Saras Sarasvathy’s Full Case Study & Questions:

You can find Problems 1, 2 and the Competition sections here:  http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110201/entrepreneurship-interview-and-business-case-study.html

Part 1 of this assignment involves identifying the market for this product. Utilizing the five questions that are provided under Problem 1: Identifying the market as a guide, prepare a 1 page assessment of how you will determine the market for this product and the factors that must be considered in identifying the ideal customer for this product.  Based upon the information that you have gathered from this case, discuss what makes this product unique and different.

Part 2 of the assignment involves evaluating the results of the survey for the 3 focus groups that were presented under Problem 2: Defining the market. Prepare a 2 page assessment of the results of the survey. Discuss the key factors that must be considered in determining which customer base the business should target. Discuss the pros and cons of focusing specifically on each of the focus groups as potential customers.  Discuss the critical decisions the business must make in the process of determining the focus group that is the best fit for the company in its initial roll-out.

Part 3 of this assignment involves evaluating the competition and making a decision on the business model that the company should choose to bring this product to market. Utilizing the 3 questions that were provided in the Competition section as a guide, prepare a 2 page recommendation on how this product should be brought to the market. Discuss the factors that were considered in making the final decision.