Fall 2023

Competing with Data

October 18, 2023

Many organizations use large data and data analytics as an essential asset in their business. Think about how Waze collects and analyzes millions of queries every day to estimate traffic flows, or UPS uses hundreds of thousands of sensors to track millions of packages each day to feed users information about the progress of their shipments.

For this assignment, please choose a company that uses large data or data analytics to enhance its business. In other words, big data can be valuable in the context of offering a service or as a complement to another business process. What type of processes generate and renew that asset? What type of investments and process put that asset to use, and creates value for the company? How does the company capture value from large data and analytics? What challenges did the company have to overcome to make use of the assets? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the near term?

Devote most of the space to value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750 word post to make your contribution by October 18 at 6 p.m.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Comments are due by October 19 at 9 a.m.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

If you have any problems with the d3.harvard.edu platform, please visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice or email d3@harvard.edu for help.

Platform Variety

November 08, 2023

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Think about how iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users or Match.com helps those seeking partners.

For this assignment, please pick ONE of the following two options:

1) Identify a firms that operates a platform. Describe how it creates and capture value, and evaluate its scalability and sustainability.  To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known platforms such as those owned by Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix.

2) Identify a firm that tried to work with a platform (e.g., Epic on the Apple platform, or Zynga on the Facebook platform). Describe the opportunities and challenges in this firm’s journey as it tried to create and capture value. Again, evaluate its sustainability.

In both cases, stress the strategy for value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of value capture.

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by 9 a.m. on November 9.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

If you have any problems with the d3.harvard.edu platform, please and visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice. or email d3@harvard.edu for help.

Machine Learning

December 07, 2023

Many companies deploy machine learning or other aspects of deep learning. Amazon uses AI to anticipate when an ad has value. Google uses natural language processing to automate Translate. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses AI in a creative way to drive value creation, value capture, or innovate in its operating model.

You may focus on use of AI as a service, or you may focus on the use of AI as an enhancement of some part of a service or business. In other words, please describe how the organization deploys AI as a free-standing service around which it develops a business, or as a complement and improvement of its business process.

Describe the current challenges and opportunities the company faces in this deployment. Then assess the changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantages of these opportunities. In your post, please consider any organizational changes the company needs to make to achieve its aspirations. While you should devote most of the space to value creation, please make some observations about aspects of the value capture strategy.

(Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

1000 words max.

Assignment

Create an approximately 1000 word post to make your contribution by December 7, at 6 p.m.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by December 8 at 9 a.m. 

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

 

If you have any problems with the d3.harvard.edu platform, please and visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice. or email diplatform@hbs.edu for help.

Fall 2022

Competing with Data

October 05, 2022

Many organizations use large data and data analytics as an essential asset in their business. Think about how Waze collects and analyzes millions of queries every day to estimate traffic flows, or UPS uses hundreds of thousands of sensors to track millions of packages each day to feed users information about the progress of their shipments.

For this assignment, please choose a company that uses large data or data analytics to enhance its business. In other words, big data can be valuable in the context of offering a service or as a complement to another business process. What type of processes generate and renew that asset? What type of investments and process put that asset to use, and creates value for the company? How does the company capture value from large data and analytics? What challenges did the company have to overcome to make use of the assets? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the near term?

Devote most of the space to value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750 word post to make your contribution by October 5 at 6 p.m.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Comments are due by October 6 at 9 a.m.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

 

If you have any problems with the d3.hbs.org platform, please visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice or email diplatform@hbs.edu for help.

Platform Variety

November 02, 2022

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Think about how iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users or Match.com helps those seeking partners.

For this assignment, please pick ONE of the following two options:

1) Identify a firms that operates a platform. Describe how it creates and capture value, and evaluate its scalability and sustainability.  To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known platforms such as those owned by Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix.

2) Identify a firm that tried to work with a platform (e.g., Epic on the Apple platform, or Zynga on the Facebook platform). Describe the opportunities and challenges in this firm’s journey as it tried to create and capture value. Again, evaluate its sustainability.

In both cases, stress the strategy for value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of value capture.

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by 9 a.m. on November 3.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

 

If you have any problems with the d3.hbs.org platform, please and visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice. or email diplatform@hbs.edu for help.

