all took a similar approach to capital allocation. They focused on investing their companies’ profits to repurchase their own stock when prices were optimal. But they generally avoided very large acquisitions, accruing debt, and paying dividends. In this episode, you’ll learn how effective capital allocation strategies, like the ones used by these leaders, can generate wealth for shareholders.48full837 Think of CEOs who have made strong rates of return for investors and built durable businesses. What strategies do you associate with their success?

Investor and author William Thorndike studied eight CEOs who outperformed the market and their peers. The group included big names, like Warren Buffet and Katharine Graham, but also other leaders who are virtually unknown today. One example is Henry Singleton, an MIT-educated electrical engineer who led Teledyne Technologies from 1960 to 1986.

Thorndike noticed that these eight iconoclastic leaders all took a similar approach to capital allocation. They focused on investing their companies’ profits to repurchase their own stock when prices were optimal. But they generally avoided very large acquisitions, accruing debt, and paying dividends.

In this episode, you’ll learn how effective capital allocation strategies, like the ones used by these leaders, can generate wealth for shareholders.

Thorndike is the author of The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategic planning, entrepreneurship, operations and supply chain management, leadership, capital allocation, debt, dividends, stock buybacks, acquisitions.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Local Businesses Can Compete with Larger Rivalshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/02/how-local-businesses-can-compete-with-larger-rivalsIn 2020, Kwame Spearman left his consulting job in New York City to take over an iconic independent bookstore, the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado—his hometown. Spearman saw an opportunity to reinvent the local business to build a community space after the pandemic. But to keep the store successful, he had figure out how to compete with online retailers and big box stores, amid technological change and shifting business models. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli explain how to set sustainable wages for employees and why community engagement is a key part of the store’s strategy for growth.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0047Wed, 28 Feb 2024 06:22:34 -0500How Local Businesses Can Compete with Larger RivalsfalseIn 2020, Kwame Spearman left his consulting job in New York City to take over an iconic independent bookstore, the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado—his hometown. Spearman saw an opportunity to reinvent the local business to build a community space after the pandemic. But to keep the store successful, he had figure out how to compete with online retailers and big box stores, amid technological change and shifting business models. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli explain how to set sustainable wages for employees and why community engagement is a key part of the store’s strategy for growth.47full1801 In 2020, Kwame Spearman left his consulting job in New York City to take over an iconic independent bookstore, the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado—his hometown.

Spearman saw an opportunity to reinvent the local business to build a community space after the pandemic. But to keep the store successful, he had figure out how to compete with online retailers and big box stores, amid technological change and shifting business models.

In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli is joined by Spearman to discuss his case, “Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover: Reinventing Brick-and-Mortar Retail.” He and Spearman explain how to set sustainable wages for employees and why community engagement is a key part of the store’s strategy for growth.

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership, marketing, innovation, retail and consumer goods, books, wages, community engagement. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Build — and Maintain — Relationships with Your Shareholdershttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/02/how-to-build-and-maintain-relationships-with-your-shareholdersDoes your company have a strategy for working with investors? Whether your company is big or small, IBM’s former CEO Sam Palmisano says it’s essential to build relationships with your shareholders before there’s a specific problem to address. In this episode, you’ll learn how to communicate with your investors to meet their needs — without needing to change your strategy.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0046Wed, 21 Feb 2024 06:22:32 -0500How to Build — and Maintain — Relationships with Your ShareholdersfalseDoes your company have a strategy for working with investors? Whether your company is big or small, IBM’s former CEO Sam Palmisano says it’s essential to build relationships with your shareholders before there’s a specific problem to address. In this episode, you’ll learn how to communicate with your investors to meet their needs — without needing to change your strategy.46full821 Does your company have a strategy for working with investors?

Whether your company is big or small, IBM’s former CEO Sam Palmisano says it’s essential to build relationships with your shareholders before there’s a specific problem to address.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to communicate with your investors to meet their needs — without needing to change your strategy. When Palmisano was leading IBM, he offered investors detailed multi-year projections of revenue growth, rather than quarterly outlooks. This approach helped to keep the company’s focus on the long term. As he describes, “We needed to give [investors] something that worked for us and our management system and our strategy, but also was simpler and clearer so they could decide what investments they would like to make.”

You’ll also learn how Palmisano approached his role as CEO in shareholder meetings in order to send the right message to both shareholders and employees.

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership, growth, growth strategy, economics, investors, Wall Street, shareholders, IBM.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Shifting Your Focus from Short-Term Efficiency to Long-Term Resiliencehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/02/shifting-your-focus-from-short-term-efficiency-to-long-term-resilienceEfficiency is usually something businesses strive for, but is it possible to be too efficient? Strategy expert Roger Martin warns that an obsession with eliminating inefficiencies in U.S. companies has come with many social and economic costs—from staffing to wages and even corporate debt levels. But he argues that it’s not too late for businesses to change their priorities. In this episode, he helps leaders understand how to shift their strategic thinking and stop pursuing efficiency at all costs.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0045Wed, 14 Feb 2024 06:22:51 -0500Shifting Your Focus from Short-Term Efficiency to Long-Term ResiliencefalseEfficiency is usually something businesses strive for, but is it possible to be too efficient? Strategy expert Roger Martin warns that an obsession with eliminating inefficiencies in U.S. companies has come with many social and economic costs—from staffing to wages and even corporate debt levels. But he argues that it’s not too late for businesses to change their priorities. In this episode, he helps leaders understand how to shift their strategic thinking and stop pursuing efficiency at all costs.45full1560 Efficiency is usually something businesses strive for, but is it possible to be too efficient?

Roger Martin is professor emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He warns that an obsession with eliminating inefficiencies in U.S. companies has come with social and economic costs. He sees those downsides in everything from staffing to wages and even corporate debt levels. But he argues that it’s not too late for businesses to change their priorities.

In this episode, Martin helps leaders understand how to shift their thinking to connect excess resources in the shorter term with a positive outcome: long-term resilience. Martin also explains why it’s important to avoid the strategy trap of setting and meeting singular goals.

Key episode topics include: strategy, business and society, operations and supply chain management, efficiency, corporate debt, wages, staffing, inequality, goals.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Best Buy’s Hubert Joly on Redefining Your Company’s Purposehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/02/best-buys-hubert-joly-on-re-defining-your-companys-purposeWhen Hubert Joly became CEO of Best Buy in 2012, online retailers like Amazon were exploding in popularity, and Best Buy was facing a sea change. But Joly famously turned around the struggling electronics retailer by changing the organization’s holistic strategy. In this episode, you’ll learn how Joly re-defined Best Buy’s purpose and aligned incentives with that larger strategy. You’ll also learn how he found mutually beneficial ways for the company to work with competitors and suppliers, including Amazon, the e-commerce giant that once threatened the company’s survival.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0044Wed, 07 Feb 2024 06:22:26 -0500Best Buy’s Hubert Joly on Redefining Your Company’s PurposefalseWhen Hubert Joly became CEO of Best Buy in 2012, online retailers like Amazon were exploding in popularity, and Best Buy was facing a sea change. But Joly famously turned around the struggling electronics retailer by changing the organization’s holistic strategy. In this episode, you’ll learn how Joly re-defined Best Buy’s purpose and aligned incentives with that larger strategy. You’ll also learn how he found mutually beneficial ways for the company to work with competitors and suppliers, including Amazon, the e-commerce giant that once threatened the company’s survival.44full1759 When Hubert Joly became CEO of Best Buy in 2012, online retailers like Amazon were exploding in popularity, and Best Buy was facing a sea change.

But Joly famously turned around the struggling electronics retailer by changing the organization’s holistic strategy. He prioritized fair pay for workers, opportunities for employees to advance, and working with consumers, the larger community, and even competitors.

In this episode, you’ll learn how Joly re-defined Best Buy’s purpose and aligned incentives with that larger strategy. You’ll also learn how he found mutually beneficial ways for the company to work with competitors and suppliers, including Amazon, the e-commerce giant that once threatened the company’s survival.

Key episode topics include: strategy, business management, corporate social responsibility, leadership and managing people, retail strategy, leading through change, leadership transition, innovation, customer service.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Growth Strategy Lessons from the Middle East’s First Unicorn Start-Uphttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/01/growth-strategy-lessons-from-the-middle-easts-first-unicorn-start-upCareem launched as the “Uber of the Middle East” in Dubai in 2012, with a mission to make life and work better for drivers in the region. Despite technical, cultural, and financial pressures, Careem eventually became the Middle East’s first unicorn start-up, valued at more than a billion dollars. It was acquired by Uber in 2019 for $3.1 billion. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Shikhar Ghosh explains how the company scaled its operations and expanded from Dubai into Africa and South Asia, without an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ghosh studied Careem for a business case study he wrote, “Careem: Raising a Unicorn.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0043Wed, 31 Jan 2024 06:22:25 -0500Growth Strategy Lessons from the Middle East’s First Unicorn Start-UpfalseCareem launched as the “Uber of the Middle East” in Dubai in 2012, with a mission to make life and work better for drivers in the region. Despite technical, cultural, and financial pressures, Careem eventually became the Middle East’s first unicorn start-up, valued at more than a billion dollars. It was acquired by Uber in 2019 for $3.1 billion. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Shikhar Ghosh explains how the company scaled its operations and expanded from Dubai into Africa and South Asia, without an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ghosh studied Careem for a business case study he wrote, “Careem: Raising a Unicorn.”43full1252 Careem launched as the “Uber of the Middle East” in Dubai in 2012, with a mission to make life and work better for drivers in the region.

