Certified By:

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Certified By: Startup Founders in High Technology by Phatty Arbuckle B.S Computer Science, Alabama A&M University, 2002 Submitted to the System Design and Management Program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ARCH ES Master of Science in Engineering and Management MAss i :3 TUTE At The Massachusetts Institute of Technology AUG 0 6 2015 June 2015 LIBRARIES C 2015 Phatty Arbuckle. All Rights Reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. A u th o r: .................Signature . --- ------- redacted----------. ............. Phatty Arbuckle System Design and Management Program April 2, 2015 Certified by: ............. Signature redacted ......... Michael A. Cusumano Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor of Management I'Sloan School of Management -Thesis Supervisor Signature redacted A ccepted by : ................. V. ... %..... ....... ...................... --.. ----- Patrick Hal Chairman & Senior Lecturer, Enginee WtgSystems Division Director, System Design and Management Program Arbuckle, Phatty 1 MIT SDM Thesis Startup Founders in High Technology by Phatty Arbuckle Submitted to the System Design and Management Program on April 2, 2015 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Engineering and Management ABSTRACT Startup founders are thought to be the super women and men of the technology world these days. Many founders transition into the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) role within their companies and are expected to have the knowledge to lead large organizations through these fast growth and transition periods at a rate much faster than previously encountered in history. While some founders have backgrounds and experience to leverage in order to help them, many do not. Regardless, many high technology founder CEOs are leading companies that grow from nothing into billion dollar valuations and various stages of growth or failure between. This thesis seeks to investigate key traits of high technology founder CEOs, the technologies they create and manage, and research surrounding their transition from founder into the CEO role to include leadership characteristics. An effort will be made to further understand what contributes to a founder CEOs success and based on that recommendations will be given providing some key guidelines. Lastly, example cases will be showcased to highlight how and what founder CEOs have and are doing to create success for not only them, but also their companies, investors, and employees. Thesis Supervisor: Michael A. Cusumano Title: Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor of Management MIT Sloan School of Management & Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT School of Engineering Arbuckle, Phatty 2 MIT SDM Thesis Acknowledgements A tremendous amount of people have helped me along my journey through MIT during my fellowship and in the creation of this thesis. Countless classmates, professors, friends, and advisors filled my mind with all the wonders MIT provides and encouraged me to push my limits to be better in every way. My family has provided instrumental support and encouragement in allowing me to easily take this journey. Special thanks to Pat Hale and the MIT SDM staff for making sure our needs were always met and helping us accomplish our big projects and our small whims. As my SDM family of classmates and advisors, you will always be close to my heart. My thesis would not have been possible without the kindness of strangers who happened to be founder CEOs that took time out of their days to let me interview them. My sincere appreciation goes out to all of them: Bettina Hein, Jim Dougherty, Jeremy Allaire, Alfonso "AJ" Perez, John Moore, Dr. Nancy Rizzo, Steve Hamby, Sameer Joshi, and Gary Voight. I'd like to thank my thesis advisor, Michael Cusumano, who took the time to provide candid advice at the right time while still giving me space to work when I need it. You provided me the feedback I was looking for and pointed me in the right direction whenever I inquired. You made this process go as smoothly as I can possibly imagine. Thank you!!! Lastly, I'd like to thank my close friends and family who spent time discussing, proofing or just letting me bounce ideas off of you. Mom, Lori, Jim & Ryan, I appreciate your support no matter what distractions might have been in my life, you kept me focused and gave me the right prompts when they were needed. Todd thanks for taking time to read and give encouragement. Suzie, Alhely, Sarah, Carrie, Melissa, Andrea, Shanthi, Joan, Marianna and all the other inspirational women whom I've met along this voyage, thank you for being so awesome and showing the world what women leaders can provide. Everyday do at least one needlessly and flagrantly nice thing for someone! Arbuckle, Phatty 3 MIT SDM Thesis Table of Contents 1 - In tro d u ctio n .............................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 -Thesis Organization ............................................................................................................ 6 1.2 - M otivation.......................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 - Background ........................................................................................................................ 9 2 - Fo u n d e rs ................................................................................................................................. 1 3 2.1 - Experience Levels ............................................................................................................. 13 2.2 - Education & Environm ent............................................................................................ 14 2.3 - Personality Traits ............................................................................................................. 15 2.4 -Thinking Patterns ............................................................................................................. 22 2.5 - Sum m ary .......................................................................................................................... 24 3 - Technology Traits .................................................................................................................... 25 4-What does it take to be a Founder CEO? I The Incomplete Leader Perspective................................ 