The co-founders of the custom bra company DOUBL were facing the dilemma of how to achieve all of the stand-out features they envisioned their product having. Notably, they were struggling to develop the custom fit they had dreamed of for their product and deciphering how to build it in the low-skill Canadian garment economy. The founders had to make a decision about whether to persevere with their dream product and brand positioning, or forfeit one .....more

Teaching note for product W42380.

In this article, the Dean of Western University’s Ivey Business School offers reflections on what business leaders should do as AI embeds itself in our day-to-day working lives. This article offers timeless advice because it is about how businesses should adapt in the face of technological change. Externally, leaders have a strategic imperative to create and maintain a distinctive value proposition in the face of strong AI-enabled forces for convergence. .....more

Teaching note for product W45955.

Scott McLaden was a senior product manager at Trustark, a business-to-business software-as-a-service company based in San Francisco. He was promoted directly from a level-three to a level-five role, where he initially thrived, but after a managerial change in the first half of financial year 2024–25, his performance declined sharply, leading his new manager to threaten him in October with either a formal performance improvement plan or a demotion. .....more

Meenakshi Joshi, a certified financial planner in India, was deciding which stocks to recommend to her risk-averse, income-seeking retired clients. For these types of portfolios she often sought stocks that paid regular dividends. Then, in April 2023, the state government of Gujarat officially mandated the payment of dividends—the first such mandate in India—and seven state-owned enterprises (SOEs) became ideal candidates for dividend investing. The .....more

Teaching note for product W42610.

In January 2025, Brompton Bicycle Limited (Brompton), the British folding bicycle (bike) manufacturer, was at a strategic crossroads. For decades the company’s success had rested on the Classic model—a compact, precisely engineered commuter bike—before carefully extending into the Electric model, while preserving its strategic coherence. The recent launch of the G Line, a gravel-oriented performance model, changed this balance. Early demand was strong, .....more

Teaching note for product W47063.

The Bay was a unique non-profit organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska, that provided a welcoming third space community for kids who did not fit in, affectionately known as misfits. The Bay grew to include a hang out, skate park, music venue, and art gallery, and it partnered with the public school system to offer diplomas and gap year education. By 2025, having successfully served Lincoln youth for over a decade, the charismatic founder, Mike Smith, .....more