Despite technical, cultural, and financial challenges, Careem eventually became the Middle East’s first unicorn start-up, valued at more than a billion dollars. It was acquired by Uber in 2019 for $3.1 billion.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Shikhar Ghosh discusses his case, “Careem: Raising a Unicorn.” He explains how the company scaled its operations and expanded from Dubai into Africa and South Asia. That growth required many small and large innovations—from creating their own localized version of Google maps to forging relationships with local and national governments.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, innovation, technology, ride share, startup, Middle East, scaling, recruiting.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Refocus Your Strategy for Successhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/01/refocus-your-strategy-for-successHave you ever put a lot of time and energy into strategy work, but instead of finding clarity, ended up even more overwhelmed by conflicting priorities? Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee says it doesn’t have to be this way. He argues that all companies should simplify and focus on two value drivers: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. In this episode, he offers step-by-step guidance for implementing a value-based strategy in your organization, using a “value map.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0042Wed, 24 Jan 2024 06:22:40 -0500Refocus Your Strategy for SuccessfalseHave you ever put a lot of time and energy into strategy work, but instead of finding clarity, ended up even more overwhelmed by conflicting priorities? Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee says it doesn’t have to be this way. He argues that all companies should simplify and focus on two value drivers: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. In this episode, he offers step-by-step guidance for implementing a value-based strategy in your organization, using a “value map.”42full1681 Have you ever put a lot of time and energy into strategy work, but instead of finding clarity, ended up even more overwhelmed by conflicting priorities?

Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee says it doesn’t have to be this way. He argues that all companies should simplify and focus on two value drivers: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction.

In this episode, he offers step-by-step guidance for implementing a value-based strategy in your organization, using a “value map.” He also explains why it’s important to separate financial planning from strategic planning.

Key episode topics include: strategy, creativity, design thinking, Starbucks, Apple, aesthetics, design, customer centricity, consumer research, competition.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How IKEA Evolved Its Strategy While Keeping Its Culture Constanthttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/01/how-ikea-evolved-its-strategy-while-keeping-its-culture-constantThe Swedish furniture maker IKEA found huge success producing quality furniture at affordable prices. But in 2017, the company was at a crossroads. Its beloved founder had died, and the exponential rise of online shopping posed a new challenge. In this episode, Harvard Business School professors Juan Alcacer and Cynthia Montgomery break down how IKEA developed, selected, and embraced new strategic initiatives, while fortifying its internal culture. They explain how the company reworked its franchise agreements to ensure consistency among its global stores. They also discuss how IKEA balanced global growth with localization, developing all-new supply chains.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0041Wed, 17 Jan 2024 06:22:11 -0500How IKEA Evolved Its Strategy While Keeping Its Culture ConstantfalseThe Swedish furniture maker IKEA found huge success producing quality furniture at affordable prices. But in 2017, the company was at a crossroads. Its beloved founder had died, and the exponential rise of online shopping posed a new challenge. In this episode, Harvard Business School professors Juan Alcacer and Cynthia Montgomery break down how IKEA developed, selected, and embraced new strategic initiatives, while fortifying its internal culture. They explain how the company reworked its franchise agreements to ensure consistency among its global stores. They also discuss how IKEA balanced global growth with localization, developing all-new supply chains.41full1480 The Swedish furniture maker IKEA found huge success producing quality furniture at affordable prices. But in 2017, the company was at a crossroads. Its beloved founder had died, and the exponential rise of online shopping posed a new challenge.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professors Juan Alcacer and Cynthia Montgomery break down how IKEA developed, selected, and embraced new strategic initiatives, while fortifying its internal culture. They studied how IKEA made big changes for the future and wrote a business case about it.

They explain how the company reworked its franchise agreements to ensure consistency among its global stores. They also discuss how IKEA balanced global growth with localization, developing all-new supply chains.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, disruptive innovation, emerging markets, leadership transition, competitive strategy, company culture, succession.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Key to Identifying Your Most Valuable Customershttps://hbr.org/podcast/2024/01/the-key-to-identifying-your-most-valuable-customersDo you know who your “superconsumers” are, and why they’re so important for your strategy decisions? Growth strategy expert Eddie Yoon says they’re your most passionate, most valuable customers—not just because they spend more than average, but because their insight can help you improve your products and services. In this episode, you’ll learn how to define your superconsumers and use their insights to attract new users to your products and services, with plenty of real-world examples, from Velveeta cheese to vitamins and video games.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0040Wed, 10 Jan 2024 06:22:20 -0500The Key to Identifying Your Most Valuable CustomersfalseDo you know who your “superconsumers” are, and why they’re so important for your strategy decisions? Growth strategy expert Eddie Yoon says they’re your most passionate, most valuable customers—not just because they spend more than average, but because their insight can help you improve your products and services. In this episode, you’ll learn how to define your superconsumers and use their insights to attract new users to your products and services, with plenty of real-world examples, from Velveeta cheese to vitamins and video games.40full1249 Do you know who your “superconsumers” are, and why they’re so important for your strategy decisions?

Growth strategy expert Eddie Yoon says they’re your most passionate, most valuable customers—not just because they spend more than average, but because their insights can help you improve your products and services.

“You start with superconsumers and ask them to figure out what would need to be true for you to pay double the price of what I sell you now today,” he explains. “If you ask any regular consumer, they’d say, ‘no way would I let you do that.’ But a superconsumer would say, ‘well, if you did this, this, and this; I would actually pay three times as much for it.’ Start with the passionate core, and let them do your work for you.”

In this episode, you’ll learn how to define your superconsumers and use their insights to attract new users to your products and services, with plenty of real-world examples, from Velveeta cheese to vitamins and video games.

Yoon is the author of the book Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy, and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, customer experience, product development. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Does Your Family Business Have a Succession Plan?https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/01/does-your-family-business-have-a-succession-planRohit Gera had turned his family’s boutique real estate development firm into a dynamic housing solutions innovator for urban Indian families. But as he prepared to retire, Gera had to decide who would take over for him. Should he define a strategy for future growth and pick a successor who would enact it? Or should he identify his replacement and allow them to set the company’s new strategy? And should Gera’s replacement come from within his family or not? In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer Christina Wing is joined by Gera to discuss her case, “Gera Developments: Leadership at a Crossroads.” She and Gera explain how to select a growth strategy for the future. They also discuss best practices for ensuring a successful leadership transition in a family business.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0039Wed, 03 Jan 2024 06:22:37 -0500Does Your Family Business Have a Succession Plan?falseRohit Gera had turned his family’s boutique real estate development firm into a dynamic housing solutions innovator for urban Indian families. But as he prepared to retire, Gera had to decide who would take over for him. Should he define a strategy for future growth and pick a successor who would enact it? Or should he identify his replacement and allow them to set the company’s new strategy? And should Gera’s replacement come from within his family or not? In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer Christina Wing is joined by Gera to discuss her case, “Gera Developments: Leadership at a Crossroads.” She and Gera explain how to select a growth strategy for the future. They also discuss best practices for ensuring a successful leadership transition in a family business.39full1750 Rohit Gera had turned his family’s boutique real estate development firm into a dynamic housing solutions innovator for urban Indian families. But as he prepared to retire, Gera had to decide who would take over for him. Should he define a strategy for future growth and pick a successor who would enact it? Or should he identify his replacement and allow them to set the company’s new strategy? And should Gera’s replacement come from within his family or not?

In this episode, Harvard Business School senior lecturer Christina Wing is joined by Gera to discuss her case, “Gera Developments: Leadership at a Crossroads.” She and Gera explain how to select a growth strategy for the future. They also discuss best practices for ensuring a successful leadership transition in a family business.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, family business, leadership, leadership transitions, real estate, India, succession.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Competing with TikTok: When to Imitate, When to Differentiatehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/12/competing-with-tiktok-when-to-imitate-when-to-differentiateIn 2023, TikTok became the fourth largest social network by number of users, behind Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Meanwhile, competition in the market for short-form videos intensified. Instagram introduced Reels and YouTube launched Shorts—innovations that imitated TikTok’s approach. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee discusses imitation as a competitive strategy among the leading social networks.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0038Wed, 27 Dec 2023 06:22:33 -0500Competing with TikTok: When to Imitate, When to DifferentiatefalseIn 2023, TikTok became the fourth largest social network by number of users, behind Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Meanwhile, competition in the market for short-form videos intensified. Instagram introduced Reels and YouTube launched Shorts—innovations that imitated TikTok’s approach. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee discusses imitation as a competitive strategy among the leading social networks.38full2092 In 2023, TikTok became the fourth largest social network by number of users, behind Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Meanwhile, competition in the market for short-form videos intensified. Instagram introduced Reels and YouTube launched Shorts—innovations that imitated TikTok’s approach.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee discusses imitation as a competitive strategy among the leading social networks. Standard business strategy emphasizes the need to differentiate your product or service from competitors. However, as these social networks have shown, imitation can sometimes lead to better financial performance. The question is: When is imitation useful and when does it become detrimental?

