The Problem with Groupon's Business Model - Rita McGrath - Harvard Business Review

The Problem with Groupon's Business Model - Rita McGrath - Harvard Business Review

Groupon is poised for its debut as a public company. One of the fastest growing of the recent hatch of Internet darlings, the deal-a-day company was worth $5.3 billion to Google just a few short months ago, in November of 2010. Somewhat astonishingly, Google's offer was spurned and the company set its sights on going public. The smart money went along, with Groupon valued at $15-20 billion, according to some observers anticipating rich pickings in the IPO-to-come.