29 5 - Founder's Dilem m a ................................................................................................................. 34 5.1.1 - VC Funding ................................................................................................................ 40 6 - M arriage of The Incom plete Leader and The Founder's Dilem m a...................................... 43 7 - Recom m endations .................................................................................................................. 44 8 - C a se s ........................................................................................................................................ 4 6 8.1 - Circle Internet Financial CEO Jeremy Allaire................................................................ 47 8.2 - HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan .......................................................................................... 49 8.3 - Pixability CEO Bettina Hein .......................................................................................... 51 8.4 - Linked in CEO Reid Hoffm an .......................................................................................... 53 8.5 - Globe United CEO Jesper Jones ................................................................................... 56 8.6 - Sum m ary .......................................................................................................................... 59 9 - Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 60 9.1 - Further Research.............................................................................................................. 62 9.2 - Final Thoughts.................................................................................................................. 62 10 - Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 63 Arbuckle, Phatty 4 MIT SDM Thesis List of Figures Figure 1 - Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (1996-2013) (Fairlie, 2014) ................. 11 Figure 2 - Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity by Gender (1996-2013) (Fairlie, 2014) ... 11 Figure 3 - Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity by Age (1996-2013) (Fairlie, 2014)......... 12 Figure 4 - Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity by State (2013) ................................... 12 Figure 5 - Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity by Education (1996-2013) .................. 14 Figure 6 - Causal vs. Effectual Reasoning (Sarasvathy, 2001)................................................... 23 Figure 7 - Founder's Trade-Off - Rich vs. King (Wasserman, The Founder's Dilemma, 2008)...... 34 Figure 8 - Value of Founder's Equity Stake, Depending on Degree of Control Maintained (W asserm an, 2012, p. 339) ......................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • UNDER ARMOUR CONSULTING REPORT Heather Dommer University of Lynchburg
    University of Lynchburg Digital Showcase @ University of Lynchburg Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects Spring 4-28-2015 UNDER ARMOUR CONSULTING REPORT Heather Dommer University of Lynchburg Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalshowcase.lynchburg.edu/utcp Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, and the Other Business Commons Recommended Citation Dommer, Heather, "UNDER ARMOUR CONSULTING REPORT" (2015). Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects. 142. https://digitalshowcase.lynchburg.edu/utcp/142 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Showcase @ University of Lynchburg. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Showcase @ University of Lynchburg. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNDER ARMOUR CONSULTING REPORT Ms. Heather Dommer Management Graduating Senior April 28,2015 Dr. Maria L. Nathan, Chair Dr. Lee Schoemmeller, Committee Member Dr. Alka Gupta, Committee Member Under Armour Consulting Report Heather Dommer 1/23/2015 CONSULTING REPORT: UNDER ARMOUR 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Executive Summary...................................................................................................................... 3 II. Section I: External Analysis i. Competitor Analysis........................................................................................................ 4 ii. Five Forces Analysis.......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • CEO Activism and Firm Value
    CEO Activism and Firm Value Anahit Mkrtchyan, Jason Sandvik, Vivi Z. Zhu* January 2021 Abstract We investigate the impact of CEO activism, the increasingly common practice of CEOs speaking out on social and political issues, on firm value. CEO activism may be beneficial for shareholders, as it can bolster firms’ relationships with customers and employees. Alternatively, CEO activism may be detrimental if it alienates stakeholders with opposing views. Consistent with the former, we find that CEO activism results in a positive market reaction and higher valuations. These results can be explained by increased employee productivity and innovation, suggesting that CEO activism may improve corporate reputation in labor markets. Additionally, activist CEOs benefit from more future directorships. Keywords: CEO Activism, firm value, productivity, innovation. JEL Classification Numbers: G34 *Anahit Mkrtchyan is from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University and can be reached at [email protected]. Jason Sandvik and Vivi Z. Zhu are from the A. B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University. Sandvik can be reached at [email protected] and Zhu can be reached at [email protected]. We thank John Bai, Jonathan Brogaard, Lucy Chernykh, James Conklin, Felipe Cortes, Laura Field, Davidson Heath, Udi Hoitash, Kate Holland, Peter Iliev, William Kerr, Michelle Lowry, Nadya Malenko, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Yihui Pan, Miriam Schwartz-Ziv, Nathan Seegert, Kandarp Srinivasan, Kuncheng Zheng, and the participants of workshops at Florida State University and Tulane University for their helpful comments. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3699082 1. Introduction Over the last decade, business leaders have increasingly engaged in CEO activism, i.e., the practice of speaking out on hot-button social and political issues.
