Curriculum Vitae Google Scholar
Dr. Kevin Boudreau is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He has previously taught at LBS, HEC-Paris, and Harvard Business School (visiting).
His research focuses on the strategy of digital platforms, multi-sided markets, and data-driven and AI-enabled businesses, examining how firms and entrepreneurs navigate competition, innovation, and market design in these ecosystems. He also studies the economics and organization of research and scientific discovery, investigating how incentives, collaboration, and institutional structures shape knowledge production and technological progress. His work employs field experiments and the analysis of naturally occurring data, testing theories on live platforms in partnership with industry and governments.
Dr. Boudreau's research has been published in leading journals such as Management Science, Strategic Management Journal, RAND Journal of Economics, and Science. He serves as an Associate Editor for Management Science and is on the editorial boards of Strategic Management Journal and Strategy Science.
A Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Boudreau has received research funding from the Kauffman Foundation, Google, and Microsoft to support his work on innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital markets.
He has held positions at NASA, The Economist, Qualcomm, and Deloitte Strategy Consulting, and has founded and advised technology startups across telecommunications, mobile computing, data science-driven financial services, algorithmic crowdsourcing, and AI-driven platforms, applying research insights to real-world innovation ecosystems. He has worked across North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East, collaborating with businesses, startups, policymakers, governments, and research institutions to advance digital strategy and innovation.
He was a Presidential Scholar at MIT and holds a PhD in Behavioral and Policy Sciences from MIT, an MA in Economics from the University of Toronto, and a BASc in Engineering from the University of Waterloo (Magna Cum Laude, Dean’s Honors List, Canada Scholar), where he participated in the co-op program and conducted experiments and research on the development of statistical tools for the design and production of microelectronics.
Digital Platforms, Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Strategy
UPCOMING: AI & digital labor markets; assembling multidisciplinary teams in crowdsourcing; growing long-tails; monpecuniary inducements for online contributors; scarce attention in crowdsourcing; field experiments
Selected publications
§ Boudreau, K, L. Jeppesen, M.Miric (2022) "Competing on Freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects" Strategic Management Journal. (preprint)
§ Boudreau, K, L. Jeppesen, M.Miric (2022) "Competing on Freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects" Strategic Management Journal. (preprint)
§ Boudreau, K, L. Jeppesen, M.Miric (2022) "Profiting from Digital Innovation: Patents, Copyright and Performance." Research Policy
§ Boudreau, K. (2010) "Open Platform Strategies and Innovation: Granting Access vs. Devolving Control. Management Science. 56(10): 1849-1872
§ Boudreau, K. (2012) "Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom? An Early Look at Large Numbers of Software Apps Developers and Patterns of Innovation." `. Organization Science 23: 1409-1427.
§ Boudreau, K. (2017), "Platform Boundary Choices & Governance: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Growth in Mobile Computing." Advances in Strategic Management on “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Platforms. eds. Furman, Gawer, Stern, Silverman.
§ Boudreau, K. (2018) "“Crowds” of Amateurs & Professional Entrepreneurs in Marketplaces". NBER Working Paper No. 24512.
§ Boudreau, K. (2021) "Promoting Platform Takeoff and Self-Fulfilling Expectations: Field Experimental Evidence."Management Science.
§ Boudreau, K., A. Hagiu (2009) "Platforms Rules: Multi-sided Platforms as Regulators." A. Gawer, ed. Platforms, Markets and Innovation. Edward Elgar, London.
§ Boudreau, K., and K. Lakhani (2015) Innovation Experiments: Researching Technical Advance, Knowledge Production and the Design of Supporting Institutions. In Innovation Policy and the Economy. National Bureau of Economic Research, volume 16, edited by Josh Lerner and Scott Stern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
§ Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2009) "How to Manage Outside Innovation: Competitive Markets or Collaborative Communities?" MITSloan Management Review. 50(4): 69-7
§ Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2011) The Confederacy of Heterogeneous Software Organizations and Heterogeneous Developers: Field Experimental Evidence on Sorting and Worker Effort. J. Lerner and S. Stern (eds.), The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity,50th Anniversary Volume. National Bureau of Economic Research.
§ Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2013) "Using the Crowd as an Innovation Partner." Harvard Business Review. 91(4): 60-69.
§ Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2014) "'Open' Disclosure of Innovations, Incentives and Follow-on Reuse: Theory on Processes of Cumulative Innovation and a Field Experiment in Computational Biology." Research Policy.
§ Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani, M. Menietti. (2016) "Performance Responses To Competition Across Skill-Levels In Rank Order Tournaments: Field Evidence and Implications For Tournament Design." RAND Journal of Economics.
§ Boudreau, K., L. Jeppesen (2014) "Unpaid Platform Complementors and the Network Effect Mirage". Strategic Management Journal.
§ Boudreau, K., L. Jeppesen, T. Reichstein, F. Rullani, (2021) "Crowdfunding as Donations to Entrepreneurial Firms." Research Policy
§ Boudreau, K., N. Kaushik. (2023) Gender Differences in Response to Competitive Organization? Differences across Fields from a Product Development Platform Field Experiment Organization Science.
§ Boudreau, K., N. Lacetera and K. Lakhani (2011) "Incentives and Problem Uncertainty in Innovation Contests: An Empirical Analysis." Management Science. 57(5): 843-863.
§ Boudreau, Kevin J., Lars Bo Jeppesen, and Milan Miric. "Free(mium) strategies for digital goods." In Research Handbook on Digital Strategy, pp. 126-141. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023.
§ Guinan, E., K. Boudreau, K. Lakhani (2013) "Experiments in Open Innovation at the Harvard Medical School." MIT SloanManagement Review. 54(3): 45-52.
§ Heterogeneous Developers: Field Experimental Evidence on Sorting and Worker Effort. J. Lerner and S. Stern (eds.), The Rate and Direction ofInventive Activity, 50th Anniversary Volume. National Bureau of Economic Research.
§ Miric, M., K. Boudreau, L. Jeppesen (2019). "Protecting their digital assets: The use of formal & informal appropriability strategies by App developers". Research Policy
Science &
Universities as Knowledge Platforms
Universities as Knowledge Platforms
UPCOMING: AI in scientific discovery; developing engineering workforce; interdisciplinary research grants; digital twins in science; field experiments
Selected publications
§ Boudreau, K. J., & M. Marx (2019). From Theory to Practice: Field Experimental Evidence on Early Exposure of Engineering Majors to Professional Work NBER Working Paper No. w26013.
§ Boudreau, K., and K. Lakhani (2015) Innovation Experiments: Researching Technical Advance, Knowledge Production and the Design of Supporting Institutions. In Innovation Policy and theEconomy. National Bureau of Economic Research, volume 16, edited by Josh Lerner and Scott Stern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
§ Boudreau, K., E. Guinan, K. Lakhani, et al. (2016) "Looking Across and Looking Beyond the Knowledge Frontier: Intellectual Distance, Novelty and Resource Allocation in Science". Management Science.
§ Boudreau, K., E. Guinan, K. Lakhani, et al. (2016) "Looking Across and Looking Beyond the Knowledge Frontier: Intellectual Distance, Novelty and Resource Allocation in Science". Management Science.
§ Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2014) "'Open' Disclosure of Innovations, Incentives and Follow-on Reuse: Theory on Processes of Cumulative Innovation and a Field Experiment in Computational Biology." Research Policy.
§ Boudreau, K., T. Brady, I. Ganguli, P. Gaule, E. Guinan, T. Hollenberg, K. Lakhani (2017) "A Field Experiment on Search Costs and the Formation of Scientific Collaborations." Review of Economics and Statistics.
§ Boudreau, K., T. Brady, I. Ganguli, P. Gaule, E. Guinan, T. Hollenberg, K. Lakhani (2017) "A Field Experiment on Search Costs and the Formation of Scientific Collaborations." Review of Economics and Statistics.
§ Guinan, E., K. Boudreau, K. Lakhani (2013) "Experiments in Open Innovation at the Harvard Medical School." MIT Sloan Management Review. 54(3): 45-52.
§ Lakhani, K., K. Boudreau, E. Guinan (2018) "Randomized Insights: Field Experiments in Understanding Knowledge Production in the Sciences." Science.
§ Lakhani, K., K. Boudreau, L. Backstrom, C. Baldwin, P. Loh, E. Lonstein, M. Lydon, A. MacCormack, R. Arnaout and E. Guinan (2013) Prize-based contests can provide solutions to computational biology problems. Nature Biotechnology. 31(2):108
Translation to Practitioners & Industry
Collaborations
Collaborations
UPCOMING: Notes on designing your platform and digital organization
Selected publications
Boudreau, K. (2017). “A Short Guide to Strategy for Entrepreneurs.” Harvard Business Review
Boudreau, K. (2016). "Designing Your Company: Creating, Delivering, and Capturing Value" Vol 1" Harvard Business School Strategy Unit Working Paper No. 16-131
Guinan, E., K. Boudreau, K. Lakhani. (2013). "Experiments in Open Innovation at the Harvard Medical School." MIT Sloan Management Review. 54(3): 45-52.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani. (2013). "Using the Crowd as an Innovation Partner." Harvard Business Review. 91(4): 60-69.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani. (2009). "How to Manage Outside Innovation: Competitive Markets or Collaborative Communities?" MIT Sloan Management Review.