Experiment with Craiyon

November 15, 2022

Experiment with Craiyon.com. It is the descendant of DALL-E mini, the text-to-picture tool mentioned in the case. Play with it. Generate a panel of pictures. (Note that it does not handle the details of faces particularly well.)

Assignment

Save one screenshot of your favorite panel.

Please upload it to a blog post by November 15 at 6 p.m. Briefly describe it in 150 words or less.

Please (briefly) comment on three of the screenshots of your classmates by November 16 at 9 a.m.

If you have any problems with the d3.hbs.org platform, please visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice or email diplatform@hbs.edu for help.

Machine Learning

November 30, 2022

Many companies deploy machine learning or other aspects of deep learning. Amazon uses AI to anticipate when an ad has value. Google uses natural language processing to automate Translate. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses AI in a creative way to drive value creation, value capture, or innovate in its operating model.

You may focus on use of AI as a service, or you may focus on the use of AI as an enhancement of some part of a service or business. In other words, please describe how the organization deploys AI as a free-standing service around which it develops a business, or as a complement and improvement of its business process.

Describe the current challenges and opportunities the company faces in this deployment. Then assess the changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantages of these opportunities. In your post, please consider any organizational changes the company needs to make to achieve its aspirations. While you should devote most of the space to value creation, please make some observations about aspects of the value capture strategy.

(Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

1000 words max.

Assignment

Create an approximately 1000 word post to make your contribution by November 30, at 6 p.m.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by December 1 at 9 a.m. 

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

 

If you have any problems with the d3.hbs.org platform, please and visit the digital platform resources page for helpful advice. or email diplatform@hbs.edu for help.

Spring 2022

Digital Winners During the Pandemic

February 13, 2022

Digital technologies were already upending many industries and companies before the pandemic. Covid-19 has accelerated those trends. Think about the impact of Door Dash or Uber Eats on the ability of restaurants to add delivery, or Shopify’s and Amazon’s impact on the ability of retail stores to develop a new channel when customers stopped visiting malls. Or think about someone like Zoom, who had an existing niche service and pivoted to scale it quickly so it could address a common issue that many businesses faced during the pandemic.

For this assignment please identify companies/organizations that you think are using digital technology to win during the Covid-19 pandemic. Please focus on just one organization, and not an entire category of organizations, entrants, or firms. Tell us why they are a winner in this environment. If it is useful for illustrating or explaining their winning approach, you may also refer to losing organizations, entrants, or firms, but these should not be the central feature of the post.

Please place most of the emphasis on how the organization creates value using digital processes and/or services in the short run. You also should summarize how it captures value, but place most of the emphasis on creation. Finally, you may allude to how it is positioned to create and capture value as the pandemic declines. Again, why do these products, services, actions, and strategies lead you to call them a winner or loser?

750 words max

 

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6 p.m. on February 13.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by 9a.m on February 14.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Platform Variety

March 06, 2022

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Think about how iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users or Match.com helps those seeking partners.

For this assignment, please pick ONE of the following two options:

1) Identify a firms that operates a platform. Describe how it creates and capture value, and evaluate its scalability and sustainability.  To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known platforms such as those owned by Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix.

2) Identify a firm that tried to work with a platform (e.g., Epic on the Apple platform, or Zynga on the Facebook platform). Describe the opportunities and challenges in this firm’s journey as it tried to create and capture value. Again, evaluate its sustainability.

In both cases, stress the strategy for value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of value capture.

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by 9a.m. on March 7.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Competing with Data

March 27, 2022

Many organizations use large data and data analytics as an essential asset in their business. Think about how Waze collects and analyzes millions of queries every day to estimate traffic flows, or UPS uses hundreds of thousands of sensors to track millions of packages each day to feed users information about the progress of their shipments.

For this assignment, please choose a company that uses large data or data analytics to enhance its business. In other words, big data can be valuable in the context of offering a service or as a complement to another business process. What type of processes generate and renew that asset? What type of investments and process put that asset to use, and creates value for the company? How does the company capture value from large data and analytics? What challenges did the company have to overcome to make use of the assets? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the near term?

Devote most of the space to value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

750 words max

Assignment

Create an approximately 750 word post to make your contribution by March 27 at 6 p.m.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Comments are due by March 28 at 9 a.m.

