Cold Call

4.5 (191)
MANAGEMENT
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Cold Call distills Harvard Business School's legendary case studies into podcast form. Hosted by Brian Kenny, the podcast airs every two weeks and features Harvard Business School faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.

SEP 2

Partnerships Power Highland Electric’s Expanding Fleet of School Buses

How do you scale innovation in a system where critical pieces are out of your control? That is the challenge Highland Electric Fleets faced as it worked to replace diesel school buses with electric vehicles across the United States. While Highland provided financing, infrastructure, and fleet operations, success depended on external partners, including manufacturers, utilities, and districts. Delays and disruptions forced the company to stay nimble and deliver under pressure. Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Highland Electric founder and CEO Duncan McIntyre join host Brian Kenny to discuss the HBS case “’The Wheels on the Bus’ Go Electric.” They explore what it takes to scale a climate solution while sustaining momentum and coordinating across public and private sectors.

31 min
AUG 19

Atlassian Anchors Remote Flexibility in Structured Daily Practices

Atlassian promised employees they could work from anywhere, permanently. By 2024, its data-driven routines and workplace experiments were shaping both its culture and its products, turning the company into an innovation lab. Now it faces a new challenge: helping customers adopt these practices, which requires hands-on support, strategic advising, and cultural change. Harvard Business School Associate Professor Ashley Whillans joins host Brian Kenny to discuss the case “Designing the Future of Work: Atlassian’s Distributed Work Practices” and the questions Atlassian’s leaders must answer as they try to scale what works.

34 min
AUG 5

Disrupting the Freezer Aisle: Dr. Bombay Ice Cream

When Happi Co. CEO Sam Rockwell partnered with Snoop Dogg and his son, Cordell Broadus, to launch Dr. Bombay Ice Cream, the team set out to disrupt a stagnant market with bold flavors and culturally resonant branding. With national retail placement and projected first-year sales of $20 million, the brand quickly made its mark. Now, as Rockwell plans the next phase—marketing, fundraising, and expanding into new markets—he must also navigate the dynamics of a creator-led brand, balancing roles and staying nimble and authentic. Sam Rockwell and Harvard Business School professor Bill Kerr join host Brian Kenny to discuss Kerr’s case, “Dr. Bombay Ice Cream,” which explores the launch and growth of a lifestyle brand built on cultural storytelling and entrepreneurial ambition.

34 min
JUL 22

Shake Shack’s Digital Playbook: More Tech, Same Hospitality?

Shake Shack began in 2001 as a single hot dog cart in New York City and grew into a global fast-casual chain known for quality ingredients and a strong hospitality ethos. In 2024, following a rapid digital transformation that introduced kiosks, mobile ordering, and app-based personalization, Chief Growth Officer Stephanie So wondered whether the model they had built was truly ready to scale—or still needed refinement. With a new CEO focused on ambitious growth, the company faced key questions about how technology might support or undermine the Shake Shack experience for both guests and employees. HBS Professor Christopher Stanton joins So and host Brian Kenny to discuss the case “Shake Shack’s Playbook for the Digital Era,” and what it takes to grow a hospitality-driven brand in an increasingly automated industry.

29 min
JUL 8

At Booking.com, Innovation Means Constant Failure (Summer Repeat)

During a busy travel season, digital travel platform Booking.com tried a risky experiment that meant changing the site’s landing page. Then CEO Gillian Tans made the decision to lean into the company’s “test everything” culture—even if it meant failure. In this episode from 2019, HBS Professor Stefan Thomke and host Brian Kenny discuss the case Booking.com. They explore how past experience and intuition can be misleading when attempting to launch something novel. Instead, innovative firms embrace a culture where testing, experimentation, and even failure are at the heart of what they do.

27 min
JUN 24

Ensuring Boston Ballet Stays Relevant

Ming Min Hui, executive director of Boston Ballet, is unique in her field. As a young, Asian American woman with a HBS MBA and a background in finance, she focuses on ensuring the ballet company stays true to its art form and still relevant to its times. Hui had worked for eight years at Boston Ballet as chief of staff and chief financial officer before taking the helm. Now leading one of the foremost ballet companies in the U.S., she confronted evolving demographics, shifting audience habits, and an increasingly challenging financial environment. Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Edward Chang and Hui join host Brian Kenny to discuss the case Ming Min Hui at Boston Ballet. They explore how she balances the past, present, and future—and how these lessons translate from this nonprofit arts organization to any company, anywhere.

31 min
JUN 10

How Bill Wilson Cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous and Created a Lasting Social Movement

Bill Wilson was an incredibly entrepreneurial young man with tremendous potential. He was also a drunk, until an epiphany made him sober. With his personal drive and fellowship with former drinking buddies, Wilson built a social movement and worldwide organization. Founded in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of “friends of Bill” recover from alcohol addiction. In this episode of Cold Call, HBS Professor Robert Simons joins host Brian Kenny to discuss the case, “Bill Wilson: Changing the World.” They explore how Wilson navigated life’s choices, transformed his life and those of others, and left a lasting impact on the world.

24 min
MAY 27

How Keurig Brewed a Return to Growth

Keurig Green Mountain (KGM) invented a category and became a household name in at-home coffee brewing in North America. But by the early 2010s, the public company suffered a series of product missteps, negative media scrutiny, and challenging partner relationships. In late 2015, the company was acquired by JAB Holding Company. The new CEO Bob Gamgort first strengthened partnerships, raised productivity, and reduced costs. In 2017, the company then focused on new growth. Gamgort considered four major options: take the company public again through an IPO; set out for greater global expansion; combine with another coffee business to become a larger player in North American coffee; or diversify beyond coffee through a “pure play beverage” strategy. In this conversation, HBS Senior Lecturer David Fubini and Research Associate Patrick Sanguineti discuss the four strategic options from their case study, “Keurig: A Return to Growth.”

23 min

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TRAILER

Cold Call Introduction

Host Brian Kenny introduces Cold Call, the official podcast of the Harvard Business School. Cold Call distills the Business School’s legendary case studies into podcast form. The podcast airs every two weeks and features HBS faculty discussing cases they’ve written and the lessons they impart.

09/16/2016

•

24 sec

Brian Kenny

Host

4.5

out of 5

191 Ratings

Just found this and plan to listen more

11/13/2020

VerilySquared

Interesting and concise.
Insightful

08/15/2020

The Original, SP

The host has a knack for getting the goods out of the guests. Sometimes the topics are less than intriguing. I feel like if it were more frequent I wouldn’t have that feeling.
that intro is off-putting

05/05/2020

matthewande

It's a great podcast and a great discussion but the intro makes it seem like you are about to have a bad experiemce with those voices describing when the professor walks in, blah blah... If I have to skip through an intro, I'll generally skip the whole thing.
Love this podcast

06/07/2020

Phan-

Just started listening to this podcast. The first episode had Professor Elie Ofek as one of the two guests on autonomous cars. Enjoyed his teaching in the class and equally fun and thought provoking in listening this podcast. Thanks for making HBS case study freely accessible to all who enjoy learning.

Cold Call distills Harvard Business School's legendary case studies into podcast form. Hosted by Brian Kenny, the podcast airs every two weeks and features Harvard Business School faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.