Bumble

By Graham Weaver, Erika Feldhausen, Imogen Mansfield
2020 | Case No. E733 | Length 11 pgs.
This case details the various challenges that Whitney Wolfe Herd faced in starting and scaling Bumble. The case explores critical decisions that Wolfe Herd had to make, including which investors to raise money from, how to pitch her ‘women message first’ dating app to the group of male engineers who could build it, and how to make leadership and reporting line changes as the company scaled.

Learning Objective

  • Getting a team onboard with the company’s mission and navigating pushback.
  • Criteria for selecting investors.
  • Handling the evolving personnel needs of a company and evaluating alternatives for employees whose roles have evolved.
  • Addressing an underperforming employee.
This material is available for download by current Stanford GSB students, faculty, and staff, as well as Stanford GSB alumni. For inquires, contact the Case Writing Office. Download