Comments on: The New Rules of (almost) Everything? http://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/ Wed, 23 May 2012 06:12:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: robhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3166 rob Sun, 10 May 2009 05:04:04 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3166 Your mention of Toyota as a leader in tech breakthrough -- Prius -- must be tempered by the fact that Tokyo heavily subsidized the creation of the PRius. Now is not the time to walk away from subsidizing our own auto industry. The auto industry is a cornerstone of US culture. The auto industry can reform. Chrysler made a comeback in the 1980s and the Big 3 can do it again. Remember that when you buy American-made foreign cars, you are sending money to non-American firms, firms that have an entirely different way of thinking. For instance, try having a foreign firm help a local US community from which it's based. (I tried to have Asics shoes, foreign, replaced for problems. No go. New Balance (American) presented no problem. Toyota/Honda's vocal discouragement of unionization of their currently higher paid US workers (than new UAW workers) should tell you something. These firms do not share our ethical and cultural beliefs. Finally, the American cars I have owned have satisfied me. They need occasional repair but so do foreign cars. Moreover, American cars are generally cheaper to buy and fix = better value than foreign in the long run. (Value retention is better with foreign but that is a perceptional problem more than quality.) American cars are very close now to the quality of foreign cars. Plus, the retention of value can change with time, time that will be bought with our taxes now -- but hopefully with our car purchases in the future. Your mention of Toyota as a leader in tech breakthrough — Prius — must be tempered by the fact that Tokyo heavily subsidized the creation of the PRius. Now is not the time to walk away from subsidizing our own auto industry. The auto industry is a cornerstone of US culture. The auto industry can reform. Chrysler made a comeback in the 1980s and the Big 3 can do it again.
Remember that when you buy American-made foreign cars, you are sending money to non-American firms, firms that have an entirely different way of thinking. For instance, try having a foreign firm help a local US community from which it’s based. (I tried to have Asics shoes, foreign, replaced for problems. No go. New Balance (American) presented no problem. Toyota/Honda’s vocal discouragement of unionization of their currently higher paid US workers (than new UAW workers) should tell you something. These firms do not share our ethical and cultural beliefs.
Finally, the American cars I have owned have satisfied me. They need occasional repair but so do foreign cars. Moreover, American cars are generally cheaper to buy and fix = better value than foreign in the long run. (Value retention is better with foreign but that is a perceptional problem more than quality.) American cars are very close now to the quality of foreign cars. Plus, the retention of value can change with time, time that will be bought with our taxes now — but hopefully with our car purchases in the future.

]]> By: saeedhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3158 saeed Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:16:36 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3158 Tim,Thanks for the comment. Viral systems can give the illusion of value.In a bubble, it's absolutely possible to get rich without a business model -- the guys at YouTube are prime examples.But there were probably dozens of YouTube wannabees who still don't have a business model and didn't win the Google lottery. I also read that Twitter recently turned down $500 million (yes, 1/2 billion) offered by Facebook.Funny, all that money being discussed, and neither Facebook nor Twitter have real business models.So, winning the lottery is possible, if you're lucky...but aside from that, there are some well known ways to increase your odds. :-)Saeed Tim,

Thanks for the comment. Viral systems can give the illusion of value.

In a bubble, it’s absolutely possible to get rich without a business model — the guys at YouTube are prime examples.

But there were probably dozens of YouTube wannabees who still don’t have a business model and didn’t win the Google lottery. I also read that Twitter recently turned down $500 million (yes, 1/2 billion) offered by Facebook.

Funny, all that money being discussed, and neither Facebook nor Twitter have real business models.

