On a recent flight leaving Peru, I peer out of the window, and I think about the famous Nazca Lines, a series of ancient drawings located in southern Peru. Though shaped by indigenous people centuries ago, long before hot air balloon or planes, these drawings can only been seen from the sky. I am quickly […]
Tag: Kaihan Krippendorff
Keep It Simple Stupid
When Thad Eidman decided to jump into a start-up, he did so with both eyes open and a “secret” formula in mind. Probe a successful business leader about their business, and you will usually unlock a simple model that guides them day to day and keeps them focused on what is important. Before launching Knoa […]
Social Media Does More Than Support Revolutions
News media and the blogosphere have been filled with the argument that the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were made possible by Twitter and Facebook. It’s a compelling argument. Why is it that after 30 years of firm-handed rule, Egyptian President Mubarak now, this month, not last month or last year, is facing the prospect […]
President Obama and Steve Jobs talk like innovators.
In his State of the Union speech, Obama spoke of “out-innovating” the competition. But to focus on his agenda of clean energy and education is to miss a subtle insight into Obama’s skill as an innovator. You see, Obama knows a secret. Steve Jobs knows it to, and so do Mohammad Yunus (grandfather of “microcredit”), […]
Faculty Notes: November 2010
Department of Decision Sciences and Information Systems At the invitation of the Secretary of Defense (DoD), Robert M. Gates, Irma Becerra-Fernandez (PhD ’94 ), professor and Pino Entrepreneurship Center director and fellow, will serve on the National Multidisciplinary Committee. The committee will assist DoD in conducting an independent assessment—mandated by Congress—of the participation of Historically […]
What Cold Batteries Are You Holding Onto?
The Chief Innovation Officer of a large financial services company was interviewing me for an article when she poised an unexpected question: “What do you learn from your children about innovation?” After stalling with “umm,” it hit me: warm batteries. My son has taught me to look out for warm batteries. That lesson, I believe, […]
Passionately Pursue Customer Captivity
There are three primary sources of long-term sustainable competitive advantage: customer captivity, economies of scale and preferential access to resources. Lock on to one of these early and you can build a potentially insurmountable barrier to competitive threats. WebMD intelligently focused early on one of these three: customer captivity. When I pushed CEO Wayne Gattinella […]
Condense your strategy to its core
Passion, when channeled correctly, can create a powerful strategic advantage. When a company’s people are all focused on one mission, one purpose, they become passionate and engaged about it. However, in order to truly leverage the passion of your people, you must make sure your strategy is well-defined. Verne Harnish, probably the world’s leading expert […]
Selling Information, Not Diamonds
Blue Nile’s divergence from industry norms begins with its purpose. Most jewelers exist for the jewelry. Tiffany & Co., for example, describes itself as “the world’s premier jeweler and America’s house of design.” While this positioning may seem innocuous, it exerts a powerful pull on how Tiffany’s people see their business and the thousands of […]
Storytelling and Influence: Learn How to Get What You Want
“Management cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesman.”—David M. Ogilvy You have devised a brilliant strategic idea. You’ve asked the right questions, diagnosed the critical issues, conceived a set of unorthodox solutions to address the key issues, narrowed down your ideas into an actionable […]