This blogpost is a question to you: would you like to see a business model innovation platform emerge for a community of practitioners around the topic? A place to share experience, tools, examples and insights…
Context: I’m just done with a series of 3 workshops in a row at Toronto’s Rotman school, the MaRS “incubator” and an event in New York. It was GREAT! The topic is hot, people are hungry to innovate business models and my business model canvas is spreading. Multiple groups and companies are applying the canvas in their own setting and extending its use (e.g. IBM is experimenting with software-supported business model design). One person in Toronto has even told me that the canvas has opened up a whole new career for him. Yet, there is no one place to go to share experience around the topic…
This all led me back to an idea I had a while ago: the creation of a Business Model Innovation Platform. It would be a place where people could share their ideas around the topic, share their experience with business model innovation and show how they applied the business model canvas. A vibrant community of practitioners where all the necessary tools are available for download (some would have to be paid, though). Tools could be templates, training videos, industry specific business model reports, etc. The MySpace of business model innovation…
A couple of questions to you:
- Are you interested? Is this a worthwhile idea?
- What functionalists would you want from such a platform for a community of business model innovation practitioners?
- What business model innovation tools would be useful?
- What name do you recommend for this platform
Another series of questions to the “techies” on my blog:
- Are there open source platforms out there that could be easily used for such a platform (non-branded, so the platform could have its own brand…)?
- Where can I get my platform developed through crowd-sourcing?
- Where can I get a good and cheap design crowd-sourced?
I’m hopeful you can spare a moment to share on this topic because such a platfrom could have a nice impact on how we do business. We could create more value through new business models, we could have more fun doing strategy and business models through design thinking and we could find new and innovative ways to make money…
By the way, there is one particular reason why I am so supercharged: 4 years ago I used to sit at the Wawee Coffee Shop in Chiang Mai, Thailand. That is where I relaunched my blog on business model innovation. Since then I have never looked back. Many people know my blog and use my canvas. I am now invited for keynotes and workshops around the world.
4 years later I am sitting in a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York, surrounded by entrepreneurs and students working on their Mac. I feel like this is the next stage for my work after those days in Chiang Mai. It’s the launch of another stage: Together with Professor Yves Pigneur we want to lauch a new type of business book in 2009 on business model innovation. In addition to that I would love to connect the business model innovation community on a platform. There is just so much exciting innovation around business models going on at the moment… We need to bring that experience together!
excellent idea. I think the topic would really benefit from a community like structure. up until now information about business model innovation on the net is shattered too much to make a big impact. (…slows it down at least)
As an open source platform, i’d give buddypress a go.
Tim
Indeed, models and concepts for business model innovation are hardly known and there is still a large gap to be closed to increase the level of knowledge and professionalism in innovating the business model. It is great to see what you have done and established in this area, alex.
The idea of creating a platform is great. From experiences with other platforms I would give you the recommendation to ensure that there is not just a “virtual” platform but that there is also some well established network applying and disseminating the concepts…And what would the business model for it look like
How would you ensure that there is at least some “minimum” coherence among different models and concept provided and shared? Is the idea to develop kind of a “standard”?…just some ideas…
Hi Alex,
Just read your blog post on this topic.(In case you forgot – we pick up your blog feed on Insightory.com @ http://www.insightory.com/expert-blogs . . . and I am a frequent reader of your posts!)
I’m open to using Insightory.com as a platform. While it won’t meet one of your criteria of being non-branded, it would meet all the other criteria, and have the added bonus of giving you a ready-made, professional, cross-functional audience. The last piece is important for a topic such as Business Models . . . you need a good mix of strategy, OD, finance and operations people to provide inputs. There would be no cost, since we having been exploring the idea of user-lead “Knowledge Centers”.
Let me know if you are interested, and we can have a conversation around this.
If this doesn’t sound like what you were looking for, I think you may be able to explore some sort of mashup of scribd/ slideshare/ docstoc etc (to manage/ embed documents) and ning (which could let you manage the community, blogs, pictures, and video).
Regards,
Avneet
Much like what you did in Chiang Mai 4 years ago, I think you can keep it simple by just setting up a forum. You can expand it to more features later.
e.g WORDLAB has a forum and it is quite helpful.
Hi Alex
I think it’s a great idea witha community around business model innvation. One thing that I would like, is collection of best practise examples.
Conserning platforms, I think you should go realy simple to begin with. One possiblity is to have a wiki and a socialnetwork. Wikidot.com and Ning.com could be some great places places to do this.
Hi Alex,
Sounds like a very good idea! I would be very interested.
An interesting tool would be something to intuitively co-create business models on your canvas online. Like the brainstorm session you organize, but then online. Save, share, and so on…
Fantastic idea. There is a lot of good stuff out there but it’s distributed and scattered all over the place so it would be great to have a centralised platform.
As regards a platform for the technology, the Plone CMS is definitely worth a look. It’s less ’social networking-ey” than buddypress but might suit the requirements of the platform better. A wiki (as another poster suggested) is also a great idea and perhaps they could be combined.