This is the final episode in a special series highlighting the four best strategy episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.

Key episode topics include: strategy, social media, competitive strategy, organizational change.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Build a Start-Up — Without VC Fundinghttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/12/how-to-build-a-start-up-without-vc-fundingAs interest rates have risen in recent years, venture capital funding has dried up. How can founders grow their companies in this new environment? In this episode, a founder who grew a $600 million company using just $10,000 of his own money, shares his strategy. Mike Salguero is the CEO and founder of the meat subscription service ButcherBox. He explains how he formulated a growth strategy that had a laser focus on costs and creatively leveraged the marketing power of influencers.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0037Wed, 20 Dec 2023 06:22:55 -0500How to Build a Start-Up — Without VC FundingfalseAs interest rates have risen in recent years, venture capital funding has dried up. How can founders grow their companies in this new environment? In this episode, a founder who grew a $600 million company using just $10,000 of his own money, shares his strategy. Mike Salguero is the CEO and founder of the meat subscription service ButcherBox. He explains how he formulated a growth strategy that had a laser focus on costs and creatively leveraged the marketing power of influencers.37full1962 As interest rates have risen in recent years, venture capital funding has dried up. How can founders grow their companies in this new environment?

In this episode, a founder who grew a $600 million company using just $10,000 of his own money, shares his strategy. Mike Salguero is the CEO and founder of the meat subscription service ButcherBox. He explains how he formulated a growth strategy that had a laser focus on costs and creatively leveraged the marketing power of influencers.

This is the third episode in a special series highlighting the four best strategy episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, fundraising, selling entrepreneurial ventures, venture capital, pricing strategy, customer strategy, marketing.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Inside BMW’s Decarbonization Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/12/inside-bmws-decarbonization-strategyIn 2023, the auto industry went through huge changes in pursuit of lower carbon emission. Some automakers announced their plans to stop selling vehicles with internal combustion engines. In contrast, BMW decided to pursue a more flexible decarbonization strategy. Their plans include gasoline and diesel-fueled internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid EVs, and battery EVs. The goal is to reduce lifecycle emissions across BMW’s supply chain, their production, and tailpipe emissions. In this episode, Harvard Business School assistant professor Shirley Lu explains how BMW analyzed its sustainability goals alongside market-based risks to formulate their decarbonization strategy. She also discusses how the company’s leadership presented their strategy to skeptical stakeholders.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0036Wed, 13 Dec 2023 06:22:22 -0500Inside BMW’s Decarbonization StrategyfalseIn 2023, the auto industry went through huge changes in pursuit of lower carbon emission. Some automakers announced their plans to stop selling vehicles with internal combustion engines. In contrast, BMW decided to pursue a more flexible decarbonization strategy. Their plans include gasoline and diesel-fueled internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid EVs, and battery EVs. The goal is to reduce lifecycle emissions across BMW’s supply chain, their production, and tailpipe emissions. In this episode, Harvard Business School assistant professor Shirley Lu explains how BMW analyzed its sustainability goals alongside market-based risks to formulate their decarbonization strategy. She also discusses how the company’s leadership presented their strategy to skeptical stakeholders.36full1478 In 2023, the auto industry went through huge changes in pursuit of lower carbon emission. Some automakers, like Ford, Mercedes, and General Motors, announced their plans to stop selling vehicles with internal combustion engines. The reaction from investment analysts was overwhelmingly positive, despite the fact that the production of electric vehicles (EVs) actually increases emissions in the supply chain.

In contrast, BMW decided to pursue a more flexible decarbonization strategy. Their plans include gasoline and diesel-fueled internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid EVs, and battery EVs. The goal is to reduce lifecycle emissions across BMW’s supply chain, their production, and tailpipe emissions.

In this episode, Harvard Business School assistant professor Shirley Lu explains how BMW analyzed its sustainability goals alongside market-based risks to formulate their decarbonization strategy. She also discusses how the company’s leadership presented their strategy to skeptical stakeholders.

This is the second episode in a special series highlighting the four best strategy episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.

Key episode topics include: strategy, environmental sustainability, climate change, operations and supply chain management, financial performance measurement, transportation and distribution. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> You Need a Generative AI Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/12/you-need-a-generative-ai-strategyChatGPT dominated news headlines in 2023. But generative AI isn’t just a hack to boost productivity. Many businesses are exploring its potential to create new products and services, which requires entirely new strategic work. In this episode, HBR editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius, Microsoft’s head of strategy Chris Young, and Harvard Business School professor Andy Wu lay out Gen-AI’s emerging value chains and break down the competitive risks and tradeoffs that businesses should consider as they incorporate this new technology.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0035Wed, 06 Dec 2023 06:22:10 -0500You Need a Generative AI StrategyfalseChatGPT dominated news headlines in 2023. But generative AI isn’t just a hack to boost productivity. Many businesses are exploring its potential to create new products and services, which requires entirely new strategic work. In this episode, HBR editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius, Microsoft’s head of strategy Chris Young, and Harvard Business School professor Andy Wu lay out Gen-AI’s emerging value chains and break down the competitive risks and tradeoffs that businesses should consider as they incorporate this new technology.35full2197 ChatGPT dominated news headlines in 2023. But generative AI isn’t just a hack to boost productivity. Many businesses are exploring its potential to create new products and services, which requires entirely new strategic work.

In this episode, HBR’s editor in chief, Adi Ignatius, speaks to Microsoft’s head of strategy Chris Young and Harvard Business School professor Andy Wu, an expert in growth and innovation strategy. They lay out Gen-AI’s emerging value chains and break down the competitive risks and tradeoffs that businesses should consider as they experiment with this new technology.

This is the first episode in a special series highlighting the four best strategy episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership, AI and machine learning, automation, technology and analytics, disruptive innovation, digital transformation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Lessons in Innovation from a Legacy Firmhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/11/lessons-in-innovation-from-a-legacy-firmPencil-maker Faber-Castell has been in business since 1761, but it is still innovating and adopting new technology. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli discusses his case, “Faber-Castell.” He explains how the company balances stewardship of its brand with innovation and evolution, and how leaders there decide when—and when not to—adopt new technologies. Plus, he breaks down Faber-Castell’s “generational” approach to formulating strategy to sustain their business for the longer term.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0034Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:22:44 -0500Lessons in Innovation from a Legacy FirmfalsePencil-maker Faber-Castell has been in business since 1761, but it is still innovating and adopting new technology. In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli discusses his case, “Faber-Castell.” He explains how the company balances stewardship of its brand with innovation and evolution, and how leaders there decide when—and when not to—adopt new technologies. Plus, he breaks down Faber-Castell’s “generational” approach to formulating strategy to sustain their business for the longer term.34full1072 Pencil-maker Faber-Castell has been in business since 1761, but it is still innovating and adopting new technology.

In this episode, Harvard Business School associate professor Ryan Raffaelli discusses his case, “Faber-Castell.” He explains how the company balances stewardship of its brand with innovation and evolution, and how leaders decide when—and when not to—adopt new technologies. Plus, he breaks down Faber-Castell’s “generational” approach to formulating strategy to sustain their business for the longer term.

Key episode topics include: strategy, product development, innovation, family businesses.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Right — and Wrong — Ways to Cut Costshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/11/the-right-and-wrong-ways-to-cut-costsWhen companies cut costs, they tend to trim spending across the board. But Cesare Mainardi, former CEO of global management consultancy Booz & Company, says that cost cutting should be a careful, strategic process. In this episode you’ll learn how to ensure that your company’s strategic capabilities aren’t negatively affected by necessary cuts. You’ll also learn how top leadership can work with teams to understand the trade-offs involved in reducing costs.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0033Wed, 22 Nov 2023 06:22:35 -0500The Right — and Wrong — Ways to Cut CostsfalseWhen companies cut costs, they tend to trim spending across the board. But Cesare Mainardi, former CEO of global management consultancy Booz & Company, says that cost cutting should be a careful, strategic process. In this episode you’ll learn how to ensure that your company’s strategic capabilities aren’t negatively affected by necessary cuts. You’ll also learn how top leadership can work with teams to understand the trade-offs involved in reducing costs.33full952 When companies cut costs, they tend to trim spending across the board. But Cesare Mainardi, former CEO of global management consultancy Booz & Company, says that cost cutting should be a careful, strategic process.

In this episode you’ll learn how to ensure that your company’s strategic capabilities aren’t negatively affected by necessary cuts. You’ll also learn how top leadership can work with teams to understand the trade-offs involved in reducing costs.

Mainardi is now a business strategy author and professor. He’s the author of the book, Cut Costs, Grow Stronger: A Strategic Approach to What to Cut and What to Keep.

