Category: Business Models

Business Models

Getting Real: Half, Not Half-Assed (by 37signals)

Colin Henderson

 Great advice from the experts when building something new from scratch.  Hat tip to Tara. The takeaway here is to distill the essential element (singular) and focus there first, then build out the remaining parts later. Beware of the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to web app development. Throw in every decent idea that comes along and you’ll just wind up with a half-assed version of your product. What you really want to do is build half a product that kicks ass. Stick to what’s truly essential. Good ideas can be tabled. Take whatever you think your product should … Continue reading Getting Real: Half, Not Half-Assed (by 37signals)

Business Models, Innovation

broadband help » News » Amazon downed for 10 minutes due to promotion – Too many requests take out entire web site

Colin Henderson

I love this story!  Just yesterday I posted about Amazon, and Bezos vision, and today a 1/2 price offer on Xbox takes the site down, (for 10 minutes).   First of all …. no-one died! – next lots of learning;  we can all imagine the guys in the server rooms are re-evaluating ALL their assumptions based on this experience.  I will also bet the next experience will be different, even if it is next week. Lets reflect on the Bank.  hmmm … a series of teleconferences with dozens of participants, and zero (maybe 2) developers.  How long for a Bank to reconfigure after a catastrophic … Continue reading broadband help » News » Amazon downed for 10 minutes due to promotion – Too many requests take out entire web site

Business Models

Business Processes – Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Looks to the Future

Colin Henderson

 You have to like this quote. Before long, “user-generated content” won’t refer only to media, but to just about anything: user-generated jeans, user-generated sports cars, user-generated breakfast meats. Source: Business Processes – Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Looks to the Future An we thought Amazon sold books. Amazon Web services Amazon Search Amazon Search 2 Amazon Search 3 Amazon Storage services Amazon technology review But my point is less to do with Amazon, than it is to do with the Bezos vision.  Amazon as a company that lets users generate whatever content they have in mind. This is because setting up a … Continue reading Business Processes – Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Looks to the Future

Business Models, Open Finance9 Comments

Blog Business Summit | Search & the future of media;Battele – (Why not a Bank based on Search?)

Colin Henderson

 We keep hearing this that search is growing in terms of how people navigate the internet. Command line is how we navigated the 1970’s. The Find command is how we navigated the 1980’s. Now search is the way that we navigate Web 2.0. The command line is natural language. We are starting to use computers the way we talk to other people. If search is an interface, then it’s our navigational device. It’s our steering wheel. Source: Blog Business Summit I find this fascinating.  I get the logic, that search is akin to asking a question, and that’s what we … Continue reading Blog Business Summit | Search & the future of media;Battele – (Why not a Bank based on Search?)

Business Models, Pinkomarketing, Social networks1 Comment

Banks risk alienating customers – 2

Colin Henderson

The Price of Everything, builds on the concept that we spoke of here, that online banking is satisfying customers to a point, but it is not addressing customers needs to develop a relationship and be known at their Bank. This mythical age of banking may have never truly existed, but we seem to be moving further away. As banking moves online and credit scoring replaces reputation, banks sacrifice the human touch. As community dissolves, banks lose. We are still highly trusted, but there are fewer places to apply that trust. Mike goes on to bring in the Social Networking/ Web … Continue reading Banks risk alienating customers – 2

Business Models, Innovation, Pinkomarketing, Social networks4 Comments

Banks’ brands fail against Landor breakaway brand assessment

Colin Henderson

Courtesy of Cymfony a report from Landor Associates in conjunction with Fortune Magazine, ranks the top brands in 2006. The study identifies the ten brands with the greatest percentage gains in brand health and business value The ten brands are: iPod – consumer electronics Viking – major appliances Converse – athletic shoes  Robitussin – cough & cold  Best Buy – electronics retailer  Kohl’s – department stores  French’s – condiments  Geico – insurance  Dove – personal care  eBay – online auction Source: Landor: News: FORTUNE Magazine Publishes Landor Associates’ Second Breakaway Brands Study (9/12/2006) Based on Landor’s assessment of the results, they … Continue reading Banks’ brands fail against Landor breakaway brand assessment

Business Models

Direct Banking: Act 3

Colin Henderson

Alenka Grealish, and Madhavi Mantha of Celent produce a clear picture (for Celent clients:  Direct Bankings Third Act: Brick-n-Click Wins the Day) of the state of the nation in Direct Banking.  I have come across articles from Alenka before and they are clear depictions of the latest issues. This one is close to home for me, having been involved in direct banking since the beginning, and learning from this article, I was instrumental in Act 2.  That’s ok, but i would rather be in Act 3 given the title, however we will get there 🙂 As is my policy with proprietary information, … Continue reading Direct Banking: Act 3

Business Models, Web/Tech

Bank Technology: modify or replace?

Colin Henderson

 This article summarises the technology dilemma that all Banks face.  I look at ING, and I recall them buying Sanchez back in the 90’s, and how that courageous decisions has simply paid off in spades.  Here is another example. By adding the Profile core banking platform from Fidelity National Information Services, ING is able to leverage “a lot of built-in functionality, including replication, journaling and security,” Wolfs relates. “It also delivers amazing speed to deliver a fast customer experience in real time.” Profile also integrates ING’s Web and call center, ensuring that all transactions are updated in real time regardless … Continue reading Bank Technology: modify or replace?

Business Models

The Ambassador from the Next Economy

Colin Henderson

Courtesy of Laurent, a remarkable bio on Joi Ito, whose role at age 39 is difficult to define.  He is something of a venture capitalist, yet he doesn’t seek money.  He is interested only in furthering the right tools to move the Internet economy and philosophy ahead.  In this milieu, Mr. Ito, at age 39, has become one of the most visible global defenders of the idea that commerce and community can be designed to mutually reinforce each other. He argues that the great businesses of the Internet will not be those that stream canned video or data, but those that bring people together … Continue reading The Ambassador from the Next Economy

Business Models

Designing for concentric circles of adoption

Colin Henderson

 Chris follows up on Tara’s post on understanding your target audience, that I covered here.  Chris goes to the next level, after understanding your audience, and suggests that becoming a member of your community is the first step.  This makes sense and is understanding your customer 101. The Pinko approach demands that you become a member of your community to truly understand their needs and the world from their perspective. Source: Designing for concentric circles of adoption at FactoryCity  He goes on to outline the best approach of community engagement of like minded people, who will help to carry the … Continue reading Designing for concentric circles of adoption