Case: Alibaba and the Future of Business
Podcast: How I Built This: Spanx/Sara Blakely
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/15/534771839/spanx-sara-blakely
Podcast: How I Built This: Zappos/Tony Hsieh
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/15/723670593/zappos-tony-hsieh (Links to an external site.)
Ming Zeng, “Alibaba and the Future of Business: Lessons from China’s innovative digital 161 giant,” Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business School Publishing, Product No. R1805F, September-October 2018, pp. 1-10.
1. Re Alibaba article, what does it mean to “software” every activity? Should companies “software” every activity? Explain your answer.
2. Talking about either Sara Blakely (Spanx) or Tony Hsieh (Zappos) from the “How I Built This” Podcast, what is their leadership toolkit? What could you use from their toolkit in your own toolkit?
