Why invest in France? This is a question I addressed with Emmanuel Delaveau, General Partner at Partech, a leading VC. I/ Invest in strong demand France is a country of choice for innovation and investment because of strong demand. In France, incumbent corporates have long minimized the impact of the Internet on traditional industries. Too many established corporates once believed that Facebook was only a…
Why should a large IT company decide to invest in France? This is a question that Emmanuel Delaveau, General Partner at Partech, a venture capital company based in Paris, Silicon Valley and Berlin, addressed in a recent presentation. In his view, France is a country of choice for innovation and investment for at least four reasons. I/ Introducing Partech Partech is a transatlantic…
How to use the Innovation Matrix? How to put the Innovation Matrix to work for your innovation project? These are some of the questions I address in the article below. Understanding the Innovation Matrix, in colors
How to use the innovation matrix? How to refer to the innovation matrix in order to leverage client verbatim? How to identify a relevant innovation opportunity based on informal conversations with consumers and/or clients? These are some of the questions I’d like to address in this article. Using the innovation matrix the way Anthony Ulwick thought of it Anthony Ulwick provided a first…
Why are Smart Cities a place for digital innovation? Why are large companies like SAP focusing on developing services and solutions for cities around the world? These are some of the questions I discussed with Sean O’Brien and Daniel Reinhardt of SAP.
I/ The Era of Anders at General Dynamics, an Example of Exceptional CEO Performance When Anders joined the company he had already acquired a stellar pedigree. He was the photographer of “Earth rise” when he was orbiting the moon as an astronaut. He held multiple corporate functions in different companies, such as General Electric, and was called in at General Dynamics. For the…
How should large Fortune 500 and FMCG companies go about growing their revenue in emerging markets? What sales and distribution tactics should they use in order to boost revenue? The obvious answer is simply to replicate what works in the Western world and apply it in an emerging market? Rajiv Prabhakar, founder of Ivy Mobility, warned me that this was not an effective tactic, as…
I’ve often believed that innovation is a critical component in any competitive strategy. But, in reading The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike, Brian Troxell and Phil Gigante, I was led to analyze in closer details the making of superior performance in a depressed market segment. The example of General Dynamics, a defense company that survived…
How to grow the total available market when business-to-business IT spending remains constant? How to increase revenue when so many things are changing in the business environment : clients, consumers, employees ? How can an established company like Oracle generate double-digit growth when client spending stays flats ? Where does Oracle’s find the market space to fuel additional growth? These are some of the questions that came…
About two years ago, I had an extensive discussion with François Darchis, Senior Vice-President of Air Liquide, on how to build competitive advantage. He indicated that the company had pursued multiple strategies to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. Implemented strategies included: cost reduction operational excellence Geographic expansion in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) François Darchis also told me that he was adding a…