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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Anyone can make music, but when the orchestral baton rests in the hands of someone like Richard Branson (entrepreneur of the Virgin Group), the resulting sound is more than musical - it's magical. INSEAD Professor Manfred Kets de Vries examines the inner-workings of this successful entrepreneur and the evolution of Virgin - from one leader to more "systematic" management.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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In this case study, Professors Pierre Hillion and Theo Vermaelen use Log On America's decision to issue a floating-price convertible preferred stock to discuss optimal capital structure. You are asked to compare this financial innovation with alternatives such as equity financing, debt financing and convertibles with a fixed conversion price. Then you're asked to support (or undermine) the legal case of LOA against the banks and the preferred shareholders. Finally, you have the opportunity to use option-pricing techniques to value the convertible and experiment with alternative security designs.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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David, the entrepreneur, is considering a new venture - entering the Asian wine market with French wine. This is hardly a vintage market, with consumers only just beginning to increase their wine purchases. So in order to give us an appreciation of the market's flavour, Professor Hellmut Schütte and David Remmers identify some key factors in this true-story case.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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In 1995, Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products (L&H) was poised for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ, home to industry heavyweights like Microsoft and Intel. If the IPO were to be successful, L&H would be the first Belgian company ever to list on the venerable stock exchange. For L&H, the IPO was a key milestone in its remarkable history. Since its founding in 1987, the company had several times teetered on the verge of bankruptcy, rescued only by the financial acumen of its energetic young founders who demonstrated the ability to tap a wide range of financing sources. In this case, Professors Herwig Langohr and Benoit Leleux, along with INSEAD MBA graduate Danny Lein ('96), introduce us to this feisty company and trace its rocky financial history, from its use of "guerilla financing" strategies to the moment Lernout and Hauspie must give the thumbs up or thumbs down to a tempting IPO offer.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Nearly every entrepreneur faces this dilemma at one point or another: continue borrowing to keep the company afloat or face reality, pay out creditors, and call it a day. For Singaporean serial entrepreneur, Marianna Tan, the day of reckoning came in February 2001. As Professor Michael Pich and Mei Qi explain in this recent case, Tan's company, CargoExchange.Net Pte Ltd, had just enough cash to keep afloat for another three months. They review her original idea for the business, the market outlook and competition, and ask which of three options seems most viable: search for more investment, change the current business model, or pull the plug and admit defeat.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Sex, death and dominance. One may say that these are the major themes of Oracle founder Larry Ellison's life. But the headline-grabbing bad-boy image often overshadows a stark reality: the man is a brilliant entrepreneur, who created the world's second-largest software company. Professor Manfred Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy pick up the story in this new case.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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To overcome sales growth problems in the US, California-based, venture capital-backed start-up Whistle Communications looks at developing a number of strategic partnerships in Asia. While the product (the first Internet appliance for small-to-medium size businesses) attracts interest from numerous high-profile companies, Whistle must weigh the short-term gains against its long-term goals. Professor Ha Hoang and Michel Darnaud explain more in this new Case Study series.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Its signature orange logo has made the "easy" brand one of the most recognizable in Europe - a stunning feat given that easy made its debut as recently as 1995. What began with easyJet has expanded to include easyCar and easyInternet. Now the company's New Ventures Team must decide whether the no-frills, low-cost concept can be successfully applied to movie theatres, explains Professor Yves Doz in this Case Study.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Ruben Vardanian, CEO of Troika, is a "Golden Boy of Russian capitalism". Unlike his fellow members of the Russian oligarchs' club, Vardanian started from scratch and climbed upwards. This case, Ruben Vardanian at the Helm of Troika Dialog by Stanislav Shekshnia, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at INSEAD with Manfred Kets de Vries, Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt Professor of Human Resource Management at INSEAD scrutinizes Vardanian's success as he guides his investment bank Troika Dialog to a new level and scale of business.

How does a fledgling company become an industry powerhouse? By managing itself professionally and betting on the right products. The case of Biogen shows how it can be done.

Though more known for his legendary publicity stunts, Richard Branson has led Virgin Group to success with a singular, flamboyant style. Learn the secret of how he tackles the big bad wolves of many industries.

His goal: To single-handedly save the world's women from obesity. With Curves, he seems to be pulling it off. And he's built a billion-dollar business along the way.

Roger Ehrenberg, the co-founder of Monitor110 offers up an analysis of the failure of that company, including what he calls the "seven deadly sins":
1. The lack of a single, "the buck stops here" leader until too late in the game
2. No separation between the technology organization and the product organization
3. Too much PR, too early
4. Too much money
5. Not close enough to the customer
6. Slow to adapt to market reality
7. Disagreement on strategy both within the Company and with the Board