Business Case Studies & Business Publications

WillowTree: Project Driven with a Produc...

Nelson, Ryan, Wrig...

Case

WillowTree: Project Driven with a Product Mindset (A)

Nelson, Ryan; Wright, Ryan

S-0338 | Published October 2, 2020 | 13 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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WillowTree began as a small digital products company in 2007. By 2020, it had more than 500 full-time team members operating out of offices in four locations, and it had launched hundreds of digital products, including mobile apps, websites, voice assistants, and TV experiences. But also in 2020, WillowTree was facing the most significant challenge in its 12 years of corporate existence—a global pandemic. By analyzing how WillowTree blends project and product management, students will gain insights into how a digital products services company integrates a product mindset within contract-based projects, and get the opportunity to brainstorm how WillowTree can further adapt to provide a unique value proposition during the pandemic and beyond.

- Describe the organizational and business model disruptions facing the digital product services industry in 2020. - Debate the steps taken by WillowTree to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. - Describe the role of product teams and design thinking methods in the product innovation process. - Understand the differences in structure and approach between a typical project-focused and a product-focused organization.