Key episode topics include: strategy, costing, reducing costs, leadership.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Risks of Rebrandinghttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/11/the-risks-of-rebrandingAre you considering a refresh of your brand? Roger Martin, one of the world’s leading thinkers on strategy, says you should probably rethink that. In this episode, he explains how customer habits build “cumulative advantage” for brands — and why that’s so important, yet fragile. Martin also offers real-world examples of brand updates gone wrong (and right) — from laundry detergents to social media platforms and even the iPhone.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0032Wed, 15 Nov 2023 06:22:23 -0500The Risks of RebrandingfalseAre you considering a refresh of your brand? Roger Martin, one of the world’s leading thinkers on strategy, says you should probably rethink that. In this episode, he explains how customer habits build “cumulative advantage” for brands — and why that’s so important, yet fragile. Martin also offers real-world examples of brand updates gone wrong (and right) — from laundry detergents to social media platforms and even the iPhone.32full659 Are you considering a refresh of your brand? Roger Martin says you should probably rethink that.

“When you rebrand, the [consumer’s] subconscious is saying ‘whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, where’s that thing we were comfortable with?’ And in some sense, it puts you back to square one. You’re now competing to establish a new habit,” he explains.

Martin is the former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto — and one of the world’s leading thinkers on strategy.

In this episode, he explains how customer habits build “cumulative advantage” for brands — and why that’s so important, yet fragile. Martin also offers real-world examples of brand updates gone wrong (and right) —from laundry detergents to social media platforms and even the iPhone.

Key episode topics include: strategy, brand management, marketing, consumer behavior, cumulative advantage, Tide, Instagram.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Corporate Governance Can Be a Growth Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/11/corporate-governance-can-be-a-growth-strategyJorge Quintanilla Nielsen started the private asset management firm Capital SAFI in 2007 — and planned to expand from Bolivia across South America. As a private firm, Capital SAFI isn’t required to have a board. But in order to attract new customers, Nielsen knew he needed to strengthen the firm’s governance. In this episode, you’ll learn how Nielsen selects board members and holds them accountable in their roles. You’ll also learn how Capital SAFI’s board guides the firm’s growth, risks, and overall strategy.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0031Wed, 08 Nov 2023 06:22:02 -0500Corporate Governance Can Be a Growth StrategyfalseJorge Quintanilla Nielsen started the private asset management firm Capital SAFI in 2007 — and planned to expand from Bolivia across South America. As a private firm, Capital SAFI isn’t required to have a board. But in order to attract new customers, Nielsen knew he needed to strengthen the firm’s governance. In this episode, you’ll learn how Nielsen selects board members and holds them accountable in their roles. You’ll also learn how Capital SAFI’s board guides the firm’s growth, risks, and overall strategy.31full1819 Jorge Quintanilla Nielsen started the private asset management firm Capital SAFI in 2007 — and planned to expand from Bolivia across South America. As a private firm, Capital SAFI isn’t required to have a board, but he knew that governance would be one of the main aspects potential partners would evaluate.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor V. G. Narayanan discusses his case, “Building the Governance to Take Capital SAFI to the Next Level.” He explains how Nielsen selects board members and holds them accountable in their roles. He also discusses how Capital SAFI’s board guides the firm’s growth, risks, and overall strategy.

Key episode topics include: strategy, corporate strategy, corporate governance, sustainable business practices, boards, investment management, growth strategy, global growth, assessing risk.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Why Every Leader Needs “Aesthetic Intelligence”https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/11/why-every-leader-needs-aesthetic-intelligenceIn addition to traditional and emotional intelligence, Pauline Brown argues that great leaders also need to develop what she calls aesthetic intelligence. They need to understand how their products make their customers feel. Brown was formerly chairperson of the luxury goods company LVMH, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora, and Hennessy. In this episode, she explains how companies—like Starbucks, Airbnb, and, of course, Apple—use aesthetics to set their products apart.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0030Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:22:36 -0500Why Every Leader Needs “Aesthetic Intelligence"falseIn addition to traditional and emotional intelligence, Pauline Brown argues that great leaders also need to develop what she calls aesthetic intelligence. They need to understand how their products make their customers feel. Brown was formerly chairperson of the luxury goods company LVMH, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora, and Hennessy. In this episode, she explains how companies—like Starbucks, Airbnb, and, of course, Apple—use aesthetics to set their products apart.30full1677 Do you have good AI? That’s “aesthetic intelligence” — not artificial intelligence.

Pauline Brown, former chairman of North America for the luxury goods company LVMH, argues that great leaders need to develop “aesthetic intelligence” to stand out among competitors. They need to understand how their products or services can “elicit true delight.”

“When you look at the research, the vast majority of reasons that anyone will buy one product over another is based on how that product or service makes the person feel,” she tells IdeaCast host Alison Beard.

In this episode, you’ll learn from companies—like Starbucks, Airbnb, and, of course, Apple—that successfully use aesthetics to set their products apart. You’ll also learn why it’s important for leaders or founders—not customers—to define and maintain a company’s aesthetic principles. Brown is the author of the book Aesthetic Intelligence: How to Boost It and Use It in Business and Beyond.

Key episode topics include: strategy, creativity, design thinking, Starbucks, Apple, aesthetics, design, customer centricity, consumer research, competition.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Strategy Mistake Too Many Startups Makehttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/10/the-strategy-mistake-too-many-startups-makeMany founders try to emulate startups that have already become successful. But Thales Teixeira says that approach, which often involves trying to do too much, too quickly, can lead to failure. In this episode, you’ll learn how to find customers who aren’t being served by existing businesses and how to work with early adopters to improve your product and service. You’ll also learn when to focus on developing your technology and when to make key hires — with real-world examples from Uber, Airbnb, and Netflix.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0029Wed, 25 Oct 2023 06:22:27 -0500The Strategy Mistake Too Many Startups MakefalseMany founders try to emulate startups that have already become successful. But Thales Teixeira says that approach, which often involves trying to do too much, too quickly, can lead to failure. In this episode, you’ll learn how to find customers who aren’t being served by existing businesses and how to work with early adopters to improve your product and service. You’ll also learn when to focus on developing your technology and when to make key hires — with real-world examples from Uber, Airbnb, and Netflix.29full1479 Many founders try to emulate startups that have already become successful. But Thales Teixeira says that approach, which often involves trying to do too much, too quickly, can lead to failure.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to find customers who aren’t being served by existing businesses and how to work with early adopters to improve your product and service. You’ll also learn when to focus on developing your technology and when to make key hires — with real-world examples from Uber, Airbnb, and Netflix.

Thales Teixeira is a former associate professor at Harvard Business School, where he taught a course in e-commerce and digital marketing. He’s now the co-founder of digital disruption consultancy Decoupling and the author of the book, Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Customer Disruption. 

Key episode topics include: strategy, customer service, disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship, early adopters, scaling, digital disruption, digital marketing, founders, e-commerce.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Indra Nooyi Brought Design Thinking to PepsiCohttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/10/how-indra-nooyi-brought-design-thinking-to-pepsicoAs the former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi played an important role in shaping the company’s global strategy. Perhaps most notably, she introduced design thinking into the company’s innovation process. In this episode, Nooyi explains how design thinking shifted the culture at PepsiCo to ultimately make the company’s operations more centralized and coordinated.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0028Wed, 18 Oct 2023 06:22:24 -0500How Indra Nooyi Brought Design Thinking to PepsiCofalseAs the former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi played an important role in shaping the company’s global strategy. Perhaps most notably, she introduced design thinking into the company’s innovation process. In this episode, Nooyi explains how design thinking shifted the culture at PepsiCo to ultimately make the company’s operations more centralized and coordinated.28full898 As the former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi played an important role in shaping the company’s global strategy. She shifted PepsiCo’s focus to healthier products, worked to improve sustainability, and perhaps most notably: introduced design thinking into the company’s innovation process.

“It’s a fine line between innovation and design. Hopefully design leads to innovation, and innovation demands design,” Nooyi tells Harvard Business Review editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius.

In this episode, you’ll learn how Nooyi thinks about the relationship between innovation and design — and why she says that “design” is about more than just creating eye-catching packaging. You’ll also learn how design thinking shifted the culture at PepsiCo to ultimately make the company’s operations more centralized and coordinated.

Key episode topics include: strategy, change management, design thinking, food and Beverage sector, sustainability, innovation, culture shift, global strategy, user experience, design, packaging.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Expand Beyond a Direct-to-Consumer Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/10/how-to-expand-beyond-a-direct-to-consumer-strategyDirect-to-consumer businesses play an outsize role in disrupting industries. But after that initial disruption, industry competitors often adapt. Harvard Business School professor Len Schlesinger and co-founder and CEO of RSE Ventures Matt Higgins studied the teledentistry company SmileDirectClub and wrote a case study about its challenges as it scaled. In this episode, they explain how the company expanded to own an entire category of dental care products.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0027Wed, 11 Oct 2023 06:22:19 -0500How to Expand Beyond a Direct-to-Consumer StrategyfalseDirect-to-consumer businesses play an outsize role in disrupting industries. But after that initial disruption, industry competitors often adapt. Harvard Business School professor Len Schlesinger and co-founder and CEO of RSE Ventures Matt Higgins studied the teledentistry company SmileDirectClub and wrote a case study about its challenges as it scaled. In this episode, they explain how the company expanded to own an entire category of dental care products.27full1930 Direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses play an outsize role in disrupting industries. Think of eyeglasses and Warby Parker or mattresses and Casper. But after that initial disruption, industry competitors often adapt.