Selected posts will be discussed in class. Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Machine Learning

April 18, 2022

Many companies deploy machine learning or other aspects of deep learning. Amazon uses AI to anticipate when an ad has value. Google uses natural language processing to automate Translate. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses AI in a creative way to drive value creation, value capture, or innovate in its operating model.

You may focus on use of AI as a service, or you may focus on the use of AI as an enhancement of some part of a service or business. In other words, please describe how the organization deploys AI as a free-standing service around which it develops a business, or as a complement and improvement of its business process.

Describe the current challenges and opportunities the company faces in this deployment. Then assess the changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantages of these opportunities. In your post, please consider any organizational changes the company needs to make to achieve its aspirations. While you should devote most of the space to value creation, please make some observations about aspects of the value capture strategy.

. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

1000 words max.

 

Assignment

Create an approximately 1000 word post to make your contribution by April 18, at 6 p.m.

Please use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points. These additional links do not count against your word limit.

Please also comment on three other posts. Comments are due by April 19 at 9 a.m. 

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

 

Spring 2021

Digital Winners during the Pandemic

February 10, 2021

Digital technologies were already upending many industries and companies before the pandemic. Covid-19 has accelerated those trends. Think about the impact of Door Dash on restaurants, or Shopify’s and Amazon’s impact on the ability of retail stores to develop a new channel.

For this assignment please identify companies/organizations that you think are winning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Please focus on just one organization, and not an entire category of organizations, entrants, or firms. Tell us why they are a winner in this environment. If it is useful for illustrating or explaining their winning approach, you may also refer to losing organizations, entrants, or firms, but these should not be the central feature of the post.

Please place most of the emphasis on how the organization creates value in the short run from its products, services, actions, and strategies. You also should summarize how it captures value. Finally, you may allude to how it is positioned to create and capture value as the pandemic declines. Why do these products, services, actions, and strategies lead you to call them a winner or loser?

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6pm on February 10.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts by 8am on Feb 11. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Platform Variety

March 02, 2021

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Think about how iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users or Match.com helps those seeking partners.

For this assignment, please pick ONE of the following two options:

1) Identify a platform firm, describe how it creates and capture value, and evaluate its scalability and sustainability.  To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known platforms such as those owned by Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.

2) Identify a firm that tried to work with a platform (e.g., Australian banks or X-Fire) or tried to become a platform (e.g., Lexoo). Describe the opportunities and challenges in its journey.

In both cases, stress the strategy for value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of value capture.

Create an approximately 750-word post. Make your contribution by 6pm on March 2.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts by 8am on March 3. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Competing with Data

March 23, 2021

Many organizations use large data and data analytics as an essential asset in their business. Think about how Waze collects and analyzes millions of queries every day to estimate traffic flows, or UPS uses hundreds of thousands of sensors to track millions of packages each day to feed users information about the progress of their shipments.

For this assignment, please choose a company that uses large data or data analytics to enhance its business. In other words, big data can be valuable in the context of offering a service or as a complement to another business process. What type of processes generate and renew that asset? What type of investments and process put that asset to use, and creates value for the company? How does the company capture value from large data and analytics? What challenges did the company have to overcome to make use of the assets? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the near term?

Devote most of the space to value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

Create an approximately 750 word post to make your contribution by March 23 at 6 p.m.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts by March 24 at 8 a.m. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Machine Learning

April 21, 2021

Please pick one company that deploys machine learning or other aspects of deep learning. Amazon uses AI to anticipate when an ad has value. Google uses natural language processing to automate Translate. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses AI in a creative way to drive value creation, value capture, or its operating model.

You may focus on the use of AI as a service, or you may focus on the use of AI as an enhancement of a process of some part of its business. In other words, please describe how the organization deploys AI as a free-standing service around which it develops a business, or as a complement and improvement into its process.

Describe the current challenges and opportunities the company faces in this deployment. Then assess the recommend changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantage of these opportunities. In your post, please consider any organizational changes the company needs to make to achieve its aspirations. While you should devote most of the space to value creation, please make some observations about aspects of the value capture strategy.

(Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

Create an approximately 800-word post by Wednesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts by April 22, 8 a.m. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Spring 2020

Digital Winners and Losers

February 11, 2020

Digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business or Amazon’s impact on retail stores.

For this assignment, we would like you to identify companies/organizations that you think are winning or losing. Just work on either winners or losers. Please focus on just one organization. Tell us why they are a winner or loser. Discuss elements of how they create and/or capture value that is leading you to call them a winner or loser.

Create an approximately 750-word post to make your contribution on digit.hbs.org by 6pm on Feb 11. Please create appropriate tags for your post including if it is a “winner” or “loser.” Please also respond to and comment on three other posts. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class.

Platform Business Challenges

March 24, 2020

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. For this assignment, please pick ONE of the following two options:

1) Identify a platform firm, describe how it creates and capture value, and evaluate its scalability and sustainability.  To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known platforms such as those owned by Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.

2) Identify a firm that tried to work with a platform (e.g., X Fire or Australian banks) or tried to become a platform (e.g., Qihoo). Describe the opportunities and challenges in its journey.

Materials

“Why Some Platforms Thrive and Others Don’t” (Links to an external site.) HBR January-February 2019
“Products to Platforms: Making the Leap” (Links to an external site.) HBR April 2016

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post to make your contribution on digit.hbs.org  by 6 pm on March 24.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per assignment. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class.

Competing with Data and AI Challenge

April 21, 2020

Many companies today use data analytics or AI to create and capture value. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses data analytics or AI in a creative way to drive value creation, value capture, or its operating model.

You may focus on use of data analytics or AI to create new products or services, or you may focus on the use of data analytics or AI within the process of some part of its current business. Describe the current challenges and opportunities the company faces in this deployment. Then recommend changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantages of these opportunities. While you should devote most of the space to value creation, please consider the value capture strategy as well.

Assignment

Create an approximately 750-word post to make your contribution on digit.hbs.org by 6 p.m. on April 21. (To make it interesting, please stay away from well-known big data/AI companies such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per assignment. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class.

Digital Innovation and Transformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 02, 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak is a tragedy that will have long-lasting implications for our global economy. The pandemic has showcased the value of digital operating models and is likely to force many companies to speed up their digital innovation and transformation.

For this blog post assignment, please consider ONE of the following questions:

  • Identify an organization that was under significant threat from the COVID-19 outbreak but quickly innovated its operating model to mitigate the impact during the crisis. Please describe the capabilities and processes that enabled these changes and any generalizable lessons for other organizations.
  • Identify an organization that has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and recommend how it can leverage digital innovation to grow again.
  • Identify an organization that has experienced significant growth during the outbreak because of its digital operating model. Discuss whether this growth is short term or not and what actions the organization can take to sustain its growth.

Create an approximately 1000-word post to make your contribution on digit.hbs.org by 6 pm on May 2.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per assignment. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Fall 2019

Digitization Winners and Losers

September 24, 2019

Digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business, or Spotify’s impact on music downloads.

For this assignment, please identify companies/organizations that you think are winning and losing due to a specific instance of digital transformation. Pick one situation with a winner on one side and a loser on the other. Why are they a winner and why is this transformation putting the losing organization in a difficult place? Stress the novelty of the situation. Discuss the key elements of how the winner creates and/or captures value, and similarly for the key elements of how the other firm is losing value. (Please devote most of the space to the winner, and focus less on the losers, devoting attention to winner/losers according to a ratio approximately 3/1.)

800 words max.

Driving Platform Innovation

October 17, 2019

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Think about how EBay matches suppliers and buyers, or iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users.

For this assignment, please identify companies/organizations that you think have an innovative platform. Focus on how it creates and captures value. Why are they innovative? Identify the core processes for the platform, and describe how those processes create value for participants, such as buyers or sellers. If this platform invites applications or advertising, explain what value goes to the applications or advertisers. Identify two or three interesting elements of the platform, such as its scale, prevalence of multi-homing, or pricing. Stress the strategy for value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the platform’s value capture strategy. (To make it interesting, please stay away from platforms owned by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

800 words max

Competing with Data

November 13, 2019

Many organizations use large data and data analytics as an essential asset in their business. Think about how Waze collects and analyzes millions of queries every day to estimate traffic flows or airlines organize the requests for seats for hundreds of thousands of users each day to reset their pricing, or UPS uses hundreds of thousands of sensors to track millions of packages each data to feed users information about the progress of their shipments.

