A new era of computing is on the horizon. Storage class memory – solid state, non-volatile, fast, and cheap – is coming. It will replace both (memory) RAM and storage (HDD/SSD) because it does the job of both. It will enable all sorts of new data-centric computing tasks, like intensive pattern recognition in immense data […]
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3 Steps to Disrupt Your Industry
Disruption Lessons from History Strategy Value Migration[I originally posted a version of this article on LinkedIn.] Do you want to unleash explosive growth? Own a market? Crush your competition? Open up completely new markets? Be the next Apple, Tesla, Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, MinuteClinic or Sharkbite? This article describes a three-part process based on my analysis and insights of how strategic models […]
Can Disruptive Innovation Be Predicted?
Disruption StrategyRecently, Jill Lepore wrote a lengthy piece in the New Yorker magazine called, “The Disruption Machine: What the gospel of innovation gets wrong“. She spends most of the article taking Clayton Christensen’s theory, and his scholarship, to task. [Dr. Christensen responded in an interview with Drake Bennett of BloombergBusinessWeek.] She concludes that: “Disruptive innovation is a […]
Fuel Cells, Batteries, and the End of Gasoline Engines
Disruption Future projectionI hate weed whackers. Actually, I hate weed whackers that won’t start, which seems to be every one that I touch. So recently, I ordered a cordless weed whacker from Ryobi, powered by a rechargeable 24V lithium-ion battery that will also fit the pole saw extension that I ordered and the hedge trimmer that I […]
Why Elon Musk’s Gigafactory is Brilliant.
Disruption Future projectionI think electric cars are the future. I’ve driven a Tesla Roadster and a Nissan Leaf. There are virtually no moving parts, extraordinary torque and performance, no emissions, nothing to service except brakes, tires and windshield washer fluid. All this adds up to great transportation. The big challenge is overcoming “range anxiety” due to the […]
Revisiting Theodore Levitt and “Marketing Myopia”
Lessons from HistorySome business “fundamentals” change over time. Others don’t, and the lessons of “Marketing Myopia” continue to apply fifty-four years after publication. Theodore Levitt was born in 1925 in Germany, and in 1935, with his family, fled Nazi Germany for the US. He earned a PhD in Economics from Ohio State University, began teaching at North […]
The Fundamental Challenge of Strategy in Technology-based Companies
StrategyWe will talk in more detail about how technology is adopted, but suffice it to say that some people are more comfortable with new things than other people are. Most of us have heard of “early adopters”, “laggards” and the like. Figure 1 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diffusion_of_ideas.svg] shows the classic bell curve of technology adoption; time moves to the […]
What is a Strategy, and Why Do I Need One?
Strategy Value MigrationWhat is a strategy, and why do I need one? Good questions — glad you asked! Let’s take them in order. What is a strategy? Broadly, a strategy is a plan for setting long term goals and putting in place the actions (tactics) for achieving them. It will describe how you allocate resources to achieve your […]
What Product Managers can learn from Apple
StrategyI had the pleasure of giving a talk on “Product Strategy Lessons from Apple” at the ProductCamp RTP “unconference” on Saturday, April 12. It was great to interact with the audience during and after the event. Please click “Continue Reading” to get a link to the slides: Product Strategy Lessons from Apple – ProductCamp RTP
Apple and Amazon TV: The end of the cable TV monopoly?
UncategorizedIn “Apples and Oranges: Amazon moves into the Apple TV space” appears a very interesting phrase: The unit will offer many of the same channels, or “apps” in the Amazon parlance. These include Netflix, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, SHO Anytime, Bloomberg, and Vevo. Streaming music services including Pandora and iHeart Radio should follow soon after launch. The idea of “apps” taking the role of […]