Entrepeneurs Versus Executives at Socaba.Com
PROBLEM
Introduction
Dave Souza, Joe Castle, and Ryan Bahar (NAMES ARE MADE UP) had been close friends since their freshman year in college, when fate brought them together as roommates. They were an unlikely threesome.They founded a company six months after graduation : Socaba.com which sold furniture, office supplies, computer equipement and office management services.When they had to make any major decision, they made it together.
Socaba had been an instant hit. Socaba had added new service offering to customers.But predictably, Socaba success had created a need for more help at the top, help with handling the increased volume of orders, negotiating contracts with suppliers, integrating new software and managing staff. Karen Poole, VC from a small local firm, suggest them to hire managers from outside in orderto “bring the company into the major leagues”.So, Karen recruited three senior people to help bring the business to the next level, the three newcomers brought a lot of useful experience to Socaba. The new executives qppeared to complete the Socaba management team. However, even as early as the welcome lunch for the three,a gap between the insiders and outsiders developped. Several of the meetings have been canceled and formal meetings between the insiders and outsiders had become sporadic. The three senior people found themselves taking counsel frequently and generally ignoring the younger trio.
To complicate matters, one of the company´s main competitors wants to partner with Socaba and there is controversy about wheter to enter into the deal. One of Socoba’s new executives told the VC he will quit if the three founders rejected the offer. But Dave, Joe and Ryan aren’t budging the last thing they want is to be smallowed up by a huge incumbent. Socaba.com is at a crossroads.
In this case we can find several metaphors : culture metaphor, political systems and organism metaphor.
Problem statement/question.
Socaba.com is at a
Introduction
Dave Souza, Joe Castle, and Ryan Bahar (NAMES ARE MADE UP) had been close friends since their freshman year in college, when fate brought them together as roommates. They were an unlikely threesome.They founded a company six months after graduation : Socaba.com which sold furniture, office supplies, computer equipement and office management services.When they had to make any major decision, they made it together.
Socaba had been an instant hit. Socaba had added new service offering to customers.But predictably, Socaba success had created a need for more help at the top, help with handling the increased volume of orders, negotiating contracts with suppliers, integrating new software and managing staff. Karen Poole, VC from a small local firm, suggest them to hire managers from outside in orderto “bring the company into the major leagues”.So, Karen recruited three senior people to help bring the business to the next level, the three newcomers brought a lot of useful experience to Socaba. The new executives qppeared to complete the Socaba management team. However, even as early as the welcome lunch for the three,a gap between the insiders and outsiders developped. Several of the meetings have been canceled and formal meetings between the insiders and outsiders had become sporadic. The three senior people found themselves taking counsel frequently and generally ignoring the younger trio.
To complicate matters, one of the company´s main competitors wants to partner with Socaba and there is controversy about wheter to enter into the deal. One of Socoba’s new executives told the VC he will quit if the three founders rejected the offer. But Dave, Joe and Ryan aren’t budging the last thing they want is to be smallowed up by a huge incumbent. Socaba.com is at a crossroads.
In this case we can find several metaphors : culture metaphor, political systems and organism metaphor.
Problem statement/question.
Socaba.com is at a