Kayak Boy: an entrepreneurial venture in a blue ocean industry

Abstract

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, the students will learn about the blue ocean strategies that are adopted by entrepreneurs when they are entering into a new business territory and be able to perform an industry analysis and understand the competitive advantage that a firm possesses in a new market using Porter’s five forces framework. Case overview/synopsis This case study is about Sushant, an entrepreneur, who started his entrepreneurial venture in water sports tourism along the coastlines of India. His core business was into offering kayaking and camping activities. However, he planned to scale up his business by expanding its geographical reach. To fulfill this, he was also planning to manufacture his own kayaks, which would increase economies of scale in the long run. This case study investigates the dilemma of whether he should first increase his service offerings before expanding geographically or focus on geographical expansion and then increase service offerings. Complexity academic level This case is designed to be taught at the post-graduate level (Master of Business Administration) for an entrepreneurship course. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS3: Entrepreneurship.