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Harvard Business School Working Knowledge

2 resources from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge we point founders to, and the questions each answers.

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it A short research backed breakdown of how three marketplace giants solved the cold start problem by hand. You will see that all three focused on one side of the market first and went offline to recruit it, Etsy scouring craft fairs and Airbnb photographing listings in person. Useful if you are building anything two sided.

How Uber, Airbnb, and Etsy Attracted Their First 1,000 Customers

From Harvard Business School Working Knowledge by Michael Blanding 8 min read

  • Marketplaces won by getting supply first, then customers
  • Etsy recruited its best sellers in person at craft fairs before going online
  • Getting the right early users matters as much as getting many
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Answers How did real successful startups actually land their first customers? I run a two-sided marketplace. Do I get my first customers by starting with supply or demand, and how do I avoid the empty-restaurant problem?
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Advanced

Why we picked it This summarizes the landmark study on whether past success predicts future success. The honest data: previously successful founders do better than first-timers, but the edge is real rather than overwhelming (roughly a 34 percent hit rate versus 22 percent). It grounds your question in evidence, your exit tilts the odds, it does not guarantee the next win.

The Success of Persistent Entrepreneurs

From Harvard Business School Working Knowledge by Paul Gompers et al.

  • Prior success raises your odds but does not remove the risk.
  • The advantage is modest, not a sure thing.
  • Part of the edge is timing and market skill, not magic.
Open library.hbs.edu →
Answers I've exited one company. Does my past success give me founder-market fit in a totally new industry?
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