Finally, you’re right… you need a snappy name for it. Can’t think of one yet myself but I’m sure some good suggestions will come from the crowd. Best of luck, Alex. Looking forward to the book in ‘09.
Wonderfull. Very good idea. Bussines model innovation is not wide spread yet, and lots of people want to know much more abot it.
Are you interested? Is this a worthwhile idea?
Absolutely, especially when we can create a open sharing knowledge platform.
What functionalists would you want from such a platform for a community of business model innovation practitioners?
Ever thought that the community of the platform co-creates cases, or examples. (maybe a long-shot but an interesting idea), crowdsourcing.
What business model innovation tools would be useful?
Visualizing, simple and practical (harder it cannot be).
What name do you recommend for this platform
BUMI (BUsiness Model Innovation)
Daniel
This is a great Idea. I was able to attend your Toronto workshop and found that your BMI ideas to be great. I really enjoyed your use of interaction with the canvas during the conference.
This new approach really seems like a great step forward in what you do. I really think your idea is innovative, but could be obtained using a simple forum, then step away from that once you acknowledge your needs.
That’s just my two cents though. I’m sure it’ll be great, and I look forward to its launch.
have a look at modernanalyst.com as an example of an online community – it’s based on a free platform.
Contact Adrian (or me) the site founder if you want to discuss.
The idea is GREAT. Here are some ideas (I hope my English is OK):
1)Functionalists & Tools I imagine from such a platform:
a) From a “theory” point of view:
- ANALYSIS of Business models of different INDUSTRIES
- WHITEPAPERS of the application to the canvas of other approaches (such as the one you did with de Long Tail).
- TOOLS to use in the different elements of the business models (such as using the Blue Ocean Strategy canvas when analyzing the value proposition).
- CONVERGENCE analysis with other Methodologies (such as a the one you did with Balanced Scorecard). Here also analize the diferrence and complementation with other tools or concepts such as a Business Plan, etc.
- FORUMS or STUDY Groups about innovating in the different elements.
b)From a more “practical” point of view:
- GUIDES of APPLICATION to visualize, asses, renew, plan, implement ours business models.
- “REMOTE COACHING” to those who are renewing and implementing a new business models.
- Share EXPERIENCIES of applications of the business model canvas.
2)Open Source Platform: I also think Ning is a good alternative.
3) Name of the Platform: I´m thinknet about it.. but I like BUMI..
Hi Alex,
Your work on Business Model Design has had a big impact on me and I hope to begin a Masters Degree next year building on the work you’ve laid out.
You’re openness in the process is also inspiring.
You should definitely go ahead with the idea. For some inspiration I think this Seth Godin post on “Tribes” is relevant. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/07/are-you-in-the.html
A similar model you may like is used by Josh Kaufman of Personal MBA. He has cultivated the PMBA brand and idea quite well and stricken a good balance between openness and creating an exclusive community. http://personalmba.com/insider/
Regarding the tech side of the community.
For the community platform, here is a thread from someone doing a similar project, comparing Ning, Elgg, and Dolphin. http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=550230
For crowdsourced design the best place is 99designs.com . The web development side is a bit harder.
Maybe check with Josh to see what he did for his PMBA Insider members.
To support this new phase you may have to start charging for content beyond your blog.
Hope the resources help and best wishes.
Kamran Ashrafi
Dear all,
Thank you to all of you for the encouragements and for sharing your ideas!
The number of comments show that it is worthwhile to pursue this idea. It will take some time and some investments, but the thread is open now definitely open in my mind and agenda…
Hope I can continue to create value for me… maybe soon on a larger scale!
Best, Alex
Would be a great idea. The Canevas has became a must in my work; also used a base of my teaching to introduce Business creation and development.
Keep us posted. By the way, for the setup, we might benefit of HEG diploma (at least for specifications…); I might connect the right people.
Bonne
Hi Alex,
What seems most important to me is figuring out the *incentive* people will have to participate. I’ve seen some initiatives get off to a great start, regardless of the technology, and eventually lose interest because there’s not enough incentive to stay involved.
Example of incentives are
- monetary profit
- learning specific knowledge that will benefit our practice
- sharing knowledge that both helps others and markets our practice
I might imagine two years in the future: the platform exists and has content. Now, what makes people keep coming back?
Alex,
appreciate your idea. I will use your model as a part of my master thesis and looking forward to share experiences.
Best, Reto
Jeremiah at Forrester has compiled a list of “white label” social networking platforms.
TechCrunch reviewed 9 of them – certainly a starting point.
Yes you should. I think its worth posting this idea on Cambrian House, which in itself is a platform for innovators, entrepreneurs etc. http://www.cambrianhouse.com/
Allow me to add my voice to the collection of encouragements. I think it would be an excellent idea. It would be a critical support for someone working to apply the approach in an isolated environment, i.e. no one to share thoughts with on an ongoing basis.
I would love the opportunity to share approaches, insights and challenges with others of a like mind.