    [Show full text]
  • News Release for Immediate Release Feb
    To: [email protected] Subject: Under Armour Partners with Girls on the Run News Release For Immediate Release Feb. 27, 2018 Under Armour Partners with Girls on the Run for Contest and Event NEW YORK – Under Armour will partner with Girls on the Run for the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes contest and obstacle course in Central Park on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at 12 p.m. The contest is a chance for girls to design their own sneakers to be sold by Under Armour. It will be open nationwide to girls ages 7 to 17 starting on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, and will close Friday, June 15, 2018. The obstacle course is 1 mile-long and is open to anyone regardless of age or gender. It will be followed by a healthy barbecue. The entrance to the obstacle course will be at West 77th Street and will finish near the West 96th Street entrance. Participants are encouraged to arrive an hour before it begins to check in. The winner of the sneaker design will be revealed during the barbecue after everyone has completed the course. All participants will receive a gift bag with Under Armour is hoping that its partnership Under Armour apparel. with Girls on the Run will motivate young girls to get active. “We are very excited about this partnership and hope that we can inspire girls and women everywhere to do what they love and to feel good doing it,” said Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. Agreeing to support and promote the event is singer Demi Lovato.
    [Show full text]
  • Sport Apparel Branding on Twitter
    Mississippi State University Scholars Junction Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1-1-2018 Just Do It: Sport Apparel Branding on Twitter Kelsey Slater Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td Recommended Citation Slater, Kelsey, "Just Do It: Sport Apparel Branding on Twitter" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 2894. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/2894 This Graduate Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Scholars Junction. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Junction. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Template APA v3.0 (beta): Created by J. Nail 06/2015 Just do it: Sport apparel branding on Twitter By TITLE PAGE Kelsey Slater A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Mississippi State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Kinesiology (Sport Administration) in the College of Education Mississippi State, Mississippi May 2018 Copyright by COPYRIGHT PAGE Kelsey Slater 2018 Just do it: Sport apparel branding on Twitter By APPROVAL PAGE Kelsey Slater Approved: ____________________________________ Matthew H. Zimmerman (Major Professor) ____________________________________ Younghan Lee (Committee Member) ____________________________________ Gregg Twietmeyer (Committee Member) ____________________________________ Adam C. Knight (Graduate Coordinator) ____________________________________ Richard L. Blackbourn Dean College of Education Name: Kelsey Slater ABSTRACT Date of Degree: May 3, 2018 Institution: Mississippi State University Major Field: Kinesiology (Sport Administration) Major Professor: Matthew H. Zimmerman Title of Study: Just do it: Sport apparel branding on Twitter Pages in Study 58 Candidate for Degree of Master of Science Collegiate athletic departments are experiencing large financial growth in part to their relationships with sport apparel brands.