For this assignment, please choose a company that uses large data or data analytics to enhance its business. In other words, big data can be valuable in the context of offering a service or as a complement to another business process. How does data serve as an asset in their business? What type of investment are required to build and renew that asset? What type of investments and process put that asset to use, and creates value for the company? How does the company capture value from large data and analytics? What challenges did the company have to overcome to make use of the assets? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the future? Devote most of the space to value creation, but feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy. (Once again, to make it interesting, please stay away from big data use by the big five – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.)

800 words max

Value Creation with AI

December 04, 2019

Please pick one company that deploys machine learning or other aspects of deep learning. Amazon uses AI to anticipate when an ad has value that others will bid. Google uses natural language processing to automate Translate. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses AI in a creative way to drive value creation, value capture, or its operating model.

You may focus on use of AI as a service, or you may focus on the use of AI within the process of some part of its business. In other words, please describe how the organization deploys AI as a free-standing service around which it develops a business, or as a complement and improvement into its process. Describe the current challenges and opportunities the company faces in this deployment. Then assess the recommend changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantages of these opportunities. In your post, please consider any organizational changes the company needs to make to achieve its aspirations. While you should devote most of the space to value creation, please make some observations about aspects of the value capture strategy.

1000 words max.

Spring 2019

Innovative Platforms

February 24, 2019

Digital technologies give rise to a variety of platforms. Uber matches drivers and riders. iTunes makes apps available for iPhone users.

For this assignment, please identify companies/organizations that you think have an innovative platform. Why are they innovative? Discuss the function of the platform, two or three interesting elements of the platform, and highlight the value creation of the platform. If you have room, feel free to make observations about aspects of the value capture strategy, but do not make it central.

Create an approximately 500-600 word post to make your contribution by Sunday, February 24 at 8 p.m.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Your comments are due Monday, February 25, at 10 a.m. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before Monday’s class.

Digital Winners and Losers

March 05, 2019

Digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business or Spotify’s impact on music downloads.

For this assignment, please identify companies/organizations that you think are winning and losing due to the same transformation.  Do most of the work on the winners, and focus less on the losers, devoting attention to winner/losers according to a ratio approximately 3/1. Why are they a winner and why is the other organization a loser? Discuss the key elements of how the winner creates and/or captures value that is leading you to call them a winner. Similarly for why you are calling the other firm a loser.

Create an approximately 1000-1200 word post to make your contribution by Tuesday, March 5, at 8 p.m.

Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Comments are due by Wednesday, March 6, at 10 a.m. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Spring 2018

Digital Winners & Losers

February 01, 2018

Digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business or Spotify’s impact on music downloads and the record industry.

For this assignment, we would like you to identify companies/organizations that you think are winning or losing. Just work on either winners or losers. Please focus on just one organization. Tell us why they are a winner or loser. Discuss elements of how they create and/or capture value that is leading you to call them a winner or loser.

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution on d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit by 6pm on Feb 1. Please create appropriate tags for your post including if it is a “winner” or “loser.” Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Growing Businesses in the Age of Platforms

March 05, 2018

One consequence of the digital transformation is that platforms are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s economy.

Assignment

For this module please pick ONE company/organization and discuss how it creates and captures value in platform markets:

Issues you may want to address (feel free to consider other related issues not listed below):

  • How to scale up platform businesses?
  • How do various factors such as local/global network effects and multi-homing affect competitive dynamics in platform markets?
  • When can an entrant take over market leadership when competing with an incumbent in a platform market?
  • How can product/service-centric firms grow into platform-centric firms?
  • How do firms cooperate and compete with powerful platforms when they serve as complementors and partners of these platforms?

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution on d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit by 6pm on March 5. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Note: Since our third module is on crowd-based business models (business models that leverage collective intelligence from a large number of users), please do not pick crowd-based companies such as Kickstarter and Threadless for this OK blog post.

