White Paper

How entrepreneurs overcome the challenges

At Credit Suisse, we are privileged to serve the wealth
management needs of many of the world’s wealthiest Content
of company growth individuals and families. We understand that each of our
clients has unique needs and aspirations, and is constantly
Executive Summary 5 Harry Tsao MeziMedia 42
Authors faced with new challenges. Our strength in private banking,
High-growth entrepreneurs: Spurring growth with an offshore development initiative
Prepared by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial investment banking and asset management allows us
Studies at the Marshall School of Business, to deliver the power and expertise of our global franchise a rare and valuable breed 8 Rob Ukropina Overnite Express 44
University of Southern California for Credit Suisse to help you to achieve your entrepreneurial venture. Unique growth paths driven by fearless ambition 10 Over-delivering against the giants: Growing and selling
an overnight delivery company
High-growth entrepreneurs as problem-solvers 12
Edition We are pleased to collaborate with the Lloyd Greif Center
Four themes in overcoming growth challenges 13
2016 for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Southern Conclusions 46
California on this paper. As the oldest entrepreneurship Best practices from the case entrepreneurs 47
Credit Suisse AG program in the US, the Greif Center has a 40-year history Case Studies 17
Resources 48
Paradeplatz 8 of leading in the research and practice of high-growth Juan Blum Efficacitas Consulting 18
8070 Zurich entrepreneurship. Carving out a new market for environmental Contributors 48
Switzerland consulting in Ecuador Authors 49
www.credit-suisse.com In this white paper, we explore the real stories behind how Andrew Burgert Nextive 20
Davids become Goliaths in business, from the in-the-trenches Culture and cash flow: Scaling up an international
decisions that defined the companies to the nail-biting software company
crises that tested their founders’ resolve. The paper features
Daniel Davidson OneNews 22
in-depth case studies of 13 exceptional entrepreneurs
Early-stage challenges: Creating a model for
in the United States and Latin America who started
real-time news reporting
companies that achieved higher than 100% annual growth
rates in headcount and/or revenues in their first five years Alejandro Diego Ollin Studios 24
of business. Proving your legitimacy: Scaling and building a reputation
as a Latin American visual effects provider
This paper is not intended as a formula or a playbook Marco Giannini Dogswell 28
for how to grow a company — as you will see, there is Managing inventory and continuous innovation:
no such magic formula. Rather, we provide an exclusive Growing and selling a pet food company
window into the challenges and triumphs of a select set Rhonda Kallman
of diverse entrepreneurs as they scaled their businesses. Boston Beer Company and New Century Brewing Co. 30
Each of the founder/CEOs we interviewed experienced Fighting unexpected battles to bring a new beer
unique difficulties and used innovative, highly personalized to the masses
tactics to persevere and overcome those obstacles.
Joe Kaplan Innovative Merchant Solutions 32
Four central themes emerged in the types of challenges
Building a big company with a small-company mentality:
these firms faced: people, financial resources, business
Leading a payments business to acquisition
networks, and environmental jolts. In this paper, we discuss
these themes and explain how each entrepreneur tackled Jim Marggraff Livescribe 34
the issues that he or she found most difficult. Dealing with environmental jolts: Launching a ground-
breaking consumer technology product
We hope you will find this research inspirational as you Liz McKinley Pinnacle Petroleum 36
continue to grow your business. Learning to delegate while keeping that personal touch:
Innovating in petroleum distribution
Adam Miller Cornerstone OnDemand 38
Copyright © 2016 Credit Suisse Group AG Business model innovation to drive change
in the emerging SaaS market
Rafael Soares Yoguland 40
Creating an overnight sensation:
Building a successful frozen yogurt franchise in Brazil

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