    [Show full text]
  • Symposium on Baltimore's Port Covington Redevelopment Project
    University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development Volume 6 | Issue 2 Article 5 2017 Symposium on Baltimore’s Port Covington Redevelopment Project Suraj Vyas Gillian Rathbone-Webber Patrick Terranova Lawrence Brown PhD Thomas Prevas See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ubjld Part of the Land Use Law Commons Recommended Citation Vyas, Suraj; Rathbone-Webber, Gillian; Terranova, Patrick; Brown, Lawrence PhD; Prevas, Thomas; Athans, Alexandra; and Croft, Christopher K. (2017) "Symposium on Baltimore’s Port Covington Redevelopment Project," University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development: Vol. 6 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ubjld/vol6/iss2/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@University of Baltimore School of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@University of Baltimore School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Symposium on Baltimore’s Port Covington Redevelopment Project Authors Suraj Vyas, Gillian Rathbone-Webber, Patrick Terranova, Lawrence Brown PhD, Thomas Prevas, Alexandra Athans, and Christopher K. Croft This article is available in University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development: https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ubjld/vol6/ iss2/5 SYMPOSIUM BALTIMORE’S PORT COVINGTON REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT Suraj Vyas On March 29, 2017, The University of Baltimore Journal of Land and Development held a symposium regarding the City of Baltimore’s Port Covington redevelopment project. The symposium was comprised of two panels. The first was on the topic of affordable housing.
    [Show full text]
  • Weekly Market Summary
    Weekly Market Summary Weekly Market Summary 18th of Aug 2017 Strong Economic Data on Both Sides (and I Mean Both Sides) ... Market Focus Is Elsewhere ! Fadi Nasser - Head of Treasury Sales In past weeks, economic data on both sides of the Atlantic has shown strength and resilience in the face of rising political/geopolitical pressures. After positive second-quarter growth readings showing the world economy rising at its most rapid pace in 2-1/2 years, the world economy looks well on its way to a year of faster and firmer growth. Even more encouraging this time around is the fact that expansion is broad-based, as long-time laggards Japan and the Euro area join the party. Global gross domestic product is projected to increase by 3.4% this year and 3.5% next year, based on a median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Whilst that would be down from an estimated 4%-plus pace in the second quarter, it still represents a clear acceleration from last year's 3.1% advance. "Recent data points to the broadest synchronised upswing the world economy has experienced in the last decade," International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Maurice Obstfeld wrote in a recent blog post. "World trade growth has also picked up, with volumes projected to grow faster than global output in the next two years." The pickup has been paced by promising rebounds in Europe and Japan - two economies that until now had been seen as drags on the global economy. After years of lacklustre growth, the euro-area economy is starting to build momentum: The expansion accelerated to 0.6% in the second quarter (+2.2% YoY), and it is more evenly spread across the 19-nation region than in the past.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bourgeoisie Begins to Abandon Trump
    A Split at the Top: The Bourgeoisie Begins to Abandon Trump https://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article5118 USA A Split at the Top: The Bourgeoisie Begins to Abandon Trump - IV Online magazine - 2017 - IV511 - August 2017 - Publication date: Wednesday 23 August 2017 Copyright © International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine - All rights reserved Copyright © International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine Page 1/3 A Split at the Top: The Bourgeoisie Begins to Abandon Trump President Donald Trump's failure for two days to condemn the violent Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and "alt-right" white supremacists, one of whom murdered a woman in Charlottesville, has led to a major development as sections of the capitalist class have begun to abandon him. While some top Republican leaders have taken a stronger stand against Trump in recent days, several major corporate leaders have deserted him. They have done in part because of his flirtation with fascism, but also because Trump and his administrationâEuros"his embarrassing tweets, the constant circus, the Korea war scare, the Russian imbroglioâEuros"makes it impossible for the Republicans to advance their pro-business agenda. If the relationship between Trump and corporate leaders continues to unravel, this could lead to a more rapid collapse of the Trump presidency than had previously seemed possible. After the Charlottesville events, many Republican Party leaders criticized the president and some condemned him. Virtually every Republican leader issued a statement against white supremacy, from speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Others spoke out against Trump himself. Senators Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida often disagree with Trump, but the critics also included prominent conservatives such as Sens.