Competing with or Against Crowds

March 26, 2018

In this module we have examined how firms can leverage digital technologies to harness the power of collective intelligence from the crowds to create value and capture value. For this assignment you have three options:

1 – Pick one industry where no firms have leveraged crowds, and come up with a crowd-based business model that may potentially transform the industry. Describe how you plan to create and capture value. Explain why the crowd will participate, and why your crowd-based model is better than the current model employed by the incumbents.

2 – Describe a company that is using crowds (external or internal) in an innovative manner. Describe how they incentivize participation and manage the crowd. What are the challenges? Describe how value creation and value capture occur, and the growth potential of this business.

3 – Companies often struggle with crowds as well. Describe failed crowdsourcing efforts and explain how and why the company failed. Given what you have learned in the course, what would you do differently?

Create an approximately 500-750 word post at d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit to make your contribution by 6pm on March 26. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module before class. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Competing with Data Challenge

April 09, 2018

In this module we have examined how data and analytics can be utilized in organizations of all types. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses data in a creative way to drive value creation, capture or operating model and then describe:

  • What does the usage or analysis of data create value for the company? How is it different from its competitors?
  • What does the company capture value from data and analytics? How is it different from its competitors?
  • How did it get to where it is now? What challenges did the company have to overcome? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the future?
  • For companies that failed to grow data-driven business models, what are the root causes for such failures?

Please try to use data and analytics to illustrate your arguments when possible. Create an approximately 500-750 word post at d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit.  Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts before class. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Driving Digital Transformation

April 30, 2018

For this final blog post, please pick one company that you are familiar with (e.g., a company you worked at). First, describe the current challenges and opportunities the company is facing due to digital transformation. Then recommend changes the company needs to make to address these challenges or take advantages of these opportunities. In your post, please consider any organizational changes the company needs to make, and potential internal resistance when implementing your recommendation (and strategies to overcome such resistance).

Create an approximately 1,000-1,500 word post to make your contribution on d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit by 6pm on April 30. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts by May 1. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos, and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Spring 2017

Digital Winners & Losers

February 02, 2017

Digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business or Spotify’s impact on music downloads and the record industry.

For this assignment, we would like you to identify companies/organizations that you think are winning or losing. Just work on either winners or losers. Please focus on just one organization. Tell us why they are a winner or loser. Discuss elements of how they create and/or capture value that is leading you to call them a winner or loser.

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution on d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit by 6pm on Feb 2. Please create appropriate tags for your post including if it is a “winner” or “loser.” Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Growing Businesses in the Age of Platforms

February 26, 2017

One consequence of the digital transformation is that platforms are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s economy.

For this module please pick ONE company/organization and discuss how it creates and captures value in platform markets:

Issues you may want to address (feel free to consider other related issues not listed below):

  • How to scale up platform businesses?
  • How do various factors such as local/global network effects and multihoming affect competitive dynamics in platform markets?
  • When can an entrant take over market leadership when competing with an incumbent in a platform market?
  • How can product/service-centric firms grow into platform-centric firms?
  • How do firms cooperate and compete with powerful platforms when they serve as complementors and partners of these platforms?

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution on d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit by 6pm on Feb 26. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Please prepare a 2-3 min summary of your blog post before class.

Note: Since our third module is on crowd-based business models (business models that leverage collective intelligence from a large number of users), please do not pick crowd-based companies such as Kickstarter and Threadless for this OK blog post.

Managing Digital Crowds

March 21, 2017

In this module we have examined how firms can leverage digital technologies to harness the power of collective intelligence from the crowds to tackle a range of problems such as innovation problems and funding startups. For this assignment you have three options:

1 – Pick one industry where no firms have leveraged crowds, and come up with a crowd-based business model that may potentially transform the industry. Describe how you plan to create and capture value. Explain why the crowd will participate, and why your crowd-based model is better than the current model employed by the incumbents.

2 – Describe a company that is using crowds (external or internal) in an innovative manner. Describe how they incentivize participation and manage the crowd. What are the challenges? Describe how value creation and value capture occur, and the growth potential of this business.

3 – Companies often struggle with crowds as well. Describe failed crowdsourcing efforts and explain how and why the company failed. Given what you have learned in the course, what would you do differently?

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution by 6pm on March 20. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Please prepare a two minute pitch about your blog entry before the class.