Harvard Business School professor Len Schlesinger and Matt Higgins, the co-founder and CEO of private investment firm RSE Ventures, studied the teledentistry company SmileDirectClub and wrote a case study about its challenges as it scaled.

In this episode, they break down how SmileDirectClub invested in strategic innovation and ultimately moved beyond DTC channels in order to thrive.

Key episode topics include: strategy, business models, entrepreneurs and founder, strategy execution, scaling, direct-to-consumer, DTC, innovation, dental care, disruption, retail strategy, growth strategy.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Well Do You Know Your Core Customers?https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/10/how-well-do-you-know-your-core-customersWho are your primary customers? Harvard Business School professor Robert Simons says that’s the most important question of your strategy — and the hardest to answer. In this episode, you’ll learn how to accurately define your primary customers — using factors like your firm’s culture, your core capabilities, and where you get the most profit.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0026Wed, 04 Oct 2023 06:22:01 -0500How Well Do You Know Your Core Customers?falseWho are your primary customers? Harvard Business School professor Robert Simons says that’s the most important question of your strategy — and the hardest to answer. In this episode, you’ll learn how to accurately define your primary customers — using factors like your firm’s culture, your core capabilities, and where you get the most profit.26full913 Who are your primary customers? Harvard Business School professor Robert Simons says that’s the most important question of your strategy – and the hardest to answer.

Simons says that many firms make the mistake of defining their customers too broadly. To succeed, you have to target your resources at the people who really drive the most value.

“Resources are limited…and the more people we call customers, the more we’re diffusing resources and attention over all kinds of different entities and constituents that are not really at the core of the business,” he explains.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to accurately define your primary customers – using factors like your firm’s culture, your core capabilities, and where you get the most profit. You’ll also learn how to allocate resources for secondary and tertiary customers.

Key episode topics include: strategy, customer experience, competitive strategy, resources, profits, value, core customers.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Thrive in Fast-Moving Marketshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/09/how-to-thrive-in-fast-moving-marketsWhat can we learn from fast-moving companies — like Amazon, Google, and Alibaba — about how to organize to promote strategic growth? University of Michigan business professor Dave Ulrich went inside these companies to study how internal organization helps them stay nimble, innovative, and market-oriented.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0025Wed, 27 Sep 2023 06:22:48 -0500How to Thrive in Fast-Moving MarketsfalseWhat can we learn from fast-moving companies — like Amazon, Google, and Alibaba — about how to organize to promote strategic growth? University of Michigan business professor Dave Ulrich went inside these companies to study how internal organization helps them stay nimble, innovative, and market-oriented.25full1310 “That mental model of what an organization is, it’s about power, it’s about control, it’s about clarifying decision rights,” he tells IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch. “I think that mental model of an organization as a control system has basically got to shift.”

In this episode, Ulrich outlines three key capabilities that these newer companies have developed: monitoring the marketplace, sharing that intelligence company-wide, and innovation.

Key episode topics include: strategy, innovation, business management, market intelligence, Google, Alibaba, technology, uncertainty, flux, agile. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How a Multinational Publishing House Pivoted to Digitalhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/09/how-a-multinational-publishing-house-pivoted-to-digitalWolters Kluwer started in the 1830s as a publishing house. But the Dutch multinational corporation has grown into a global, information services company and now earns more than 90 percent of its revenue from digital products. In this episode, chair and CEO Nancy McKinstry discusses how she successfully shifted the company’s strategy to focus on digital products.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0024Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:22:40 -0500How a Multinational Publishing House Pivoted to DigitalfalseWolters Kluwer started in the 1830s as a publishing house. But the Dutch multinational corporation has grown into a global, information services company and now earns more than 90 percent of its revenue from digital products. In this episode, chair and CEO Nancy McKinstry discusses how she successfully shifted the company’s strategy to focus on digital products.24full1585 Wolters Kluwer started in the 1830s as a publishing house. But the Dutch multinational corporation has grown into a global, information services company and now earns more than 90 percent of its revenue from digital products.

“We had to move quickly and we had to do a certain set of strategic things, or the company might not survive,” chair and CEO Nancy McKinstry tells IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch.

In this episode, McKinstry discusses how she successfully shifted the company’s strategy to focus on digital products through strategic investments in product innovation. She also emphasizes the importance of patience, as consumers slowly adopted new products and services.

Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership, strategy execution, business management, digital transformation, innovation, product development, information services, timing.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Compete with a Fast-Growing Disruptorhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/09/how-to-compete-with-a-fast-growing-disruptorOXXO was the dominant convenience store chain in Mexico—until its chief rival doubled in size almost overnight. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Tatiana Sandino explains how OXXO CEO Eduardo Padilla responded to this strategic challenge by focusing on operations and the company’s culture.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0023Wed, 13 Sep 2023 06:22:50 -0500How to Compete with a Fast-Growing DisruptorfalseOXXO was the dominant convenience store chain in Mexico—until its chief rival doubled in size almost overnight. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Tatiana Sandino explains how OXXO CEO Eduardo Padilla responded to this strategic challenge by focusing on operations and the company’s culture.23full1970 OXXO was the dominant convenience store chain in Mexico—until its chief rival doubled in size almost overnight.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Tatiana Sandino explains how OXXO CEO Eduardo Padilla responded to this strategic challenge. Instead of opening more stores as quickly as possible, he focused on improving the company’s culture and operations. The company implemented management systems across its locations and then used those systems to gain new economies of scale.

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, operations strategy, organizational culture, Mexico, growth, agile, multi-unit organizations.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Strategy Doesn’t Have to Be Complicatedhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/09/strategy-doesnt-have-to-be-complicatedTo many people, strategy is a total mystery. But Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee says strategy doesn’t have to be complicated if you focus on creating value.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0022Wed, 06 Sep 2023 06:22:29 -0500Strategy Doesn’t Have to Be ComplicatedfalseTo many people, strategy is a total mystery. But Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee says strategy doesn’t have to be complicated if you focus on creating value.22full717 To many people, strategy is a total mystery. But Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee says strategy doesn’t have to be complicated if you focus on creating value.

“Strategy’s simple. It’s a plan to create value,” he explains. “The way a company plans to create that value, that’s the strategy of the company.”

In this episode, you’ll learn how to focus on two key value drivers: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. You’ll also learn where profits come in and how to visualize the value you create.

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, creating value, profit, value stick, willingness to pay, willingness to sell, Best Buy, Hubert Joly, turnaround.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Measuring Your Long-Term Strategy’s Short-Term Successhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/08/measuring-your-long-term-strategys-short-term-successMajor strategy shifts need time to play out. Customers have their habits, employees are used to doing things a certain way, and fine-tuning a plan takes time in the market. But what if you don’t have the luxury of waiting years to know if your strategy really is working? In this episode, expert guests debate a fictional case study about a struggling retail chain’s attempt to rebrand.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0021Wed, 30 Aug 2023 06:22:41 -0500Measuring Your Long-Term Strategy’s Short-Term SuccessfalseMajor strategy shifts need time to play out. Customers have their habits, employees are used to doing things a certain way, and fine-tuning a plan takes time in the market. But what if you don’t have the luxury of waiting years to know if your strategy really is working? In this episode, expert guests debate a fictional case study about a struggling retail chain’s attempt to rebrand.21full1675 Major strategy shifts need time to play out. Customers have their habits, employees are used to doing things a certain way, and fine-tuning a plan takes time in the market.

But what if you don’t have the luxury of waiting years to know if your strategy really is working?

“The question…is whether the strategy is flawed or whether we just haven’t given it enough time to take hold with customers,” says Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jill Avery, who wrote the fictionalized case study discussed in this episode—loosely based on Ron Johnson’s tenure at JC Penney.

In the case, a fictitious struggling retail chain is attempting to attract younger customers and boost its declining revenue, but early results aren’t good. Now the Board is pressuring the new CEO to walk back his changes, and he’s arguing that short-term losses are necessary to unlock longer term profitability.

“This is a retailer in trouble, as JC Penney was at the time of Ron Johnson’s tenure there. And radical change is probably necessary to turn these retailers around,” Avery notes. “[But] how much leeway do we have both financially and strategically to see our decisions play out over a multi-period time, to see if they’re actually working?”

If you’re struggling to make strategic decisions and accurately assess their success, this episode is for you.

