In evaluating what type of go-to-market approach to use in introducing a new SaaS product to potential buyers, a founder likely will look closely at whether product-led growth (PLG) is the most effective strategy. If that’s the choice, a founder will then have to decide between two PLG pricing models: free trial and freemium. In this blog post, we will examine both models and offer real-world use case examples. We’ll…
To help businesses, investors, and deal professionals better understand the evolving M&A market, Robert Connolly – a partner in and leader of LP’s Corporate Practice Group – shares a series of conversations with M&A experts. Below is his conversation with Brett Kornblatt, who is Managing Director of Industrials-Packaging at Stout, a global advisory firm that specializes in corporate finance, accounting and transaction advisory, valuation, financial disputes, claims, and investigations. Brett…
As companies in all sectors work to shrink their carbon footprints and hit their decarbonization targets, the path to reducing Scope 3 emissions is often anything but straightforward. For some, decarbonizing Scope 3 emissions can be more like navigating a particularly byzantine maze. Such is the case for retailers. For the average retailer, Scope 3 metrics capture emissions generated upstream and downstream within the value chains of every SKU it…
Scientists from the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University and Jagiellonian University, Poland made the discovery while undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world’s most iconic trees and shrubs. They found that Tulip Trees, which are related to magnolias and can grow over 100 feet tall, have a unique type of wood. This discovery may explain why the trees, which diverged from magnolias when earth's atmospheric CO2 concentrations were relatively low, grow so…
Q: What are the key questions guiding your work? A driving interest for me is how organizations can change for the better—to be more effective and desirable places to work. I’ve completed several research projects that look at how people who have expertise and knowledge, but not formal authority or positional power, can have their ideas heard and acted upon to improve how their organizations function. I’ve also done research…
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling gives companies more opportunities to challenge regulations, but they may face more regulatory uncertainty as well. David Zimmer July 30, 2024 Reading Time: 6 min Brian Stauffer In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the long-standing Chevron doctrine, fundamentally altering how businesses interact with federal regulations. The decision will almost certainly make it easier for companies to challenge agency regulations and other agency…
The study, published today in Nature Communications, showed that the incidence of arterial thromboses, such as heart attacks and strokes, was up to 10% lower in the 13 to 24 weeks after the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Following a second dose, the incidence was up to 27% lower after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine and up to 20% lower after the Pfizer/Biotech vaccine.The incidence of common venous thrombotic events…
31 July 2024By Stefan Gebauer, Thomas McGregor and Julian SchumacherCentral banks choose their words very carefully. And rightly so – policy makers’ wording can move markets and, eventually, the economy. This ECB Blog post shows how unexpected changes in communication influence growth and inflation.Central banks need to communicate clearly. This helps the public understand the rationale behind monetary policy decisions and shape market expectations. Their statements sometimes provide explicit forward…
Greece has held a prominent place in shipping for many decades. What makes this more significant is that the country’s considerable role on the international maritime stage is disproportionate to its size. The capacity of the Greek merchant fleet, at more than 5,000 vessels, makes Greece the largest shipowning nation, and its shipping sector (including ships that are Greek owned and Greek managed) collectively accounts for 20 percent of global…
Speaking at the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 14, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the key principles of the security architecture of Eurasia. The idea itself was voiced in the president’s message to the Federal Assembly on February 29. It is highly likely that it will become one of the supporting structures of the new Russian vision of security on the continent. The principles revealed by the president indicate…
Promoting business location sounds good to many. However, what the Confederation means by this may be surprising to some. After all, the primary focus is not on improving framework conditions to increase Switzerland’s competitiveness. Instead, a large proportion of the funding goes towards tourism and regional development. Parliament has allocated a total of CHF 429 million for the years 2024–27 – a 15 percent increase compared to the subsidies in…
John Engel says his tenure as CEO at Wesco International has been bookended by crises. After joining Wesco in 2004 as COO, he stepped into the CEO role in 2009 during the Great Recession. He says the company managed well through that period and has now come through one of the most challenging periods in human and business history with the COVID-19 pandemic. As an essential business, Wesco continued to…
Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Otto Steininger/Ikon Images “Is such-and-such innovation disruptive?” It’s a question I’ve been asked countless times. At a recent workshop, for instance, a participant I’ll refer to as Sue asked about “cultivated meat,” a broad term for meat that is produced in a laboratory. Some analysts have…
