During the last negotiation skill session (a seminar part of my E-MBA studies), I've learned about a notion, new to me: “coopetition” (“cooperative competition”).
I’ve started to look for more details about it on the web... I’ve found some interesting examples, such as an agreement between leading carmakers, Peugeot, Citroen, and Toyota, to share components for a new city car - simultaneously sold as the Peugeot 107, the Toyota Aygo, and the Citroën C1. In this case, companies save money on shared costs while remaining fiercely competitive in other areas...
I can think of many additional examples in my short career... We used such an approach mainly to ensure scale-up.
This duality is interesting, to sustain your business, many times you have to both compete and collaborate at the same time. It’s like asking from 2 countries to be simultaneously in war and peace all together. This situation may raise a lot of new challenges within the organization.
I’ve found on the web an interesting chart describing the different potential "combinations" of coopetition within a given ecosystem:
When such a collaboration agreement is reached, the 3rd party turns to be at this given point in time a complementor, and not a competitor…
How a company such as Tivo could expand its business activities to the Indian DTV market...
This document provides a set of analytical tools in hope to enable Tivo’s board of directors to reach an optimal decision concerning a potential operational expansion to the Indian market (simulation).
This report, generated as part of our EMBA studies, has been prepared by Yohan Albo, Dan Stemmer, David Spitzer, Dan Friedman, and Hemi Shmueli.
How a start-up of 3 engineers working from a Starbucks can propose a more complete solution than a IBM or a Sun
No it's not only about better coffee...
One of the first thing I've learned from my business masters about 10 years ago is the KISS theory: "Keep It Stupid and Simple".
Simplicity is the only way to drive a business in the long-term. That's why some firms manage to do much more with LESS...
The startups against the big boats... The Davids vs Goliaths of our age in a way... or how a start-up of 3 engineers working from a Starbucks can propose more complete and suitable solutions to their customers than a IBM or a Sun Microsystems. This has always amazed me... (I know simplicity is only one factor out of many)...
This little idea somehow converges to a great article from Clay Shirky: "The collapse of complex Business Models"
Yale University Courses available on iTunes FOR FREE
Hi my Friends,
I really recommend the Yale University Business related courses available for free on iTunes. An amazing repository of knowledge that can make the difference...
To access the courses, one way is simply to type "Yale University" in your iTune "Search iTunes Store" search box (make sure you are using the US store). Full path= Home >> iTune U >> Yale University
I especially recommend the following tracks: ~~> How to Write a Business Plan 40:58 Maureen Burke Yale Entrepreneurial Institute ~~> Lessons Learned as an Entreprenuer 36:39 Andrew Greenwalt Yale Entrepreneurial Institute ~~> Decision Making at a Startup 49:39 Jordon Goldberg Yale Entrepreneurial Institute ~~> The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Business and Society Today 38:18 Roland Betts Yale University ~~> Problem-Solving Ideas: From Creator of the "Why Not" Interactive Website 54:55 Barry Nalebuff Yale University ~~> Yale Entrepreneurial Institute: Innovation for Tomorrow -- Today 23:54 James Boyle, Richard Madonna, Jennifer McFadden Yale University ~~> Why You Shouldn't Be An Entrepreneur 43:40 Barry Nalebuff Yale Entrepreneurial Institute
This was a wonderful way to prepare myself for my EMBA...
BTW - this is a proof, those days, knowledge of quality is available from everywhere for free for a better world... The power to change your "destiny" by first-class education is in your hands... no excuse & no magic... invest in yourself & boost your personal bottom-line!
Run Forrest Run... but in the optimal direction to achieve results!!!
Those days trying to be competitive and working very hard to serve your personal agenda are not politically correct... I believe this needs to change in order to achieve results, I mean results that will make you proud of what YOU are and what YOU have achieved in life, for you and for your ecosystem. If you believe in you, there is no magic you need to invest... your time, your money, and without a doubt your energy!
As many things in live, you need first to define your direction, your own 'way', and then RUN Forrest RUN!
I have found this African proverb in one of the lastest books I read, it has inspired me:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
This proverb is extremely powerful, but, IMHO it misses one important point: first select the optimal direction and then run... At the end of the day, running in the wrong direction may not help it!
Some of the biggest corporations have been forced to review company policy after campaigns by bloggers. Internet blogs are taking on big corporations and winning.
TIMES Online (the magazine) have listed the 50 best business blog for 2007 in an good article from Rhys Blakely.
You will say, 2007 = old news, and you may be correct, but I feel that if we had to recompile a TOP 50 list for 2008, it will look quite similar... anyway it seems that this list is a work in progress, so it could be up-to-date.
