DBI Digital Battlefield V 20.03.

2020

Assignment Guidelines

Content
The home assignment paper is a written assignment reporting the analysis and insights
of one student. The paper has to apply theoretical concepts and tools of 3-5 sessions of
the course curriculum to a practical case scenario, i.e. a novel digital business venture.
This venture is ideally genuinely conceived by the student, but can also be inspired by an
existing but very innovative business case.

The main focus of the report and criteria for grading derives from the learning objectives
(LO):

1. Identify, select and combine key theoretical concepts from the course, and apply
them to describe a new, digital business venture
2. Analyze competition in the global digital arena where the new, digital business
venture is positioned
3. Propose a business strategy for the new, digital venture and explain the main
components
4. Explain how the new digital venture can grow and expand exploiting user-generated
data

These elements should ALL be addressed, but do not need to have the same weighting
in the report (i.e., some objectives can be focussed).

One approach could be that the assignment first systematically introduces the venture.
The next section could be on using theories and concepts to explain and argue for the
constituents/benefits/risks/implications of the venture and the business strategies
behind it. The introduction of theories can be very brief (mainly just main reference and
concepts, not a dedicated theory section) to make more room for the actual
argumentation and discussion.

An outlook on the competitive dynamics should be given, using contents from the
course. The specific characteristics of the digital product or service should be briefly
discussed in relation to strategic implications for the venture (e.g., how to exploit
network effects, how to monetize the user data, how to build trust etc.). Market
competition and dynamics faced by the business venture should be addressed (e.g.,
presence of digital platforms, which directly compete, or provide a marketplace for the
product or service offered by the venture and how the venture will react to them).

A total of 3-5 sessions should feature in an argumentation for the venture’s viability.

Format of the paper

- max. 10 standard pages (can be shorter, needs to follow CBS standard page
specifications)

Indicative Structure:
1. Title Page
(Title and subtitle of report; Author names; Word count; Course title)
2. Main Report (only a suggestion, variations are possible)
a. Motivation - market need for the product/service(s) in view of market
competition and dynamics of the digital context (LO 2)
DBI Digital Battlefield V 20.03.2020

b. Business idea presentation (technical elements should be included in the

appendix)
c. Theory-based argumentation for the business launching elements (e.g., types
of network effects, switching costs, critical mass etc.), possible risk to avoid,
likely revenue streams and pricing considerations, other strategic elements for
successful commercialization that relate to the digital nature of the product or
serviced offered by the business venture (LO1, LO3) and strategic exploitation
of user-generated data (LO 4) (e.g., big data, advertising, crowdsourcing,
etc.)
3. Conclusion future prospects in terms of competition in the global digital arena
(LO2)
4. Literature References
5. Appendices (The appendix is not part of the grade but it offers useful
clarifications)

Submission and Examination

Actual dates and deadlines are communicated by CBS.