logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
28m 46s

24 Steps to Launch a Start-Up

Harvard Business Review
About this episode

Many people aspire to entrepreneurship. But Bill Aulet, who has advised founders for decades, warns that it remains a high-risk endeavor.

In this episode, he outlines concrete steps anyone can take to get a new venture off the ground — including intrapreneurs within large organizations. He also breaks down some of the important trends he’s seeing in entrepreneurship, like the increasing commoditization of products and lower barriers to entry, due to technology.

Aulet is a professor of entrepreneurship at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He’s also the author of the book Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup.

Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs and founders, entrepreneurial business strategy, innovation, start-ups.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: A Roadmap for Today’s Entrepreneurs (2024)

· Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast

· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Up next
Jun 2025
An Announcement from HBR On Strategy
For the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes. We ... Show More
1m 5s
Jun 2025
The Strategic Advantage of Tapping Freelancers
The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor a ... Show More
30m 26s
Jun 2025
The Promises, Pitfalls, and Trade-offs of the Circular Economy
Most businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technolo ... Show More
20m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
551: The 5 Stages of Entrepreneurship
From Self-Employed or Solopreneur through Serial Entrepreneur—what does it look like and what does it take, to go from running a one-person operation to managing a portfolio of successful businesses and creating a lasting legacy. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/ ... Show More
23m 18s
Jun 2023
S9 Ep24. Scaling a Startup in Asia
Welcome to FOMO Sapiens, the podcast about entrepreneurial thinkers who don't just follow the crowd, but instead take their own path to success in business and in life. In this episode, host Patrick J. McGinnis is joined by Ron Baetiong, a successful entrepreneur from the Philipp ... Show More
41m 4s
Dec 2023
THE BIGGEST STARTUP OPPORTUNITIES IN 2024 BY LEAN STARTUP GUY ERIC RIES
Greg interviews Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and founder of The Long Term Stock Exchange.They talk about how to test business ideas, why businesses with a social mission will outperform, and opportunities in AI.►►Subscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on co ... Show More
46m 41s
Sep 2024
Chobani’s Founder on Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship
Chobani is a leader in the global yogurt market, with more than 20 percent share of the U.S. market alone. It all started with one man, an abandoned yogurt factory in upstate New York, and a mission to make quality yogurt accessible to more people. In this episode, Harvard Busine ... Show More
41m 1s
Dec 2024
Sustainable Business Success
Welcome to another insightful episode of Accelerate Your Business Growth! Today, our host Diane Helbig sits down with Dr. Ian Brook, CEO and founder of Rhodes Smith Consulting, to delve into the essence of intentional transformation in the business world. In this episode, Ian hig ... Show More
41m 37s
Apr 2024
#32- Abdulmajeed Al Sukhan (Co-Founder & CEO of Tamara) on why building companies is tougher than fighting cancer
This episode was recorded live at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF). Our first live show!Abdulmajeed is a serial entrepreneur in the true sense of the word. He is co-founder of Nana (the largest grocery delivery platform in KSA) and currently co-founder and CEO of Tamar ... Show More
42m 50s
Jul 2024
Local businesses to start with NO startup costs
Join us for an insightful conversation with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into the mindset required for entrepreneurial success and we reveal two promising startup ideas. At the beginning of the episode, we discuss strategies to avoid burnout ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2024
Girls That Startup: 4 Habits to Be a Successful Business Owner in 2024
Welcome back to Girls That Startup, a weekly series where we spill the tea on how to create a seven-figure side hustle - because no one saves their way to wealth. You’re joined by Sim, a seven-figure business owner, and Maia, an entrepreneur in the making.This week, Sim and Maia ... Show More
20m 29s