How to Build a Scalable Organization Efficiently w/ Gad Allon (Director of Jerome Fisher Program & Professor at UPenn)

The Dealroom with Shamus Madan

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Gad Allon about his work with early-stage firms and large corporations. They discuss the importance of networking, overcoming growth constraints, customer acquisition challenges, and common mistakes by student entrepreneurs. The conversation concludes with key takeaways for aspiring founders.

Gad Allon is the Director of the M&T Program at the University of Pennsylvania and a Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions. He received his Ph.D. in Management Science from Columbia Business School in The Big Apple of New York City. At the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology program, he teaches how students can combine technology with business to create scalable solutions to problems.

Today Professor Allon joins the podcast to discuss:

• How founders can transition effectively from product to scaling

• How organizations might be able to calculate efficiency in the firm

• How Twitter can combine a monthly subscription + advertising to create a dominant business model to succeed

Twitter of Host (Shamus Madan): @mbitpodcast

Twitter of Guest (Gad Allon): @g_allon

Intro on behalf of Charlie Pellett, the official voice of the NYC subway system.

(0:00) Introduction and guest introduction: Gad Allon (4:27) Gad Allon's work with early-stage firms and big corporations (8:59) Importance of network in career development (12:07) Recognizing and overcoming constraints in company growth (17:11) The struggle for startups to find cost-effective customer acquisition (24:45) Common mistakes made by first-time student entrepreneurs (26:43) Scaling decisions and the challenges of growth (29:33) Key takeaways for aspiring founders (31:53) Recap of the conversation and closing remarks (32:17) End of the episode and appreciation for the guest