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Cold Call

Cold Call

Written by: HBR Presents / Brian Kenny
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Cold Call distills Harvard Business School's legendary case studies into podcast form. Hosted by Brian Kenny, the podcast airs every two weeks and features Harvard Business School faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.Copyright 2026 President and Fellows of Harvard College Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Restructuring Mobile Game Giant Supercell for a Turnaround

    Restructuring Mobile Game Giant Supercell for a Turnaround
    Oct 13 2026
    Founded in 2010, Supercell was a Finland-based mobile gaming company that had developed and launched five global hit mobile games. The company’s early philosophy was that it could produce hits by designing the company to appeal to top talent: Developers worked in small, autonomous groups called cells with little oversight. The formula was an initial success but the streak of hit games eventually ended. By 2023, CEO Ilkka Paananen and the company’s leadership team decided to restructure the company but wondered if they could still attract top talent despite its shift to more traditional ways of managing the business. Senior Lecturer Jeffrey Rayport and host Brian Kenny discuss the case, “Supercell 2.0: Clash of Plans,” and the question at its crux: What would it take to restore the company's winning streak?
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    37 mins
  • Getting Your Boss to Buy into Your Strategy (from “Coaching Real Leaders”)

    Getting Your Boss to Buy into Your Strategy (from “Coaching Real Leaders”)
    Oct 6 2026
    You have a strategy you believe in. But what happens when your boss doesn’t? “Cold Call” presents this bonus episode from the podcast “Coaching Real Leaders,” where host and executive coach Muriel Wilkins works with an ambitious leader whose plan to drive growth is at risk because she hasn’t been able to get the alignment she needs from her boss. They explore what’s behind the resistance and how she can approach the relationship, and the strategy, differently. The conversation illustrates a key challenge at the heart of strategy execution: getting the people who need to support your idea on board.
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    51 mins
  • Considering the Future of the BBC and Its Funding Model

    Considering the Future of the BBC and Its Funding Model
    Sep 29 2026
    With viewership of the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in decline, the country’s Culture Minister must recommend a new funding model for the venerated public institution which will allow the broadcaster to succeed in an increasingly competitive media environment. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Henry McGee and host Brian Kenny discuss the case, “The Future of the BBC: Public Ownership vs. Privatization,” and the different structures an institution like the BBC could have in order to operate in a financially sound and culturally impactful way.
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    28 mins
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