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A deep dive into the business buzzwords that have popped up at Stanford GSB
In its first century, Stanford Graduate School of Business has been on the bleeding edge, pivoting through game-changing and disruptive paradigm shifts that enabled thought leaders to move the needle. In short, it’s seen a lot of business buzzwords come and go.
Here’s a deep dive into some terms that have popped up over the years — from the enduring (brainstorm) to the forgotten (idea hamster) — and when they first appeared in the Stanford GSB alumni magazine and other GSB publications.
1950s
Brainstorm
1960s
Real time Change agent Value add
Repotting Synergy
1970s
Critical mass Hard sell Pivot Action item
Win-win Cash cow Touch base
1980s
ROI Best practices Poet Quant jock
Big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) North Star Back burner
1990s
Downsizing Point person Think outside the box Shamrock organization Core competency
Paradigm shift Bandwidth Impactful Netrepreneur Parachute in Wear many hats In the loop
2000s
Bleeding edge Idea hamster Next-generation Reinvent the wheel Mission critical Thought leader Deliverables Personal brand On the same page Value proposition Early adopter Mindshare
Agile Elevator pitch Pain point Circle back Drink the Kool-Aid Long tail Deep dive Disrupt The ____ space Game changer Passion project