    [Show full text]
  • Team 4: 4UA Marketing Research Project Fall 2016 Carly Magnotta, Alyssa Cantisani, Ellen Russell, Savannah Ashworth, Shaquille Smith & Christian Von Rautenkranz
    Team 4: 4UA Marketing Research Project Fall 2016 Carly Magnotta, Alyssa Cantisani, Ellen Russell, Savannah Ashworth, Shaquille Smith & Christian Von Rautenkranz Table of Contents Overview of the Research 1 Situational Analysis 2 Research I - Qualitative Study: Focus Group Interviews 16 Research II - Quantitative Study: Online Survey 21 Overall Findings and Suggestions 31 References 33 Appendices 35 Research Plan Research I A. Focus Group Interview Moderator Guideline B. Consent Forms C. Focus Group Interview 2 Transcript D. Focus Group Interviews Notes E. Moderators’ Reflections Research II A. Online Survey Questionnaire B. Additional Analysis Overview of the Research Over the past four months our team has had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the sports apparel industry. Within this sector, we conducted extensive research and analysis on one of the industry's most prominent companies; Under Armour. The first part of our research was to conduct a situational analysis and gather secondary data pertaining to Under Armour. We looked at the key components that make up their company and the industry. The first stage of our research was conducted with the primary objective of uncovering the reasons behind Under Armour's rapid success. We then evaluated Under Armour and its present day identity and the ways in which it has transformed as a business in the past 20 years. Next, we focused our evaluations on the product, consumers, competition, marketing and concluded with a detailed SWOT analysis. The purpose of this research was for us to be able to uncover all layers of this industry and the Under Armour company. We were then able to properly identify the key research questions that would guide our primary research.
    [Show full text]
  • THE SPORTS ISSUE the Korn/Ferry Institute Briefings on Talent
    SS12_Cobra_AMP_Family.pdf 1 12.07.12 16:05 campus sports • performance analytics THE SPORTS ISSUE the korn/ferry institute briefings on talent ON TALENT & LEADERSHIP Why We Love Sports NASCAR Shifts & leadership Into High Gear Under Armour Muscles In Golf’s Asian Superstars The Responsibility of Talent: IT’S GO TIME. Interview with issue 12 Andrew Luck Advanced Material PlacementTM Sophisticated computer modeling and simulation allow COBRA Golf engineers to thin walls (orange shaded areas) to save weight and re-distribute mass in the club head (blue shaded areas) to maximize distance and forgiveness. Q4. 2012 Introducing COBRA AMPTM Drivers, Fairways, Hybrids and Irons. 100% PURE. Q4.2012 www.cobragolf.com Chief exeCutive offiCer Gary Burnison A SHARPER TRIDENT. Chief marketing offiCer Michael Distefano editor-in-Chief Joel Kurtzman Creative direCtor Joannah Ralston CirCulation direCtor Jaye Cullen online manager Lindsey Koh Board of advisors Sergio Averbach Dennis Carey Robert Hallagan Indranil Roy Michael Bekins Bob Damon Katie Lahey Jane Stevenson Stephen Bruyant-Langer Ana Dutra Robert McNabb Anthony Vardy Cheryl Buxton Joe Griesedieck Byrne Mulrooney ContriButing editors Chris Bergonzi Dana Landis Stephen J. Trachtenberg David Berreby Stephanie Mitchell Adrian Wooldridge Lawrence M. Fisher P.J. O’Rourke Victoria Griffith Glenn Rifkin Andrew Luck photograph: The Korn/Ferry International Briefings on Talent and Leadership is published quarterly by Gabriela Hasbun the Korn/Ferry Institute. The Korn/Ferry Institute was founded to serve as a premier Stadium photograph: global voice on a range of talent management and leadership issues. The Institute INTRODUCING THE NEW 2013 MASERATI GRANTURISMO SPORT. Courtesy of commissions, originates and publishes groundbreaking research utilizing Korn/Ferry’s Indianapolis Colts unparalleled expertise in executive recruitment and talent development combined The thrill begins with its striking look, further refined with aggressive aerodynamics inspired by the limited-production with its pre-eminent behavioral research library.
