Case_5_Notes_Serendipity[1] - Case#5 Notes Serendipity Software Tom Hilliard and Anne Collins have a Madison Wisconsin business called Serendipity

Case #5 Notes: Serendipity Software • Tom Hilliard and Anne Collins have a Madison, Wisconsin business called Serendipity Software. The business was Tom’s idea; he had 15 years of experience in “software artistry.” Anne had started “more or less at the top,” but lost her ambition over the years. • Anne wanted the company to grow along traditional business lines and was intrigued by the idea of selling packaged software instead of relying on one-of-a-kind contracts. • The corporate culture encouraged innovation and staff interaction. They even created a “wreck room” with kitchen, pool table, hot tub, etc. for employees working into wee hours of the night to enjoy. They felt need to be a fun, cool place to work in order to recruit top talent to Wisconsin • Held “think tank” lakeside retreats as forums for developing new products, discussing problems, and examining the company’s future. • One problem that arose was the lack of middle management.