Key episode topics include: strategy, customer experience, pricing strategy, strategy execution, retail and consumer goods, rebranding, experiments, change leadership, Ron Johnson, JC Penney. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Eastern Bank Shifted Its Strategy to Compete with Online Lendershttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/08/how-eastern-bank-shifted-its-strategy-to-compete-with-online-lendersAs technology changes everything, how can existing businesses create innovation and change from within? Harvard Business School fellow Karen Mills studied how one 200-year-old regional bank in the U.S. used intrapreneurship to develop a completely automated small business lending product to compete with online lenders. Mills breaks down Eastern Bank’s strategy for innovation -- from its early partnership with a fintech entrepreneur to its eventual spinoff of the online lending platform it developed in-house.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0020Wed, 23 Aug 2023 09:29:50 -0500How Eastern Bank Shifted Its Strategy to Compete with Online LendersfalseAs technology changes everything, how can existing businesses create innovation and change from within? Harvard Business School fellow Karen Mills studied how one 200-year-old regional bank in the U.S. used intrapreneurship to develop a completely automated small business lending product to compete with online lenders. Mills breaks down Eastern Bank’s strategy for innovation -- from its early partnership with a fintech entrepreneur to its eventual spinoff of the online lending platform it developed in-house.20full1260 As technology changes everything, how can existing businesses create innovation and change from within?

Harvard Business School fellow Karen Mills studied how one 200-year-old regional bank in the U.S. used intrapreneurship to develop a completely automated small business lending product to compete with online lenders.

Mills breaks down the case study of Eastern Bank’s strategy for innovation—from its early partnership with a fintech entrepreneur to its eventual spinoff of Numerated, the online lending platform it developed in-house.

Mills is the author of Fintech, Small Business and the American Dream.

Key episode topics include: strategy, business management, competitive strategy, operations and supply chain management, financial service sector, fintech, banking, disruptive innovation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> 3 Ways to Build Critical-Thinking Skillshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/08/3-ways-to-build-critical-thinking-skillsWhen was the last time you practiced your critical thinking skills? Helen Lee Bouygues, an expert in business transformation, says many business problems are really about simple errors in critical thinking. In this episode you’ll learn how to practice your critical thinking skills. Bouygues outlines three key components of critical thinking: questioning your assumptions, reasoning through logic, and diversifying your thought process.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0019Wed, 16 Aug 2023 06:22:35 -05003 Ways to Build Critical-Thinking SkillsfalseWhen was the last time you practiced your critical thinking skills? Helen Lee Bouygues, an expert in business transformation, says many business problems are really about simple errors in critical thinking. In this episode you’ll learn how to practice your critical thinking skills. Bouygues outlines three key components of critical thinking: questioning your assumptions, reasoning through logic, and diversifying your thought process.19full1351 When was the last time you practiced your critical thinking skills? Helen Lee Bouygues, an expert in business transformation, says many business problems are really about simple errors in critical thinking.

“People believe that critical thinking is something that we do every day and it comes very natural,” she tells IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch. “But in reality, critical thinking is not only extremely important for success in life, but it’s also something that needs to be learned and practiced.”

In this episode you’ll learn how to practice your critical thinking skills. Bouygues outlines three key components of critical thinking: questioning your assumptions, reasoning through logic, and diversifying your thought process.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategy formulation, decision making and problem solving, managing yourself, critical thinking, managing emotions, strategic decisions.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How a Global Brewing Company Explored the Cannabis Markethttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/08/how-a-global-brewing-company-explored-the-cannabis-marketHarvard Business School senior lecturer Derek van Bever and former lecturer Stephen P. Kaufman studied global brewing company Molson Coors, as it prepared to enter the cannabis beverages business in 2019. Molson Coors initially planned to slowly test a few products in a small market to see if there might be a viable business. But ultimately the company decided to take a more aggressive and expensive strategy, with the aim of seizing first-mover advantage. Kaufman and van Bever explain how Molson Coors formulated that strategy.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0018Wed, 09 Aug 2023 06:22:02 -0500How a Global Brewing Company Explored the Cannabis MarketfalseHarvard Business School senior lecturer Derek van Bever and former lecturer Stephen P. Kaufman studied global brewing company Molson Coors, as it prepared to enter the cannabis beverages business in 2019. Molson Coors initially planned to slowly test a few products in a small market to see if there might be a viable business. But ultimately the company decided to take a more aggressive and expensive strategy, with the aim of seizing first-mover advantage. Kaufman and van Bever explain how Molson Coors formulated that strategy.18full1667 Innovation is a challenge for large incumbent companies. Their long-term success depends on exploring new innovations that stretch the organization beyond its core businesses. But these new opportunities must draw on the company’s existing strengths and leadership position.

Harvard Business School senior lecturer Derek van Bever and former lecturer Stephen P. Kaufman studied global brewing company Molson Coors, as it prepared to enter the cannabis beverages business in 2019.

“The unknowns were unknowns — they were unknowable,” Kaufman tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny. “You need to have a theory, rather than to look for data. And this is much tougher than what we often see — major companies getting into a market that a startup has already proven exists. This is a place where no market exists.”

Molson Coors initially planned to slowly test a few products in a small market to see if there might be a viable business. But ultimately the company decided to take a more aggressive and expensive strategy, with the aim of seizing first-mover advantage. Kaufman and van Bever explain how Molson Coors formulated that strategy.

Key episode topics include: strategy, global strategy, budgets and budgeting, business ethics, disruptive innovation, joint ventures, food and beverage sector, beer, cannabis, market opportunity, first-mover advantage, incumbent, product development, new markets, managing risk, scope creep, Canada.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Compete with “Free” Products and Serviceshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/08/how-to-compete-with-free-products-and-servicesFree products and services are everywhere. But if your revenue strategy does not include give aways, how can you compete? Brigham Young University professor of strategy David Bryce studied give-away strategies across 26 different product markets. He discusses which key factors to consider as you decide how to compete with a free entrant and how to refine your own product mix and decide which customers to target with free products.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0017Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:22:45 -0500How to Compete with “Free” Products and ServicesfalseFree products and services are everywhere. But if your revenue strategy does not include give aways, how can you compete? Brigham Young University professor of strategy David Bryce studied give-away strategies across 26 different product markets. He discusses which key factors to consider as you decide how to compete with a free entrant and how to refine your own product mix and decide which customers to target with free products.17full1000 Free products and services are everywhere – from buy-one-get-one-free offers to free office software like Canva and Google docs, and, yes, this very podcast. If your revenue strategy does not include give aways, these free goods and services can put extra pressure on your business. How can you compete?

Brigham Young University professor of strategy David Bryce studied give-away strategies across 26 different product markets. He says that companies make two key mistakes when they try to compete with a free entrant: responding too quicky with their own free offering or not responding at all.

“Really, the challenge becomes how do established companies think about their own systems in ways that make those systems not become obstacles to launching free but really become facilitators,” he explains.

In this episode, you’ll learn which key factors to consider as you decide how to compete with a free entrant. You’ll also learn how to refine your own product mix and consider which of your customers to target with free products.

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, giveaways, rebates, third-party pay, bundles, advertising revenue, growth, customers.

 HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Is Your Start-Up’s Growth Sustainable?https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/07/is-your-start-ups-growth-sustainableIn the start-up world, when is it possible to grow too fast? Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann and entrepreneur Lindsey Hyde discuss what led to the failure of Hyde’s pet care start-up, Baroo.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0016Wed, 26 Jul 2023 06:22:32 -0500Is Your Start-Up’s Growth Sustainable?falseIn the start-up world, when is it possible to grow too fast? Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann and entrepreneur Lindsey Hyde discuss what led to the failure of Hyde’s pet care start-up, Baroo.16full1829 In the start-up world, when is it possible to grow too fast? Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann and entrepreneur Lindsey Hyde discuss what led to the failure of Hyde’s pet care start-up, Baroo.

“Initially, we had set the expectation that this would be a slow growth company,” Hyde tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny. “I think a lot of it is about how the founder manages their own expectations and their own vision for the company.”

They also discuss why it’s important for start-ups to tailor their products and services to a wide variety of customers in order to plan growth more accurately.

Key episode topics include: growth strategy, venture capital, product-market fit, customer-centricity, market research, business planning, start-ups, entrepreneurship, pet care, long-term growth.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Key to Great Strategies? Timing.https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/07/the-key-to-great-strategies-timingWhat role does timing play in strategic thinking? New York Times best-selling author Daniel Pink says timing can play a big part in how successful your strategy will be -- whether the opportunity is for your company, your team, or your own career.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0015Wed, 19 Jul 2023 06:22:18 -0500The Key to Great Strategies? Timing.falseWhat role does timing play in strategic thinking? New York Times best-selling author Daniel Pink says timing can play a big part in how successful your strategy will be -- whether the opportunity is for your company, your team, or your own career.15full2751 What role does timing play in strategic thinking — for an organization’s growth, but also for you and your career? New York Times best-selling author Daniel Pink says it can play a big part in how successful your strategy will be.

“I think people underestimate timing,” he tells Dear HBR hosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn. “We’re very intentional in our lives about what we do. But when it comes to when we do things, we don’t take it seriously enough. We’re not intentional. And it has a material effect at very many levels of peoples’ work lives.”

In this episode, taped live in Washington, D.C., Pink discusses what to do when your company is slow to seize a market opportunity or the right career opportunity arrives at the wrong time. Whether an opportunity is for your company, your team, or your own career, timing really is everything.

