Competitive Strategy for Technology Markets

Catalog description

This class will apply economic frameworks to analyze the competitive strategy of technology businesses. The format will consist of discussion-based lectures, guest speakers, and student presentations. Approximately one third of the class will be devoted to markets related to artificial intelligence, including hardware and computing, foundation models, and applications. Other technology markets include computing technology platforms (e.g. mobile), financial technology, and online advertising. The course will begin with economic concepts relevant to business models and to competition when there are barriers to entry, either in a firm's own market or in important adjacent markets. The course will then consider the role of business strategies in determining the dynamics of competition and long-run industry structure, including strategies for entry, distribution deals, long-term contracts, choices about interoperability, and mergers and acquisitions.