BLOG OF ADAM HARTUNG
Where Innovation Creates Value – McKinsey, Apple, Google, Verizon
The McKinsey Quarterly just published a new report "Where Innovation Creates Value." I think the consultant got paid by the word for this really long article, which boils down to a simple argument. It doesn't matter what kind of innovations...
The Myth of Efficiency – Taylor, Galbraith, Brandeis, Scientific Management
"Everyone talks about the need for innovation these days, but they especially talk about why businesses are so bad at it." That's the opening line from my newest column "The Myth of Efficiency" at Forbes.com. Today businesses seem...
Turn market shifts into money – Samsung
"Samsung Seeks Some iPhone Magic" is the Wall Street Journal headline. Hand it to the Korean company to demonstrate how to make money out of market shifts. Not only is Samsung looking to add more capability to its mobile handsets - the obvious...
What Bill Clinton said – and it was all about making profit
Saturday I had the good fortune to attend a presentation by President Bill Clinton. He spoke at the Indian Institute of Technology alumni conference - an event I attended as a speaker myself. President Clinton must have used the word profit 100...
Letting the Bogeyman hurt your business – Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in, Plaxo
"Companies Say No to Friending or Tweeting at Work" is the headline in The National Law Journal. According to the article, somewhere between 54% (according to a Robert Half survey) and 76% (according to a ScanSafe survey) of companies block employees...
Markets are Marvelous things, so participate! – Tablet PCs, iPhone, Kindle
"Amazon Cuts Kindle Price to $259" is the USAToday headline. This $40 whack is the second price cut this year. Sony is selling its ePocket for $199. Of course Kindle is pushing that it has more content available and easier wireless access than...
Learning the Right Lessons – Saturn and GM — and Harvard
"Saturn Done in Four Months" is the Autoweek.com headline. The next time somebody brings up the short life cycle of tech products, remember Saturn. GM started the company, grew it, and now is shutting it down on a timeline that roughly...
A Tale of 2 charts – AOL and Apple
Do you remember when AOL dominated the internet? In the early 1990s most people who used the internet actually were AOL clients. They bought their internet access, via dial-up modems, from AOL. Their interface (browser) was from AOL. And...
Recognizing Lock-in – Be worried about Dell
In "Why Apple Can't Sell Business Laptops" Forbes gives the case to be pro-Dell. The author points out that Dell has 32% of the computer market within companies that have more than 500 employees. He then explains this happens because Dell...
Be Wary of Quick Fixes – HP, Dell, EDS and Perot Systems
Last week was big news for technology. Hewlett Packard announced it was killing the EDS brand name, pushing to make HP more of an integrated solutions company (like IBM). And Dell bought Perot Systems to launch itsfirst push into services. ...
“I don’t get it” is no excuse – Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, MySpace, Plaxo
Lock-in causes us to keep moving in the same direction, to continue behaving the same way, even when competition and market shifts makes it a surety that the direction we're heading will produce poorer returns. Blacksmiths who ignore the shift to...
Google’s innovation continues
This week The Economist reviewed the innovation processes at Google. In "Google's Corporate Culture - Creative Tension" the magazine overviews several recent innovations, and actions senior leaders are taking regarding innovation management.While...
Building scenarios effectively – Zipcar, I-Go, Hertz, Enterprise, GM, Chrysler, Ford
How many cars do you own? Odds are, it's at least 1 more than you need. There are more licensed vehicles in the USA than there are licensed drivers - so it's clear America is loaded with cars. Now it looks like a permanent shift is developing, to...
Please leave Google alone – bad advice from Harvard and Mr. Anthony
Is Google a company who's growth and innovation worry you? Not me. Which is why I was disturbed by a recent blog at Harvard Business School Publishing's web site "Google Grows Up." In this article Scott Anthony, a consultant and...
Too Big To Fail? Risk and protection in shifting markets – Lehman, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Citibank
The Real Blindness Behind The Collapse Adam Hartung, 09.14.09, 05:00 PM EDT The exact same failing brought down Wall Street, Detroit and Main Street's real estate speculators."Too big to fail" is a new phrase in the American lexicon, born in the economic...
September 11, 2009 – United, American, Delta, Northwest, Airlines et.al.
Stealing language from FDR, September 11, 2001 is a day that will go down in infamy. Dramatic shifts happened in the world resulting from the horrific attacks on American civilians in New York, Pennsylvania and D.C. . But can we say that most...
Buying the Business – Kraft, Cadbury and Del Monte vs. Google & Apple
When they can't figure out how to grow a business, leaders often turn to acquisitions. This despite the fact that every analysis ever done of public companies buying other public companies has shown that such acquisitions are bad for the buyer. Yet,...
Know when to say “no” – Chicago Sun-Times Media Group and Newspapers
I never cease to be startled by the optimism of businesspeople. Why would anybody buy a newspaper company these days? Yet, Crain's reports "Sun Times Sale Appears Near." It's believed the buyers are a group of independent...
Don’t wait too long – Huffington Post, GM, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota
"Huffington Says Her Site Is Close To Making Money" is the video headline at Marketwatch.com. For years this blog has chastised traditional news publishers for trying to Defend & Extend their traditional business, when the market has shifted...
Can you spot a bad idea – Pizza Hut of Yum Brands and stuffed pan pizza
Innovation comes in many forms, and some are a lot more valuable than others. The most valuable bring in users formerly un-served or under-served thus expanding the market and offering new growth - like mobile phones did. The least valuable are...
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