Utfordringer i en go-to-market-fase - En casestudie av syv teknologi-CEO's

• Main Author: Holm-Johnsen, Øyvind
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: Norwegian

This study intends to shed light on areas where CEO’s in tech companies in a go-to-marketprocess experience challenges. Literature on strategic management, business models and resources have been used with emphasis on subtopics such as ambidexterity and growth for strategic management, design and pivots for business models and Resource-based theory and knowledge networks for resources respectively. This study aims to contribute to existing theory on the three topics, with the assumption that the three topics are interrelated. I used an abductive approach to this research, with theoretical presumptions about the subject, where the semi structured interviews laid out the theoretical frameworks. The selection is comprised of seven interviewees, and interviews were conducted during the summer and fall of 2016. The interviewees are all tech CEO’s in Norwegian entrepreneurial firms. Each of the seven interviews represent its own case which was analyzed using a descriptive, multiple case study method. For this thesis, I used an open research question; For a CEO in a tech company in a go-tomarket process, which challenges are most crucial? Six of the seven interviewees mentioned issues related to strategic management and resources, all seven pointed out challenges related to business models in some aspect. The overall findings show that designing the right business model and building knowledge networks are the most crucial challenges a tech CEO in a go-to-market process face. Theoretical implications include that organic growth is preferred by entrepreneurial firms unless they have positive cash flow and top management with well-developed relationships in venture capital. Theoretical implications for my findings related to business models is that CEO’s of tech companies with proven business models and VC financing don’t expect to pivot in the future. For my findings related to resources, my research confirms that human capital is a more important differentiator for a business, than financial resources, buildings and machinery. Practical implications for policy makers include the recommendation for supporting mentorships and cooperation between entrepreneurial firms and third parties to encourage transfer of knowledge. Further research includes other methods, but also on other subjects, such as humbleness related to knowledge and strategy gap, the use of intuition versus analysis in designing business models, and the effects of knowledge reservoirs on tech CEOs’ su