BUILDING & EXPERIMENTING WITH NOVEL DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE WITH INDUSTRY
Current Design, Prototyping, and Launch:
AI-Powered Digital Agents Platform: Developing a cutting-edge platform to enhance industry-science collaborations through AI-driven digital agents.
Labor Market Matching with AI: Pioneering innovative practices and AI solutions to improve efficiency and outcomes in labor market matching.
Completed Projects:
WFA Innovation Collaboration Platform: Enabled multi-disciplinary teams to collaborate seamlessly in work-from-anywhere environments.
Crowdsourcing vs. Contracting Platform: Enabled tasks to be completed by large numbers of competitors within tournaments or, alternatively, traditional hiring.
Marketing Hackathon Platform: Designed a competitive platform for marketing innovation, integrating real and virtual collaboration spaces.
NASA Tournament Lab: Innovated advanced crowdsourcing capabilities to solve complex challenges in algorithms, AI, software, and engineering; optimized contest design.
Scientific Grant Collaboration Platform: Facilitated collaborative research.
FIELD EXPERIMENTS
Boudreau, K. (2021) "Promoting Platform Takeoff and Self-Fulfilling Expectations: Field Experimental Evidence."Management Science.
Heterogeneous Developers: Field Experimental Evidence on Sorting and Worker Effort. J. Lerner and S. Stern (eds.), The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity, 50th Anniversary Volume. National Bureau of Economic Research.
Boudreau, K. J., & M. Marx (2019). From Theory to Practice: Field Experimental Evidence on Early Exposure of Engineering Majors to Professional Work NBER Working Paper No. w26013.
Lakhani, K., K. Boudreau, E. Guinan (2018) "Randomized Insights: Field Experiments in Understanding Knowledge Production in the Sciences." Science.
Boudreau, K., T. Brady, I. Ganguli, P. Gaule, E. Guinan, T. Hollenberg, K. Lakhani (2017) "A Field Experiment on Search Costs and the Formation of Scientific Collaborations." Review of Economics and Statistics.
Boudreau, K., E. Guinan, K. Lakhani, et al. (2016) "Looking Across and Looking Beyond the Knowledge Frontier: Intellectual Distance, Novelty and Resource Allocation in Science". Management Science.
Guinan, E., K. Boudreau, K. Lakhani (2013) "Experiments in Open Innovation at the Harvard Medical School." MIT Sloan Management Review. 54(3): 45-52.
Boudreau, K., and K. Lakhani (2015) Innovation Experiments: Researching Technical Advance, Knowledge Production and the Design of Supporting Institutions. In Innovation Policy and the Economy. National Bureau of Economic Research, volume 16, edited by Josh Lerner and Scott Stern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2014) "'Open' Disclosure of Innovations, Incentives and Follow-on Reuse: Theory on Processes of Cumulative Innovation and a Field Experiment in Computational Biology." Research Policy.
Lakhani, K., K. Boudreau, L. Backstrom, C. Baldwin, P. Loh, E. Lonstein, M. Lydon, A. MacCormack, R. Arnaout and E. Guinan (2013) Prize-based contests can provide solutions to computational biology problems. Nature Biotechnology. 31(2):108
DIGITAL PLATFORM & ECOSYSTEM GOVERNANCE
Boudreau, K. (2017), "Platform Boundary Choices & Governance: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Growth in Mobile Computing." Advances in Strategic Management on “Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Platforms. eds. Furman, Gawer, Stern, Silverman.
Boudreau, K. (2010) "Open Platform Strategies and Innovation: Granting Access vs. Devolving Control. Management Science. 56(10): 1849-1872
Boudreau, K., A. Hagiu (2009) "Platforms Rules: Multi-sided Platforms as Regulators." A. Gawer, ed. Platforms, Markets and Innovation. Edward Elgar, London.
Boudreau (2007) "Does Opening a Platform Stimulate Innovation? The Effect on Systemic and Modular Innovations" MIT Sloan Working Paper.
