I have written a great deal about technology breakout programs here, but today I want to talk about breakout marketing. Let’s take a look at how smart positioning is helping one automotive company gain on its competitors. Automotive brands occupy some of the highest-priced brand real estate in the market. Billions are poured into strategy […]
Imagine this: you’ve just left your boss’ office and you were given the ball on a major, new, cross-functional project. You are buzzing with ideas about who you need, what you need, and the time and effort it’s going to take. The question running through your mind in those moments is, “what should I do […]
How many times have you seen a talented change leader and an equally bright team fail to move their innovative ideas from concept to market — despite being given a “mandate” from the C-Suite? Today I’m going to dissect how this process frequently breaks down and give you some tips on how to prevent your […]
Now that you know the value of growth leaders and how to spot the good ones, what do you do to keep them engaged? Entire books have been written on this topic, but let me touch on three key areas from my experience. 1) Ask them to go into new places and learn new things […]
The global financial crisis of 2008 shifted the business world in a fundamental way. Today, it’s no longer sufficient to have a stream of products or a portfolio of solutions; to be effective and vibrant in this new world, you need a portfolio of business models. Business model engineering is done by a new breed […]
Finding someone with just the right combination of qualities to lead a growth project for your organization can be tough. To make matters worse, they can be hiding right under your nose in the most unlikely of places. The search for under-the-radar growth leaders is not unlike the story of the Detroit-based musician Rodriguez — […]
The Big Miss is a phenomenon that occurs in larger companies. It’s what happens when a new organization forms around a new product or line of business that ultimately fails in the marketplace. When investment and expectations exceed the project’s ability to deliver, what you have is a Big Miss. In the best case, […]
This is the third post in a series intended to allow you to identify whether you are on the verge of a great opportunity with a new partner or just having an interesting conversation. The metaphor we are using is built around internal combustion, a process which needs compression, fuel and ignition to start and […]
This is part two of a three part discussion about the elements required to take an idea for a new venture, acquisition or partnership from concept to profitability. In the previous post, I outlined the three essential elements using the analogy of an internal combustion engine: compression, spark and fuel. Today, I will talk about […]
We’ve all been to networking discussions where the ideas flow and the potential for collaboration seems infinite – and yet nothing happens after the conversations end. Some of these ideas are clearly not meant to be; for every great idea there are several hundred that aren’t worth a penny. So how can you discern the […]