Data and Analytics as Digital Assets

April 06, 2017

In this module we have examined how data and analytics can be utilized in organizations of all types. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses data in a creative way to drive value creation, capture or operating model and then describe:

  • What does the usage or analysis of data create value for the company? How is it different from its competitors?
  • What does the company capture value from data and analytics? How is it different from its competitors?
  • How did it get to where it is now? What challenges did the company have to overcome? What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for the company in the future?
  • For companies that failed to grow data-driven business models, what are the root causes for such failures?

Please try to use data and analytics to illustrate your arguments when possible. Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

What is the Future of VR?

April 28, 2017

Virtual reality (VR) has become a hot area of the high-technology industry. The  ecosystem consists of multiple groups of participants including:

  • device manufacturers (e.g., headset manufacturers)
  • content providers (e.g., VR game producers)
  • platforms (e.g., Google and Facebook)
  • suppliers (e.g., lens manufacturers)
  • companies applying VR in different usage scenarios (e.g., VR in education or healthcare)

For this final assignment, please read this background note of the industry to get an overview of the industry. Pick a participant group from the above list and then pick a company within this group (the company does not need to be discussed in the background note). Create an approximately 500-750 word post. In your blog post, briefly describe this company’s current value creation and capture strategies and leverage your learning from the course to make recommendations on how the company can grow its business further.

Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Fall 2015

Digital Winners and Losers

September 13, 2015

The basic thesis of our course is that digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business or Spotify’s impact on music downloads and the record industry.

For this module, we would like you to identify companies/organizations that you think are winning or losing. Just work on either winners or losers. Please focus on just one organization. Tell us why they are a winner or loser. Discuss elements of how they create and/or capture value that is leading you to call them a winner or loser.

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution. Please create appropriate tags for your post including if it is a “winner” or “loser” Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Competing with Network Effects

October 04, 2015

One consequence of the digital transformation of the economy is that many industries today are exhibiting network effects.

For this module please pick ONE company/organization and discuss how networks effects may affect its value creation, value capture and/or operating model and/or how it can take advantage of network effects to grow its business.

Issues you may want to address (feel free to consider other related issues not listed below):

– How to scale up businesses that exhibit Direct Network Effects?

– How to scale up businesses that exhibit Indirect Network Effects?

– How should incumbent firms compete when their industries become susceptible to network effects?

– How can an entrant take over market leadership when competing with an incumbent in a networked industry?

– How can product-centric firms grow into platform-centric firms?
Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Note: Since our third module is on crowd-based business models (business models that leverage collective intelligence from a large number of users), please do not pick crowd-based companies such as Kickstarter, Wikipedia, and Threadless for this OK blog post.

Leveraging the Collective Intelligence and Effort of Digital Crowds

October 31, 2015

In this module we have examined how firms can leverage digital technologies to harness the power of collective intelligence from the crowds to tackle a range of problems such as innovation problems and funding startups. For this assignment you have three options:

1 – Pick one industry where no firms have leveraged crowds, and come up with a crowd-based business model that may potentially transform the industry. Describe how you plan to create and capture value. Explain why the crowd will participate, and why your crowd-based model is better than the current model employed by the incumbents.

2 – Describe a company that is using crowds (external or internal) in an innovative manner. Describe how they incentivize participation and manage the crowd. What are the challenges? Describe how value creation and value capture occur, and the growth potential of this business.

3 – Companies often struggle with crowds as well. Describe failed crowdsourcing efforts and explain how and why the company failed. Given what you have learned in the course, what would you do differently?

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Please prepare a two minute pitch about your blog entry before the class.

Data-driven Value Creation, Value Capture and Operating Models

November 22, 2015

In this module we have examined how data and analytics can be utilized in organizations of all types. For this assignment, please choose a company that uses data in a creative way to drive value creation, capture or operating model and then describe:

•What is the company’s value creation model? How does it depend on the creative usage or analysis of data? How is it different from its competitors?

•What is the company’s value capture model? How does it depend on the creative usage or analysis of data? How is it different from its competitors?

•How does its operating model (processes, capabilities, resources, and use of data) drive its business model (value creation and capture)?

•How did it get to where it is now? What challenges do you anticipate for the company in the future?

Please try to use data and analytics to illustrate your arguments when possible. Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.