Many people who attended a meeting with Steve Jobs said that being there was like going on a magical mystery tour. The brilliant Apple leader was indeed ingenious, with his ability to entrance, enthrall, and bring others around to his way of thinking. Jobs was also difficult to decipher and many employees and competitors wondered where his amazing ideas came from. This author, a former employee at Apple, says that Jobs’ magic and mystery was informed .....more

This case deals with the innovation challenges of a medium-sized firm (under $1 billion) in an emerging economy (India), particularly the challenges of product development and commercialization. The management has to decide how to proceed with a promising novel formula for oral insulin — promising both in terms of financial returns as well as social impact. The company has spent several years of research and development in getting the drug through .....more