Member library
The full library of 18 Principled Business teaching cases, grouped by the six principles of the PB manifesto.
Photo: Kanesue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Respect for Individual Agency
The locked iPhone
How should a business defend customer agency when public duties conflict?
A court order, an investigation and a disputed demand for technical assistance put the boundaries of customer trust before Apple's leaders.
Photo: Kowloonese, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Respect for Individual Agency
Accountability without bosses
Who can commit shared resources when authority rests with colleagues?
A clearly labeled fictional investment dispute tests the responsibilities that make self-management possible.
Photo: Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Respect for Individual Agency
A day outside
Can closing for a major shopping day strengthen the relationship with employees and members?
REI's first Black Friday closure raises a practical question about employee choice, paid time and the economics of a visible commitment.
Photo: Ambrosia LaFluer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Creating Value
The price of membership
When does charging more help create more value?
A pricing decision about trust, renewal and the economics of a long-term customer relationship.
Photo: Fiona Graham, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Creating Value
The price of moving money
A useful payment service must work for customers, agents and the operator.
The case tests affordability, agent economics and the cash required to make a digital promise useful.
Photo: Kannan shanmugam, Shanmugam studio, Kollam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Creating Value
The economics of wider access
How can a hospital widen access while funding dependable care?
A fictional capacity decision grounded in Aravind's published model connects paid services, subsidized access, operating discipline and patient outcomes.
Photo: Raysonho / Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
Opportunity to Create
The business behind Snowdevil
When does a tool built for your own business become a business of its own?
A snowboard store's custom software creates a second opportunity.
Photo: SpaceX, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
Opportunity to Create
The fourth attempt
When should a founder keep investing after repeated failure?
Before Falcon 1's fourth flight, a launch team must distinguish learning from persistence and choose how much evidence to buy before another attempt.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Opportunity to Create
Beyond airbeds
How far should a young marketplace expand before it can deliver trust?
Moving from event accommodation toward a broader lodging marketplace opens opportunity for hosts while increasing the burden of matching, verification and support.
Photo: Evelyn-rose, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
Collaboration
When the network must act
Can partners rebuild capacity before the inventory runs out?
An operational crisis about shared knowledge, reciprocal commitments and the limits of trust.
Photo: Benjamin D. Esham, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Collaboration
The rules of fan collaboration
What should a company promise the people who help create its products?
As a fan-submission experiment becomes LEGO Ideas, leaders must connect participation, commercial judgment and a reward system people can understand.
Photo: Erik Pitti, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Collaboration
Linux on the mainframe
Should a company support an open technology that could erode part of its existing business?
A local Linux initiative becomes a strategic choice about collaboration, customer value and the profit that may move between products.
Photo: EraserGirl, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Bottom-Up Experimentation
A second test for sticky notes
Does a weak launch mean a weak product, or the wrong way of testing it?
An unfamiliar adhesive note receives a mixed market response.
Photo: Carl Lender, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Bottom-Up Experimentation
A small service, a serious promise
What can be kept small when customers depend on the infrastructure?
Launching a focused storage service lets developers experiment.
Photo: Coolcaesar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Bottom-Up Experimentation
From pilot to nationwide
When does a promising local pilot justify a broader launch?
A mobile tax-preparation idea must move beyond convenience to demonstrate eligibility, accuracy and support across a larger customer population.
Photo: Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aligning Interests
Sharing the downside
What does aligned compensation require when the business weakens?
A performance-based pay system meets a sudden downturn.
Photo: Kwh1050, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aligning Interests
The Partnership bonus
What does employee ownership require when there may be no surplus to share?
The Partnership must weigh a valued bonus against financial resilience, future investment and the interests of employees who depend on the business continuing.
Photo: MiosotisJade, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aligning Interests
What the scorecard rewarded
How do you make genuine customer value the condition for growth?
A governance decision about consent, incentives, escalation and rebuilding trust.