executive summary on a given article

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Request

Please write a 3 pages executive summary on Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Acquiring the First Thousand Customers. I have attached the file below. Papers are to be typed, double-spaced, have a cover sheet which includes Title. You must segregate your material and use headers that tells the reader what he/she is about to read. I have attached the case file below.

Please follow this points:

* The above is the coversheet and doesn’t count as “number of pages.” Let’s see what you can do and keep the report focused – think business writing – to-the-point. Think 3 pages, not including the cover sheet. Also, Do Not state what someone else must do – YOU are the decision-maker – make the decisions! Also, you must defend your decision, e.g., hire X or market Y – ok, how? Where is the money coming from? I’ll repeat this point below.

Next, the analysis needs to address the following topics: NOTE: You MUST put headers at the beginning of each section – you are telling the reader what you are about to discuss. “Executive Summary,” etc., are the headers to be used. Further, it must be in this order and no section is combined with another, Segregate your work.

Executive Summary – a summary of your work and conclusions.

This is the first thing an executive reads but it is written last. It is not a summary of the case; it is a summary of Your work. It introduces the topic, states a key issue(s) and the proposed recommendation. It is worth of repeating – Do not summarize the case! Also, leave out phrases like –“…this case evaluates…,” “…the following essay…,” “…this essay concludes…” and similar.

Problem Statement – what problem(s) did you see, pick the key issue(s) – only state the problem(s) you will address. Pick a key problem(s) that you wish to address – there are always issues to address. Do Not explain, analyze or give a recommendation, just state the problem(s) nothing else. Short and to-the-point.

To repeat – there are always issues in the case, pick and state the problem(s) as you see them. These are the problems you will address – stay on track! State the problem(s). These are not questions, they are statements! Do not present a problem in the form of a question! Do not list facts and/or solutions or recommendations here. Make sure that you are stating a problem. Be careful not to state a solution as a problem. For example: “The problem with NYC traffic is that there are not enough parking spaces.” The “traffic problem” may have nothing to do with parking but “parking spaces” is given as a solution effectively closing off other ideas as to what the “problem” actually is.

This is the most “abused” section – many of us cannot state a problem. We most often state results and/or solutions and/or desired outcomes in the form of a problem – both are wrong. For example, someone will write as a problem “…the company’s stock dropped in value.” Sounds right, but it isn’t – it is a result of a problem. Why did the stock price drop? What did the company do (or not do) to cause it? State the cause – you now have a problem to address. Look for a “weakness” in the firm or something that they are not doing or doing poorly.

This is the Points you need to write on:

1. Summary of Facts – Summary only! – and only as they apply to the stated problem(s) being addressed.

State the facts as they apply to the problems you are addressing; do not include superfluous issues. A common failing here is noting a diatribe of facts from the case that have nothing to do with the problem stated – don’t do it. Focus your work. DO NOT analyze anything here, that is the next section – these are the FACTS upon which you are building your case.

2. Analysis of Facts – How the facts influenced the decisions.

Analyze the facts as they apply to the issues you are addressing. Surprisingly, many will write a short paragraph somehow believing that the “analysis” was really addressed under facts, that the issue is obvious, or that there was nothing left to say. These are errors. The analysis is where you demonstrate comprehension of the issues…and I don’t read minds.

3. Recommendations – As Manager/Executive/Consultant – What would YOU do, WHY, and critically HOW you will achieve it. You need to do so objectively and therefore no personalization.

This is the most important item; assuming that you were able to state a problem. First, if you do not make recommendations, the report is not accepted, or the grade will be lowered significantly. Next, do not state that the company should keep doing what is doing. Nor should you state such mundane items like “The Company should do market research to see what the market is like….” Do not simply rehash the material – your thinking and problem solving abilities are most important. Also, leave out phrases akin to “As a consultant…manager… I recommend….” Further, you must state HOW you plan to achieve the results, this almost always means a quantitative analysis. So, if you say, hire X people, advertise more, etc., you need to show How you plan to pay for this and the anticipated results, i.e., what benefit will the company garner.

Specific Rules

NEVER note: “could have;” “should have;” or “would have” as any part of your work. Why? – It’s too late! You need to address what needs to be done to save and/or improve the company.

Other points of note:

• 1)Leave out personal pronouns (I, me, my…) – they only weaken your writing.
• 2)Do not personalize the work – stay objective
• 3)NO questions, most especially rhetorical ones, as they don’t answer anything, rely on the reader to interpret the writer’s work, tend to mislead and cause confusion.
• 4)Use Active Voice in your writing – passive voice weakens your writing and makes the points raised less clear. See the other file on “passive voice” writing.
• 5)Reminder – Use a cover sheet (see above)
• 6)The text is to be 12 point, Times Roman is nice, and leave about 1.25” on the sides and 1 inch margins on the top/bottom; double-space lines. I don’t use a ruler, these are guidelines. Excessive white space is not well-received.
• 7)Please put page numbers on the pages (cover sheet is an exception).
• 8)Do not put a header on one page and have the text start on the following page – keep the header with the text.

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*** The work will be checked for plagiarism through Turnitin by the professor. It is essential for everything to be free of plagiarism otherwise sanctions will be imposed***

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Thank you for your support and looking forward to working with you!