Is Your Organization Anorexic?

The President of a $1 billion company once asked me to describe his organization in one word. My response? “Anorexic.” The Vice Presidents who sat around the table nodded in agreement.  They assumed that I meant there was no fat left to cut.  That is not what I meant. Anorexics often have relatively “high” body […]

Truck Accident Leads to Creative Ideas?

Today, while driving to New York, I sat in traffic for 30 minutes.  Why?  Because of the freakiest accident I have EVER seen in my life.  The pictures below have to be seen to be believed.  Click on the smaller version of each picture to see a blown up version.  Look at them one at […]

Starbucks Fights Back

In my previous blog entry, I discussed the struggles of Starbucks and how the innovation bell curve predicted this. Their early response to increased pressure from McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts was to reduce prices by bundling. Not a good move. The other day they announced their new instant coffee. Their press release describes VIA™ as […]

B2B Innovation Curve

In my previous article on the “innovation bell curve,” I introduced the new bi-modal innovation curve.  Yesterday I gave a speech for Babson College MBA students.  One of the attendees asked how this bell curve worked for the B2B environment (versus B2C). Great question – and a harder one to answer.  The reason it is […]

The New Innovation Bell Curve

The old model of innovation is dead…and a new model has emerged. For months now, I have been writing about the Innovation Bell Curve.  If you read between the lines, you quickly realize that it is no longer a bell curve but rather more of a bimodal distribution. Therefore I have re-drawn my frequently used […]

Is Your Career Doomed? Mine Might Be.

I spend most of my days thinking about the “innovation bell curve.”  The concept is simple, yet profound. Budget brands will continue to prosper as mid-market consumers move left to save money. Although premium brands may suffer slightly, there will still be strong demand for high-end products and services. It is the middle of the […]

Starbucks and the Bell Curve

It was just announced that Starbucks is now selling a coffee and breakfast for under $4. It’s true.  According to CNN You can get a 12-ounce coffee with a breakfast sandwich or roll or a 12-ounce latte with either oatmeal or a coffee cake. According to CNN, “the move may be…targeted to drawing back business […]

Squished Like Grape

In a previous blog entry, I discussed why the middle of the innovation bell curve is a dangerous place.  I even quoted The Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi who said, “Walk on road. Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later [makes squish gesture] get the squish, just like grape.” This […]

EVA, SVA, and the Economy

While at Accenture, one of our analytical tools was Shareholder Value Analysis (SVA) – a tool based on Economic Value Added.  The premise is that by looking at a company’s financials, we can determine where to best target our innovation efforts.  The analysis can show us, for example, if reducing SG&A will have a greater […]

Best Companies to Work For

Fortune Magazine released their list of the top companies to work for. #1 on the list is the 7,000 person data storage company, NetApp.  They have some great business philosophies that show they treat employees like owners of the company – a key to creating a truly innovation organization. The article says… NetApp early on […]