MKTG 556 | Session 5 | A Theory of Product-Form Strategy: When to Market Know-How, Components, or Systems? - 2023

Kellilynn M. Frias, Mrinal Ghosh, Narayan Janakiraman, Dale F. Duhan, and Robert F. Lusch

Introduction:

The study examines how firms decide whether to commercialize their technology as know-how, components, or systems. This decision, known as product-form strategy (PFS), has been largely overlooked despite its importance for both entrepreneurial and established companies. The authors utilize four different studies—qualitative interviews, angel investor proposals, Shark Tank transcripts, and experiments with investors—to develop and test theories about what influences PFS. Their primary goal is to create a theory explaining how challenges in technological integration, safeguarding, and marketing capabilities affect commercialization choices.