When I was in graduate school earning my Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), the mantra drilled into my psyche was “Planning, Execution, and Control.” Planning, Execution, and Control was really about driving one or more missions that a department was assigned. There wasn’t a lot of discussion about: Hiring (and Read more…
In the mid-90’s, I started a business called Trumpetfish Productions. This business was all about helping scuba divers “capture the majesty of the sea.” I wasn’t the subject matter expert…I was the producer and the marketer. I needed to attract the photo and video expertise I lacked. I had success Read more…
I’m a diehard Golden State Warriors fan. I love the team, the coaching staff, the medical support staff, and the ownership. What a team! You may find it hard to believe I’ve become a bit of a Lebron James fan. He’s: Competing in his 8th consecutive NBA finals against the Read more…
I love the “Field of Dreams” movie marketing theory: “If we build it, they will come.” How many companies use this as the premise for their entrepreneurial venture? The lessons of the “dot com” bubble should have been etched in entrepreneur’s minds. There is little evidence that this is true. Read more…
I had lunch with a remarkable executive and entrepreneur this past week. As I asked for insight into this person’s background, I heard a rare story. The entrepreneur’s company had been purchased by a large, global corporation. This individual was required to stay 3 years to earn the complete payout. Read more…
Here are some ideas I’ve been capturing about entrepreneurial success that might interest you: For business-to-consumer (B2C) apps, getting 3 million sign-ups only suggests things are just getting “interesting” from a venture capital point of view. The bigger issue is continued use and adoption of the app (stickiness) and its Read more…
I was very impressed with a firm I met with in Montreal this past week: They are seen as a partner with their customers, not merely a vendor They see pressures to drive down their costs as an opportunity to innovate and increase their ability to compete The owners are Read more…
Businesses that thrive lead, not follow. I believe it was Wayne Gretzky who espoused the notion that you need to focus on where the puck is going to be, not where it is in this moment. This is great advice in business as well. I attended an off-site retreat with Read more…
Dr. Frank Piller at the MCPC 2105 global conference gave a keynote in which he asked the audience members to consider the most formidable competitors in the world. He offered 3 names: Google Amazon Apple These are amongst the most powerful brands on earth and continue to grow and dominate Read more…
I’m just back from speaking at MCPC 2015 in Montreal, an international conference about Mass Customization, Personalization and Co-Creation. One thought offered by Awane Jones, Founder & CEO at Merchlar, a Montreal-based digital agency, stood out. He offered (and I”m paraphrasing) marketplace success is a function of: Nailing the problem Read more…