    [Show full text]
  • Under Armour's History
    UNDER ARMOUR INTRODUCTION Under Armour is the chosen brand of this generation of athletes... and the next. We're about performance and innovation—in training and on game day, in blistering heat and bitter cold. Whatever the conditions, whatever the sport, Under Armour delivers the advantage athletes have come to demand and trust. The demand for world-class products and connected fitness applications has created an environment of growth in our company. An environment where building a great team is vital. An environment where doing whatever it takes is the baseline, and going above and beyond is expected. COMPANY OBJECTIVES Under Armour was developed by athletes for athletes. We understand their needs, and the demands of competition. What began in 1996 with our superior T-shirt has evolved into diverse gear lines and head to toe products designed to help all athletes perform better. As the originator of the industry, Under Armour remains dedicated to new technology and determined to enhance the performance of every athlete on every level through our performance apparel, footwear and accessories. MISSION, VISION & VALUES MISSION STATEMENT To make all athletes better through passion, design, and the relentless pursuit of innovation. VISION STATEMENT To empower athletes everywhere. THE FOUR PILLARS OF GREATNESS: Make a Great Product Tell a Great Story Provide a Great Service Build a Great Team OUR WILLS Act like a global citizen Think like an entrepreneur Create like an innovator Perform like a teammate HISTORY OF THE COMPANY Founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, Under Armour is the originator of performance apparel – gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry, and light throughout the course of a game, practice, or workout.
    [Show full text]
  • An Inside Look at the Behemoth Athletic Company and How It's
    AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE BEHEMOTH ATHLETIC COMPANY AND HOW IT’S AFFECTING BaLTIMORE. BY MIKE UNGER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID COLWELL SHINING ARMOUR —REPRINTED WITH PERMIssION FROM BALTIMORE MagaZINE, August 2013 IssuE.— AUGUST 2013 | baltimoremagazine.net 173 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: EMPLOYEES GET OFF THE WATER TAXI AT TIDE POINT TO START THEIR DAY AT UNDER ARMOUR; THE COMPANY'S ORIGINAL 2,400-SQUARE-FOOT OFFICE ON SOUTH SHARP STREET; UNDER ARMOUR'S 15,000-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY IN PIGTOWN ON WICOMICO AND BUSH STREETS. NICOLE NDOENGES STROLLS ONTO THE WATER TAXI, sits on a Nplastic bench, leans back, and watches the Canton shore fade from view. No blaring car horns or wailing sirens pollute the air, no construction zones or red lights impede progress. “IF WE HAD SOMEONE VISITING, I’D HIRE MY The gentle hum of the boat’s motor, the they spend their days making would-be the company signed Georgia Tech as its Plank recalls of those early years. “If we had 2011, it bought the facility for a reported $58 reflection of bright sunshine off the calmly athletes like you and me better. FRIENDS TO COME IN AND first major client. It needed to leave grand- someone visiting, I’d hire my friends to come million and almost immediately mapped lapping blue water, and the sound of Some of the passengers hold travel coffee ma’s, and fast. Plank, a Kensington native in and sit in chairs behind rented computers out an ambitious expansion plan. Today, seagulls calling out as they glide through thermoses or their phones.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College
    THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHREYER HONORS COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING THE ATHLEISURE TIPPING POINT: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MESSAGE, MESSENGERS, AND CONTEXT OF THE MOVEMENT ALLISON EDWARDS SPRING 2020 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Marketing with honors in Marketing Reviewed and approved* by the following: Matt M. Checchio Instructor of Marketing Thesis Supervisor Jennifer Chang Coupland Professor of Marketing Honors Adviser * Electronic approvals are on file. i ABSTRACT Athleisure is the new normal in American fashion. Observing the adoption of this phenomenon calls in to question: How has the athleisure styling of athletic clothing reached such a point of prominence in American women’s fashion and culture? This thesis seeks to answer that question by analyzing the “Stickiness Factor” of athleisure, the power of its messengers, and its surrounding context. The researcher forms three hypotheses for this analysis. First, the three-dimensional benefit of performance, comfort, and fashion is athleisure’s “Stickiness Factor.” By investigating the emergence of activewear as sportswear, she concludes that the benefits of athleisure are derived from technological advancements in fabrics, changes in lifestyles, and increased personal visibility through developments in media. She segments customers by their preferences for these benefits as they pertain to the customer’s activewear usage occasions and purpose. Second, social media has heightened the power of messengers as they become digital influencers. The researcher outlines observations of the ability of digital influencers to adopt characteristics of multiple types of messengers through the medium of social media. Finally, diversified messaging and product offerings in the activewear market has provided an optimal environment for athleisure adoption.
    [Show full text]