COMPETITION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITHIN DIGITAL MARKETPLACES
Boudreau, Kevin J., Lars Bo Jeppesen, and Milan Miric. "Free(mium) strategies for digital goods." In Research Handbook on Digital Strategy, pp. 126-141. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023.
Boudreau, K, L. Jeppesen, M.Miric (2022) "Profiting from Digital Innovation: Patents, Copyright and Performance." Research Policy
Boudreau, K, L. Jeppesen, M.Miric (2022) "Competing on Freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects" Strategic Management Journal. (preprint)
Boudreau, K. (2021) "Promoting Platform Takeoff and Self-Fulfilling Expectations: Field Experimental Evidence."Management Science.
Miric, M., K. Boudreau, L. Jeppesen (2019). "Protecting their digital assets: The use of formal & informal appropriability strategies by App developers". Research Policy
Boudreau, K. (2018) "“Crowds” of Amateurs & Professional Entrepreneurs in Marketplaces". NBER Working Paper No. 24512.
Boudreau, K. (2012) "Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom? An Early Look at Large Numbers of Software Apps Developers and Patterns of Innovation." `. Organization Science 23: 1409-1427.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO ORGANIZING & INNOVATING WITH DIGITAL PLATFORMS
Boudreau, K., N. Kaushik. (2023) Gender Differences in Response to Competitive Organization? Differences across Fields from a Product Development Platform Field Experiment Organization Science.
Boudreau, K., L. Jeppesen, T. Reichstein, F. Rullani, (2021) "Crowdfunding as Donations to Entrepreneurial Firms." Research Policy
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani, M. Menietti. (2016) "Performance Responses To Competition Across Skill-Levels In Rank Order Tournaments: Field Evidence and Implications For Tournament Design." RAND Journal of Economics.
Boudreau, K., L. Jeppesen (2014) "Unpaid Platform Complementors and the Network Effect Mirage". Strategic Management Journal.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2013) "Using the Crowd as an Innovation Partner." Harvard Business Review. 91(4): 60-69.
Harvard Business Review McKinsey Award Best Paper Award
Boudreau, K., N. Lacetera and K. Lakhani (2011) "Incentives and Problem Uncertainty in Innovation Contests: An Empirical Analysis." Management Science. 57(5): 843-863.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2011) The Confederacy of Heterogeneous Software Organizations and Heterogeneous Developers: Field Experimental Evidence on Sorting and Worker Effort. J. Lerner and S. Stern (eds.), The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity, 50th Anniversary Volume. National Bureau of Economic Research.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2009) "How to Manage Outside Innovation: Competitive Markets or Collaborative Communities?" MIT Sloan Management Review. 50(4): 69-75.
PLATFORMING & ORGANIZING SCIENCE & UNIVERSITIES
Boudreau, K. J., & M. Marx (2019). From Theory to Practice: Field Experimental Evidence on Early Exposure of Engineering Majors to Professional Work NBER Working Paper No. w26013.
Lakhani, K., K. Boudreau, E. Guinan (2018) "Randomized Insights: Field Experiments in Understanding Knowledge Production in the Sciences." Science.
Boudreau, K., T. Brady, I. Ganguli, P. Gaule, E. Guinan, T. Hollenberg, K. Lakhani (2017) "A Field Experiment on Search Costs and the Formation of Scientific Collaborations." Review of Economics and Statistics.
Boudreau, K., E. Guinan, K. Lakhani, et al. (2016) "Looking Across and Looking Beyond the Knowledge Frontier: Intellectual Distance, Novelty and Resource Allocation in Science". Management Science.
Copeland Best Paper Award, INFORMS Best Paper Award
Boudreau, K., and K. Lakhani (2015) Innovation Experiments: Researching Technical Advance, Knowledge Production and the Design of Supporting Institutions. In Innovation Policy and the Economy. National Bureau of Economic Research, volume 16, edited by Josh Lerner and Scott Stern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Boudreau, K., K. Lakhani (2014) "'Open' Disclosure of Innovations, Incentives and Follow-on Reuse: Theory on Processes of Cumulative Innovation and a Field Experiment in Computational Biology." Research Policy.
Lakhani, K., K. Boudreau, L. Backstrom, C. Baldwin, P. Loh, E. Lonstein, M. Lydon, A. MacCormack, R. Arnaout and E. Guinan (2013) Prize-based contests can provide solutions to computational biology problems. Nature Biotechnology. 31(2):108
Guinan, E., K. Boudreau, K. Lakhani (2013) "Experiments in Open Innovation at the Harvard Medical School." MIT Sloan Management Review. 54(3): 45-52.