Into the Breach is the first law firm podcast exclusively devoted to reps and warranties insurance and the transactional risk markets. Hosted by Seyfarth partners Bryan M. O’Keefe and Gena B. Usenheimer, the hosts in their unique, buoyant style, interview leaders from the industry, and explore the latest developments, market trends, and news impacting RWI and transactional risk insurance. Follow us on: Into the Breach Podcast - Episode 34: New Opportunities in…
Microsoft Cloud Strength Drives Fourth Quarter ResultsREDMOND, Wash. — July 30, 2024 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:· Revenue was $64.7 billion and increased 15% (up 16% in constant currency)· Operating income was $27.9 billion and increased 15% (up 16% in constant currency)· Net income was $22.0 billion and increased 10% (up 11% in constant currency)· Diluted earnings…
People might be more likely than ever to protest in reaction to a social problem or geopolitical crisis. But do such activist events, even large-scale demonstrations, change public opinion?New research shows that protests rarely change views or alter voting decisions, findings that could have important implications in an election year marked by widespread protests. Harvard Business School Professor Vincent Pons teamed up with Amory Gethin, a fellow economist at the…
In quick order: Are you familiar with wind speed and cruising speed and light speed? Well, we’re here to riff on another type of velocity. Let’s call it “AI speed.” Our definition of AI speed – sure to soon grace your favorite digital dictionary 😉– is the brisk rate at which AI is racing from big-city research labs to distant places where small businesses, everyday entrepreneurs and biologists are rapidly…
A Pyrrhic victory for the left The proportional European elections in June 2024 brought a clear victory to the National Rally (31%, versus just 14% for the President’s party), the main opposition force in France. This was already a very strong signal to abandon the EU at a time when the European Commission, with the support of Macron, was preparing to create a supranational European federal state. The French President…
In November and December, U.S. retail industry sales rose 3.8 percent compared to the year before. Economists seemed surprised by retail results defying expectations throughout much of 2023. Unfortunately, 2024 didn’t start quite as well. Since then, retail sales have shrunk by 0.8 percent (worse than market forecasts of a 0.1 percent decline). U.S. retail sales are facing their biggest decrease since March 2023, and while growth looks more promising after results…
Frontiers From ideation to user testing, large language models are allowing companies to explore more ideas and iterate faster. Tucker J. Marion, Mahdi Srour, and Frank Piller July 29, 2024 Reading Time: 8 min Topics Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Patrick George/Ikon Images As enterprises experiment with generative AI use cases, one promising area is emerging: incorporating…
Windows is an open and flexible platform used by many of the world’s top businesses for high availability use cases where security and availability are non-negotiable. To meet those needs: Windows provides a range of operating modes that customers can choose from. This includes the ability to limit what can run to only approved software and drivers. This can increase security and reliability by making Windows operate in a mode…
In recent years, shareholders have made attempts in court to hold companies accountable for failing to uphold commitments to diversity within their workforce or leadership teams. So far, those efforts have fallen flat. Facebook’s board of directors, for instance, won dismissal of shareholder claims that it had breached its fiduciary duty by ignoring diversity concerns—a judge called some of the company’s claims about diversity “non-actionable puffery or aspirational.” But a…
Studying overseas isn’t just about getting a degree, you learn valuable skills that can help you succeed in your career, says Kaylee Qiu. International connectivity
Has the cycle of monetary easing begun? After the Banco Central do Brasil, the European Central Bank (ECB) has become the second major central bank to cut rates. This might bring some much-needed relief to companies and households and could revive the construction market. But there might be more. As our most recent economic survey showed, global sentiment has slightly shifted south, adding to uncertainty amid possible weakening growth. In that…
This year marks the start of a new period of changes in modern history. We are certainly sailing into unchartered waters in times of a great transition, whereby extra caution must be taken by all nations, big and small, to guide our way forward. Nelson Wong writes on the causes of geopolitical shifts and on Putin’s six principles. The unfolding of events in recent years confirms that we are entering…
When an overseas entity is making the exciting decision to expand your business into the UK, one of the first decisions you will need to make is whether to establish a UK branch or incorporate a UK subsidiary company. Both structures will enable your company to trade from the UK, however there are some distinct differences to consider for regulations, compliance, and strategic business planning. There are also tax consequences,…
Incitement, solicitation, fighting words, threats, bad tendencies, and more, with special attention to NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. (1982), the Court’s little-publicized precedent on the subject. Eugene Volokh is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. For thirty years, he had been a professor at the University of California – Los Angeles School of Law, where he has taught First Amendment law, copyright law, criminal law, tort law, and firearms regulation policy. Volokh…
