Business Startups →
- 10 May 2017
- Research & Ideas
Amazon Web Services Changed the Way VCs Fund Startups
Starting companies is becoming so quick and cheap that venture capitalists have shifted strategy funding entrepreneurs. Now, more startups get backing—but they have to prove themselves in a hurry, according to research by Ramana Nanda and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Jan 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
The Bright Side of Patents
We examine whether patents help startups grow and succeed using detailed micro data on all patent applications filed by startups at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since 2001 and approved or rejected before 2014. We find that patent approvals help startups create jobs, grow their sales, innovate, and reward their investors.
- 21 Oct 2015
- Research & Ideas
How to Predict if a New Business Idea is Any Good
Professor Pian Shu tackles one of the most difficult questions in the startup world: How can you tell if a new business will succeed? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Aug 2012
- Research & Ideas
How to Sink a Startup
Noam Wasserman, author of the recently released book "The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup," discusses ill-advised entrepreneurial behavior. From the HBS Alumni Bulletin. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 04 Apr 2012
- Research & Ideas
When Founders Recruit Friends and Family as Investors
In his new book, The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup, HBS Associate Professor Noam Wasserman tells readers how to anticipate, avoid, and, if necessary, recover from the landmines that can destroy a nascent company before it has the chance to thrive. In this excerpt, he discusses the pros and cons of recruiting friends and family members as investors. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Apr 2011
- Lessons from the Classroom
Teaching a ‘Lean Startup’ Strategy
Most startups fail because they waste too much time and money building the wrong product before realizing what the right product should have been, says HBS entrepreneurial management professor Thomas R. Eisenmann. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Mar 2011
- Research & Ideas
Why Companies Fail—and How Their Founders Can Bounce Back
Leading a doomed company can often help a career by providing experience, insight, and contacts that lead to new opportunities, says professor Shikhar Ghosh. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Feb 2009
- Research & Ideas
The Success of Persistent Entrepreneurs
Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Your best bet might be to partner with entrepreneurs who have a track record of success, suggests new research by Paul A. Gompers, Josh Lerner, David S. Scharfstein, and Anna Kovner. Key concepts include: Previously successful entrepreneurs are significantly more likely to lead successful new ventures than first-timers or those who previously failed. Successful entrepreneurs are adept at selecting the right industry and time to start new ventures. Suppliers and customers are more likely to back a person with previous successes. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 03 Mar 2003
- Research & Ideas
Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs
The life of a startup can be precarious, a wrong turn disastrous. Harvard Business School professor Constance Bagley discusses the most frequent legal flops made by entrepreneurs, everything from hiring the wrong lawyer to puffing up the business plan. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
Determinants of Early-Stage Startup Performance: Survey Results
In this study of 470 founders/CEOs and their management practices, startups that employ lean startup techniques had better valuation outcomes. So did ventures that balanced hiring for skill versus attitude and, more broadly, made early efforts to professionalize human resource management.
The Most Successful Startups Have Hands-On Founders
Research by Rembrand Koning and colleagues says the best-performing startups are those where the founder is hands-on with people management. Open for comment; 0 Comments.