Case Studies

Beginning in fiscal year 2018, a new and relatively unnoticed accounting rule took effect that had the potential for a major impact on the reported earnings of companies holding financial assets or owing financial liabilities....

Brian Patterson was the lead developer of a large office project in Moscow when the global financial crisis hit. His project, which had looked like it would be jaw-droppingly profitable just months before, was suddenly...

The purpose of this case is to look at FarmFriend’s product market fit. The case examines how the FarmFriend founding team evaluated various business models through extensive market research and ultimately decided to launch a...

Established in 2010, the endurance event start-up Tough Mudder experienced rapid international expansion in the years following the company’s inception. By 2013, the company had developed a cult-like following and an extremely powerful brand. However,...

This case describes President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs of 2018. The case covers the recent history of U.S. trade protectionism in these industries, as well as the domestic and international politics surrounding the...

As a student at the Harvard Business School, Sadiq Gillani decided to focus his career on the airline industry. This case study explores Gillani’s strategic decisions to take positions with aviation consulting companies, start-up airlines,...

There was nothing humorous about an athlete’s dreams of Olympic gold, or the mission statement and values of USA Water Polo, a nonprofit that trained elite athletes to compete in the highest levels of competition...

Mike Nemeth was a sophomore at West Point on 9/11. The atmosphere in the weeks that followed was somber, but Nemeth soon launched an underground humor factory, taping his mildly subordinate newspaper to the inside...

Brown Bag Films produced programming for Disney, Amazon, BBC, and Nickelodeon, reaching an audience of more than 100 million pre-school children around the world. This case examines the development of Brown Bag Films, which...