If We Ran the World

Posted: 12 Mar 2012

See all articles by Hanna Halaburda

Hanna Halaburda

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business

Radka Dohnalova

Harvard University - Business School (HBS)

Aldo Sesia

Harvard Business School

Date Written: October 28, 2011

Abstract

Cindy Gallop launched If We Ran the World (IWRTW) in February 2010, as what the tech world called minimum viable product, in order to real-world test Gallop's "business of the future" concept while development was ongoing. IWRTW was conceived to bring together human good intentions with corporate good intentions, to activate both into shared action, against shared goals, to deliver shared and mutually accountable results. She wanted to make "doing good as sexy as hell" for both individuals and businesses, to make it quicker, easier, and simpler to turn intention into action, one "microaction" at a time. In January 2011, Gallop's key challenge was how to amplify the IWRTW experience in a way that would make it a more valuable-and immediately understandable-business proposition to a brand. The idea behind the venture was only as good as its business model and its execution.

Learning Objective: This case provides a vehicle for analyzing a business model in an environment with network effects. It shows that every decision that the company makes has both positive and negative consequences. The students are asked to improve the business model so that it emphasizes the positive and mitigates the negative consequences, by building reinforcing feedback between decisions.

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Suggested Citation

Halaburda, Hanna and Dohnalova, Radka and Sesia, Aldo, If We Ran the World (October 28, 2011). Harvard Business School Strategy Unit Case No. 711-490, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2020496

Hanna Halaburda (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business ( email )

44 West 4th Street
New York, NY NY 10012
United States

Radka Dohnalova

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Aldo Sesia

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-496-2085 (Phone)

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