Quick Hits The NLRB unveiled a final rule that rescinds the Board’s 2020 rule and returns the Board to its blocking charge policy, voluntary recognition process, and aligns union recognition for construction industry employers. The rule will take effect on September 30, 2024, and apply to cases filed after that date. The NLRB unveiled its “Fair Choice-Employee Voice Final Rule,” which the agency said will make three key changes: restoring…
Quick Hits The Third Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling declining to block New Jersey’s Temporary Workers Bill of Rights Law, which seeks to equalize pay for temporary workers to that of permanent workers, in a challenge by industry groups. The appellate court ruled that the law does not unlawfully burden out-of-state businesses or exceed the state’s police power, and that it is not unlawfully vague. The groups are…
Learn more about how we’re making progress towards our sustainability commitments through the Sustainable by design blog series, starting with Sustainable by design: Advancing the sustainability of AI. Last month, we unveiled our Datacenter Community Pledge, emphasizing that datacenters are not only the backbone of modern technology but also a force for good in the communities they serve. As part of this commitment, at Microsoft we recognize our crucial role…
Since Johan Rockström and a team of internationally renowned scientists first proposed the planetary boundaries framework in 2009, it has become a key reference in global sustainability efforts. The framework seeks to track the planet’s ability to support human life and development, and it focuses on nine systems and processes that govern the stability of the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, and ecosystems. Climate change and its cascading impacts are…
Middle management was already a tough gig. Then generative AI (gen AI) entered the fray. A year after the publication of their book Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work (Harvard Business Review Press, July 2023), McKinsey partners Bryan Hancock and Emily Field join global editorial director Lucia Rahilly to revisit whether and why middle managers matter, what leaders could do differently to make more…
Entrepreneurs must overcome many barriers to get discoveries to market, but academic researchers face an additional one they might not realize: themselves.Academics tend to develop a myopic focus on the unique expertise they spend their lives developing, but that narrow scope can become a commercial hindrance. A recent study of more than 500 biomedical startups suggests that ventures rooted in the core research of their founders have a more challenging…
As vital as the life sciences and healthcare ecosystem is to human health, so too is its decarbonization to the health of both humans and the entire planet. Accounting for 4 to 5 percent of total global emissions, this sector is aware of the need to address its environmental footprint and accelerate its transition to net-zero emissions. Roughly one-fourth of emissions from pharmaceutical companies can be attributed to the manufacture…
Barry Nalebuff, Milton Steinbach Professor of Management I enjoy watching Olympic table tennis. These are some of the world’s best and least appreciated athletes. Heidi Brooks, Senior Lecturer in Organizational Behavior We see the performances and that’s all we are invited to witness, but I am so aware that it’s all about the everyday practices that make for readiness for the big moments. So, while I may watch any given…
According to a recent study reported in USA Today, Americans these days spend nearly $500 per year on tipping at restaurants and bars. More than one-quarter of those surveyed for the study said they often felt forced to tip more than they wanted to, which isn’t surprising given that tipping percentages have steadily increased over the last hundred years. And yet, tipping is a completely voluntary behavior. Moreover, even though…
Quick Hits A federal district court recently struck down a legal challenge to the EEOC’s 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, which provided guidance as to how federal law prohibiting sex discrimination also encompasses discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Texas sought to invalidate the EEOC’s 2024 guidance regarding how Title VII protects bathroom/locker room usage, dress codes, and pronouns for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.…
As companies roll out AI across their organizations, our researchers have been studying how work actually works for people. Results from one of our global research studies, “Copilot Usage in the Workplace,” reveal the surprising ways people in different business functions—from product development and engineering to finance and legal—are using AI in real work scenarios, along with how they’re all using it across functions. Let’s have a closer look. What we…
Geography is history in space, and history is geography in time. In the context of deglobalisation, the relationships between space and time have become much more complex and interesting. A recent commentary by Natalia Rutkevich drew attention to the profound changes in the territorial organisation of France under the influence of globalisation. Many studies have been devoted to these changes, of which I would like to especially note the book…
The hub, called Q-BIOMED, is one of five quantum research hubs announced today by Peter Kyle MP, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, supported by £160 million in funding.The hub will exploit advances in quantum sensors capable of detecting cells and molecules, potentially orders of magnitude more sensitively than traditional diagnostic tests. This includes developing quantum-enhanced blood tests to diagnose infectious diseases and cancer quickly and cheaply…