So, winning the lottery is possible, if you’re lucky…but aside from that, there are some well known ways to increase your odds. :-)

Saeed

]]> By: Stewart Rogershttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-4900 Stewart Rogers Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:32:27 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-4900 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">RT (myself from yesterday) This was the 08 Product Management post of the year. Please read it, especially the new rules (http://is.gd/emRJ)</span></span> RT (myself from yesterday) This was the 08 Product Management post of the year. Please read it, especially the new rules (http://is.gd/emRJ)

]]> By: Timhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3159 Tim Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:41:43 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3159 I really like the "New Rules" because they focus on the basics of building a business (whether a startup or a product line). I think that we are exiting a second period in less than a decade where the tech industry forgot a couple of these basics.#4 with #1: both in the Dot Com bubble and surprisingly often in the Web 2.0 wave, people are building businesses around cool stuff where they ADMIT to not knowing how to make any money off of it. This ties in directly with #5 in designing the scalable business from the front.I'll admit that there are two cases that look bad but can be ok: 1) A business that needs to go viral to succeed. Fine, go in cheap to get the business. 2) A true research project functioning as an incubator.However, in both cases it is irresponsible to not at least have a theory of how to make money on it. It might not play that way in the end but without thinking about it up front, the only exit is to sell it to the "greater fool". (Then again, there are a lot of those, aren't there) I really like the “New Rules” because they focus on the basics of building a business (whether a startup or a product line). I think that we are exiting a second period in less than a decade where the tech industry forgot a couple of these basics.

#4 with #1: both in the Dot Com bubble and surprisingly often in the Web 2.0 wave, people are building businesses around cool stuff where they ADMIT to not knowing how to make any money off of it. This ties in directly with #5 in designing the scalable business from the front.

I’ll admit that there are two cases that look bad but can be ok: 1) A business that needs to go viral to succeed. Fine, go in cheap to get the business. 2) A true research project functioning as an incubator.

However, in both cases it is irresponsible to not at least have a theory of how to make money on it. It might not play that way in the end but without thinking about it up front, the only exit is to sell it to the “greater fool”. (Then again, there are a lot of those, aren’t there)

]]> By: Stewart Rogershttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-4901 Stewart Rogers Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:41:54 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-4901 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">This was the 08 Product Management post of the year. Please read it, especially the new rules (http://is.gd/emRJ) - No I did not write it.</span></span> This was the 08 Product Management post of the year. Please read it, especially the new rules (http://is.gd/emRJ) – No I did not write it.

]]> By: saeedhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3161 saeed Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:37:00 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3161 Stewart,Thank you very much!Saeed Stewart,

Thank you very much!

Saeed

]]> By: Stewart Rogershttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3160 Stewart Rogers Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:40:14 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3160 This is the product management post of the year... I mean last year... 2008. Great writing! This is the product management post of the year… I mean last year… 2008. Great writing!

]]> By: saeedhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3163 saeed Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:41:55 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3163 VikramPrioritization is not that difficult. It's really about balancing needs over time between strategic, customer, partners, competitive etc.Can you give a bit more info on where your concerns lie?Saeed Vikram

Prioritization is not that difficult. It’s really about balancing needs over time between strategic, customer, partners, competitive etc.

Can you give a bit more info on where your concerns lie?

Saeed

]]> By: vikramadhimanhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3162 vikramadhiman Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:06:27 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3162 Saeed. I am a Product Manager and I read this post of yours. I think you make sense with the rules part - completely. One of the most difficult decisions you have to make as a product manager is prioritization. Have you written on that? Another one is having multiple product managers for a huge product.P.S. I work for WiZiQ - an Internet Product. Do you have a Product Evaluation Kit where you could evaluate this one for me :D Saeed. I am a Product Manager and I read this post of yours. I think you make sense with the rules part – completely. One of the most difficult decisions you have to make as a product manager is prioritization. Have you written on that? Another one is having multiple product managers for a huge product.

P.S. I work for WiZiQ – an Internet Product. Do you have a Product Evaluation Kit where you could evaluate this one for me :D

]]> By: Richardhttp://onproductmanagement.net/2008/12/17/the-new-rules-of-almost-everything/comment-page-1/#comment-3165 Richard Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:09:54 +0000 http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/?p=1039#comment-3165 With regard to BumpTop 3D, I'd like to see some objective usability measurement of how much better this is versus the current Desktop/Hierarchical model. While the graphics and interaction are really impressive and seems like it could be fun to shuffle stuff around, how much more productive will this make users? With regard to BumpTop 3D, I’d like to see some objective usability measurement of how much better this is versus the current Desktop/Hierarchical model. While the graphics and interaction are really impressive and seems like it could be fun to shuffle stuff around, how much more productive will this make users?

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