Key episode topics include: career planning, decision making and problem solving, psychology, timing, merger, enterprise software, start-ups, when to quit.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Defining a Growth Strategy in Uncertain Timeshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/07/defining-a-growth-strategy-in-uncertain-timesTo plan for the future, businesses usually look to their past. But what if your company is in uncharted territory? Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath has a different idea: Design experiments to test your assumptions using “discovery-driven growth.”tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0014Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:22:20 -0500Defining a Growth Strategy in Uncertain TimesfalseTo plan for the future, businesses usually look to their past. But what if your company is in uncharted territory? Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath has a different idea: Design experiments to test your assumptions using “discovery-driven growth.”14full745 To plan for the future, businesses usually look to their past. But what if your company is in uncharted territory?

Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath has a different idea: Design experiments to test your assumptions using “discovery-driven growth.”

“The measurement and rewards systems in most companies are antithetical to the kinds of things you need to do to learn. They place a premium on being right. They place a premium on meeting your goals. They place a premium on having lots of facts,” she tells IdeaCast guest host Paul Michelman. “The reality is by the time you have facts, your opportunity for strategic action is very limited.”

Key episode topics include: innovation, discovery-driven growth, business planning, new markets, uncertainty, new ventures, business development, learning, experimentation, and gathering insights.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Inside Amazon’s Growth Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/07/inside-amazons-growth-strategySince its founding in 1994, Amazon has expanded into streaming, cloud computing, content creation, and even groceries. But if traditional business strategy tells us that the key to success is focus, why does Amazon work?tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0013Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:22:35 -0500Inside Amazon’s Growth StrategyfalseSince its founding in 1994, Amazon has expanded into streaming, cloud computing, content creation, and even groceries. But if traditional business strategy tells us that the key to success is focus, why does Amazon work?13full1366 Since Amazon started as an online retailer in 1994, it has expanded into streaming, cloud computing, content creation, and even groceries. But traditional business strategy tells us that the key to success is focus. So, why does Amazon work?

“I think in Amazon’s case, everything is very tightly connected. If you remove one part, the whole becomes less,” says Harvard Business School professor Sunil Gupta. “That’s the key question: are the pieces fitting together nicely, or they just happen to be another business because it’s profitable?”

Gupta has studied Amazon’s growth strategy and he tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny how Amazon looks beyond traditional industry boundaries to define their competitors and why connecting products and services with their customers is at the core of their strategy.

Key episode topics include: business models, growth strategy, operations and supply chain management, innovation, technology and analytics, online retail, customer-centricity, customer experience, competitive strategy. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Solving Problems with Integrative Thinkinghttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/06/solving-problems-with-integrative-thinkingImagine you’re trying to solve a problem, but none of your options are all that great. You could walk away. Or you could try to take the best from two inadequate options to reach a smarter, strategic solution.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0012Wed, 28 Jun 2023 06:22:03 -0500Solving Problems with Integrative ThinkingfalseImagine you’re trying to solve a problem, but none of your options are all that great. You could walk away. Or you could try to take the best from two inadequate options to reach a smarter, strategic solution.12full1263 Imagine you’re trying to solve a problem, but none of your options are all that great. You could just walk away. Or you could try to take the best from two inadequate options to reach a solution.

“Integrative thinking is this idea of leveraging the tension of opposing ideas to create a great answer that we can achieve consensus around,” says Jennifer Riel, who teaches at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto. She gives examples from the film industry to show how CEOs have put the process to work.

Riel is also the chief strategy officer at IDEO and the coauthor, along with Roger Martin, of the book Creating Great Choices: A Leader’s Guide to Integrative Thinking.

Key episode topics include: strategy formulation, decision making, problem solving, integrative thinking, negotiation, tradeoffs, hard choices, modeling, creativity, film industry.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Global Growth Needs a Local Approachhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/06/global-growth-needs-a-local-approachHarvard Business School assistant professor Alexander MacKay studied Uber’s strategies as it entered new markets around the world. He wanted to understand how global businesses can scale fast and survive for the long run. MacKay tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny that Uber adjusted its strategies to meet the specific challenges posed by competitors and regulators in six global markets: New York, Bogota, Delhi, Shanghai, Accra, and London.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0011Wed, 21 Jun 2023 06:22:16 -0500Global Growth Needs a Local ApproachfalseHarvard Business School assistant professor Alexander MacKay studied Uber’s strategies as it entered new markets around the world. He wanted to understand how global businesses can scale fast and survive for the long run. MacKay tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny that Uber adjusted its strategies to meet the specific challenges posed by competitors and regulators in six global markets: New York, Bogota, Delhi, Shanghai, Accra, and London.11full1820 How can global businesses best account for local conditions as they grow? Harvard Business School assistant professor Alexander MacKay studied Uber’s strategies as it entered new markets around the world. He wanted to understand how global businesses can scale fast and survive for the long run.

He tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny that Uber adjusted its strategies to meet the specific challenges posed by competitors and regulators in six global markets: New York, Bogota, Delhi, Shanghai, Accra, and London.

Key episode topics include: competitive strategy, global strategy, government policy, regulation, disruptive innovation, new markets, transportation, competition policy, ridesharing, growth strategy, technology, ethics, antitrust.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Is Your Business Model Part of Your Innovation Strategy?https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/06/is-your-business-model-part-of-your-innovation-strategyThe theory of disruptive innovation endures as a way to make a complicated and expensive product simpler and more affordable. But the originator of disruptive innovation argued that disruptive innovation isn’t just about simplifying technology — it also requires a new business model.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0010Wed, 14 Jun 2023 06:24:27 -0500Is Your Business Model Part of Your Innovation Strategy?falseThe theory of disruptive innovation endures as a way to make a complicated and expensive product simpler and more affordable. But the originator of disruptive innovation argued that disruptive innovation isn’t just about simplifying technology — it also requires a new business model.10full856 The theory of disruptive innovation, first introduced in a 1995 HBR article, endures as a way to make a complicated and expensive product simpler and more affordable. Think about how Netflix disrupted video rental stores with video streaming.

But the originator of disruptive innovation, the late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, argued that disruptive innovation isn’t just about simplifying technology — it also requires a new business model to deliver the solution cost-effectively.

“If you’re actually trying to create a new business model because the world is changing on you, then you don’t want to leverage what’s already in place,” he told IdeaCast guest host Sarah Cliffe in 2008. “The reason why entrant companies so readily beat the incumbents is [that they don’t] have anything that exists that they are tempted to leverage, and so they just create what needs to be created.”

The episode also explains why it’s important to build a disruptive business model that avoids falling into the trap of marginal costs, which can be the difference between success or failure.

Key episode topics include: innovation, disruptive innovation, business models, technology, value proposition, marginal costs, new products, incumbents, new entrants, computer industry, IBM.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Quitting Can Sometimes Be a Strategic Successhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/06/quitting-can-sometimes-be-a-strategic-successQuitting is often associated with failure -- whether it’s a project, job, career, or company. But Annie Duke, an author, consultant, and former professional poker champion, argues that quitting can sometimes be a strategic success.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0009Wed, 07 Jun 2023 06:22:13 -0500Quitting Can Sometimes Be a Strategic SuccessfalseQuitting is often associated with failure -- whether it’s a project, job, career, or company. But Annie Duke, an author, consultant, and former professional poker champion, argues that quitting can sometimes be a strategic success.9full1822 Quitting is often associated with failure — whether it’s a project, job, career, or company. But Annie Duke, an author and former professional poker champion, argues that quitting can sometimes be a strategic success.

“Grit is great. Sometimes you see something that other people don’t see,” she tells IdeaCast host Alison Beard. “But sometimes when the world is yelling at you to stop and you ignore them, that’s no longer a virtue. Then it’s folly.”

Key episode topics include: risk management, decision making, problem solving, prioritizing,  when to quit, strategic thinking, career planning, business modeling, innovation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> What Is Blue Ocean Strategy — and Where Does It Go Wrong?https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/what-is-blue-ocean-strategy-and-where-does-it-go-wrongBlue ocean strategy is a landmark business idea, but its co-creator, Renée Mauborgne, says it’s not a guaranteed win. She discusses what specifically can go wrong when you try to implement blue ocean strategy, including the common traps managers fall into.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0008Wed, 31 May 2023 06:15:09 -0500What Is Blue Ocean Strategy — and Where Does It Go Wrong?falseBlue ocean strategy is a landmark business idea, but its co-creator, Renée Mauborgne, says it’s not a guaranteed win. She discusses what specifically can go wrong when you try to implement blue ocean strategy, including the common traps managers fall into.8full1362 Blue ocean strategy is a landmark business idea – first introduced in 2004 in an HBR article. But its co-creator Renée Mauborgne, a professor of strategy and management at INSEAD, tells IdeaCast host Sarah Green Carmichael that it’s not a guaranteed win.

“What we’ve found is that managers’ existing mental models, the assumptions about what works in competing in existing industry space — they often apply to their efforts to create new markets. And that creates the failure,” Mauborgne explains.

They discuss what specifically can go wrong when you try to implement blue ocean strategy, including the common traps managers fall into. And why it’s so important to know who your non-customers are and include them in your market research.

