Study Guide – Rent the Runway
1. Describe and analyze the co-founder relationship. Discuss their characteristics, attributes, and
personality traits of the protagonists. Who are they? What are their strengths? Why are they
successful entrepreneurs?
2. What are the 3 most important “pivots” in this case? Explain.
3. Write an essay about “bootstrapping” as it applies to this case. Use specific examples to support
your answer.
4. Identify 3 smart decisions made by the co-founders during the timeline of the case. What lessons
can we draw from the 3 examples?
5. Analyze the Sales and Marketing skills of the co-founders. Use specific examples to support
your answer.
6. Select 3 quotes from the case; write an essay that connects those 3 quotes to some of the major
themes and ideas from our class.
7. As the case ends in January 2010, the cofounders are considering whether to: (1) stick with their
original plan to pursue operational improvements in 2010 before raising more capital in early
2011; or (2) accelerate fundraising in order to expand inventory and product range, enabling RTR
to serve a broader set of customer segments and usage occasions. Analyze this trade-off in
relation to our primary growth questions: How to grow? When to grow? What’s the right pace of
growth?
original plan to pursue operational improvements in 2010 before raising more capital in early
2011; or (2) accelerate fundraising in order to expand inventory and product range, enabling RTR
to serve a broader set of customer segments and usage occasions. Analyze this trade-off in
relation to our central questions: How to grow? When to grow? What’s the right pace of growth?