Key topics include: blue ocean strategy, competitive strategy, growth strategy, and innovation, Ralph Lauren, Salesforce, product and service design, making your own market, innovation, sector growth, and strategy canvas.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How Small Companies Compete with — and Beat — Big Oneshttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/how-small-companies-compete-with-and-beat-big-onesIn an era driven by network effects, smaller players struggle to compete against bigger platforms. The trick to gaining ground on a much larger rival, says Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, is choosing a strategy that can’t easily be imitated. A good example is TaoBao’s strategy for displacing eBay in China, back in 2007.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0007Wed, 24 May 2023 06:15:35 -0500How Small Companies Compete with — and Beat — Big OnesfalseIn an era driven by network effects, smaller players struggle to compete against bigger platforms. The trick to gaining ground on a much larger rival, says Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, is choosing a strategy that can’t easily be imitated. A good example is TaoBao’s strategy for displacing eBay in China, back in 2007.7full2054 In an era driven by network effects, smaller players struggle to compete against bigger platforms. The trick to gaining ground on a much larger rival, says Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, is choosing a strategy that can’t easily be imitated.

A good example is TaoBao’s strategy for displacing eBay in China. Back in 2007, eBay was the world’s largest consumer marketplace, and TaoBao was an underdog with bold new ideas about how to build trust with customers who were reluctant to shop online.

“In fact, the market that Taobao targeted ended up being so much more important than eBay’s market,” Oberholzer-Gee tells Cold Call host Brian Kenny. “[A]nd eBay eventually left China.”

Key topics include: sales, hiring, compensation and pay, communication, performance management, and leadership development, competition, competitive markets, and innovation.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Head of Cirque du Soleil on Creativity and Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/the-head-of-cirque-du-soleil-on-creativity-and-strategy“Creativity has to be at the forefront because if you don't do that, then one day you will wake up and you will discover that your competitor has an edge on you,” says Cirque du Soleil executive vice chairman Daniel Lamarre. He explains why it’s important to stay true to your brand while experimenting with creative new ideas and how Cirque constantly analyzes audience feedback to measure the success of its creative experiments.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0006Wed, 17 May 2023 06:00:14 -0500The Head of Cirque du Soleil on Creativity and Strategyfalse“Creativity has to be at the forefront because if you don't do that, then one day you will wake up and you will discover that your competitor has an edge on you,” says Cirque du Soleil executive vice chairman Daniel Lamarre. He explains why it’s important to stay true to your brand while experimenting with creative new ideas and how Cirque constantly analyzes audience feedback to measure the success of its creative experiments.6full2187 “Creativity has to be at the forefront because if you don’t do that, then one day you will wake up and you will discover that your competitor has an edge on you,” says Cirque du Soleil executive vice chairman Daniel Lamarre.

He tells Adi Ignatius, host of HBR’s The New World of Work video series, why it’s important to stay true to your brand while experimenting with creative new ideas and how Cirque constantly analyzes audience feedback to measure the success of new acts.

Key topics include: creativity, strategy, brand management, risk management, art, innovation, brand values, experimentation, and media, entertainment, and professional sports. 

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Setting a Corporate Strategy for Social Goodhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/setting-a-corporate-strategy-for-social-goodFrom corporate social responsibility to ESG, an increasing number of for-profit organizations are pursuing positive social impact. But to “do well by doing good,” Jacob Harold (cofounder of Candid; former CEO of Guidestar) tells HBR IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch that you need a good strategy. Otherwise, things can go very wrong.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0005Wed, 10 May 2023 06:00:23 -0500Setting a Corporate Strategy for Social GoodfalseFrom corporate social responsibility to ESG, an increasing number of for-profit organizations are pursuing positive social impact. But to “do well by doing good,” Jacob Harold (cofounder of Candid; former CEO of Guidestar) tells HBR IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch that you need a good strategy. Otherwise, things can go very wrong.5full1641 From corporate social responsibility to ESG, an increasing number of for-profit organizations are pursuing positive social impact. But to “do well by doing good,” Jacob Harold (cofounder of Candid; former CEO of Guidestar) tells HBR IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch that you need a good strategy. Otherwise, things can go very wrong.

“We have a lot of work to do to figure out: what does it mean to do good in this moment?” Harold cautions.

Key topics include: business values, ethics, storytelling, social impact strategy, mathematical modeling, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), innovation, and complex systems science.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> The Difference Between a Plan and a Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/the-difference-between-a-plan-and-a-strategyPlanning is comforting but it’s a terrible way to make strategy, says Roger Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. In contrast, setting strategy should push your organization outside its comfort zone.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0004Wed, 03 May 2023 06:40:12 -0500The Difference Between a Plan and a StrategyfalsePlanning is comforting but it’s a terrible way to make strategy, says Roger Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. In contrast, setting strategy should push your organization outside its comfort zone.4full714 Planning is comforting but it’s a terrible way to make strategy, says Roger Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. In contrast, setting strategy should push your organization outside its comfort zone – if you’re doing it right.

“Plans typically have to do with the resources you’re going to spend. Those are more comfortable because you control them,” Martin explains. “A strategy, on the other hand, specifies a competitive outcome that you wish to achieve, which involves customers wanting your product or service. The tricky thing about that is that you don’t control them.”

Key topics include: strategic planning, competitive strategy, risk management, innovation, and travel and tourism industry.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Align Your Sales Team with Your Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/align-your-sales-team-with-your-strategyGetting your sales team on board with your strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought, Harvard Business School professor Frank Cespedes argues. After all, the engine of many businesses is a strong sales core. But aligning your strategy with sales isn’t just about communicating your ideas effectively. You have to hire carefully and use smart incentives to guide sales behavior.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0003Wed, 03 May 2023 06:20:35 -0500Align Your Sales Team with Your StrategyfalseGetting your sales team on board with your strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought, Harvard Business School professor Frank Cespedes argues. After all, the engine of many businesses is a strong sales core. But aligning your strategy with sales isn’t just about communicating your ideas effectively. You have to hire carefully and use smart incentives to guide sales behavior.3full1306 Getting your sales team on board with your strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought, Harvard Business School professor Frank Cespedes argues. After all, the engine of many businesses is a strong sales core.

But aligning your strategy with sales isn’t just about communicating your ideas effectively. You have to hire carefully and use smart incentives to guide selling behavior.

“The issue is aligning actual selling behaviors. And it is about behaviors. Business is a performance art. It’s not about good ideas,” Cespedes tells IdeaCast host Sarah Green Carmichael.

Key topics include: sales, hiring, compensation, communication, performance management, strategic planning, innovation, and leadership development.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> Is a Subscription Model Right for Your Business?https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/is-a-subscription-model-right-for-your-businessSubscriptions aren’t new – the business model dates back to trade guilds in the 12th century. But Robbie Kellman Baxter, an expert on the business of subscriptions, says with new billing platforms, remote customer support, and digital services, it’s worth considering how to make subscription business models work for your company.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0002Wed, 03 May 2023 06:00:49 -0500Is a Subscription Model Right for Your Business?falseSubscriptions aren’t new – the business model dates back to trade guilds in the 12th century. But Robbie Kellman Baxter, an expert on the business of subscriptions, says with new billing platforms, remote customer support, and digital services, it’s worth considering how to make subscription business models work for your company.2full1721 Subscriptions aren’t new – the business model dates back to trade guilds in the 12th century. But Robbie Kellman Baxter, an expert on the business of subscriptions, says with new billing platforms, remote customer support, and digital services, it’s worth considering how to make subscription business models work for your company.

“Predictable revenue is great. So you can manage the money you have and you can plan with confidence for your future,” she tells IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch. “Most of these businesses are also direct to the end customer, which also allows a deeper relationship with the customer.”

Key topics include: subscription fatigue, customer experience, entrepreneurship, how the pandemic changed subscription behavior, what went wrong at Blue Apron, innovation, and ethics.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

]]> How to Build a Better Pricing Strategyhttps://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/how-to-build-a-better-pricing-strategyWith rapidly changing markets and emerging technologies, setting the right price is harder than ever. But pricing strategy consultant Rafi Mohammed tells former HBR IdeaCast host Sarah Green Carmichael that it’s possible to make better decisions about pricing if you understand how pricing and demand interact in your business and you have good market research to guide you.tag:audio.hbr.org,2023-4-21:on-strategy.s1.0001Mon, 01 May 2023 01:00:23 -0500How to Build a Better Pricing StrategyfalseWith rapidly changing markets and emerging technologies, setting the right price is harder than ever. But pricing strategy consultant Rafi Mohammed tells former HBR IdeaCast host Sarah Green Carmichael that it’s possible to make better decisions about pricing if you understand how pricing and demand interact in your business and you have good market research to guide you.1full959 With rapidly changing markets and emerging technologies, setting the right price is harder than ever. But pricing strategy consultant Rafi Mohammed tells HBR IdeaCast host Sarah Green Carmichael that it’s possible to make better decisions about pricing if you understand how pricing and demand interact in your business and you have good market research to guide you.

“The front line really has a lot of intuition on what customers are willing to pay. [They have] a lot of market research that they can share with the people who set prices to help set the right price,” he explains.

Key topics include: pricing strategy, dynamic pricing, market research, supply and demand, innovation, media, entertainment, professional sports, and the travel and tourism industry.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Pricing Secrets of Ticket Scalpers (July 2011)

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