Archive for December, 2008

Dec 19, 2008

Apple iPod – Business Model Example Series: Issue 2

Alexander Osterwalder

This week I was in Madrid to work together with XPLANE, the leading company when it comes to visual thinking in strategy & business. XPLANE will help me with the visuals for some examples and processes in my upcoming book on business model innovation.

Together with Pablo Ramirez of XPLANE we worked on several things, including the business model of the Apple iPod. Here is a first sketch – open for your input & feedback…

Don’t hesitate with comments & feedback. This is most certainly one of the examples we will use in the book. At every workshop & event I do, the Apple iPod comes up because of its influence on the music industry.

Posted in XPLANE, alex osterwalder, apple ipod, business model innovation, music industry, slides, slideshare | 6 Comments »

Dec 12, 2008

Web-based Business Model Innovation Software and Working on the Wall

Alexander Osterwalder

Boris Fritscher, a brilliant masters student of HEC business school in Lausanne, Switzerland, has picked up on using software to sketch out business models under the guidance of my co-author, Professor Yves Pigneur.

Yesterday he showcased the tool to me and Patrick van der Pijl, producer of my business model book. Boris built a web-based tool that allows the design and description of business models. But Boris didn’t keep it there. He extended the tool to allow designing business models live on a projected image on the wall (see picture where Boris works on a business model). How cool is that?

The tool, which is a research project, is still in private beta. We are currently exploring how it can most easily be used to build a database of interesting and innovative business models on the book chunk platform.

I think there is quite some potential in software-based business modeling. Two IBMers, Norbert Herman and Sergey Trikhachev are also working on a tool based on my method. They built a Visio-based tool and are extending it to include business model simulation capacities

Previously I called this Computer Aided Business Model Design (CABMoD), referring to Computer Aided Design (CAD) in Engineering and Architecture. I believe it has similar potential in business…

Posted in business design, business model, business model innovation, computer aided business model design | 3 Comments »

Dec 8, 2008

The Necessity of Management Innovation

Alexander Osterwalder

Innovation regarding the way we run and manage our companies will be a key requirement to foster business model innovation. Financial Times management writer, Stefan Stern, and Peter Marsh wrote an excellent article on innovative management structures in the FT.

They portrait Terri Kelly, CEO of WL Gore, a $2.5bn turnover company, which is characterized by a totally flat organizational structure.

“Leaders emerge through a democratic process rather than being appointed from the top, and peer appraisal is crucial to both salary levels and career advancement.”

Ms Kelly makes a clear case for this type of “democratic management” that would probably steal most traditional managers’ sleep. She argues that decisions reached together are pursued much more energetically:

“I think that what you find in a lot of companies is that if there isn’t true support for the decision, it gets undermined along the way. In fact, it may never come to fruition. So on the one hand you’ve made a very quick decision – ‘We’re going to go to China’ – but then you’ve got all kinds of resistance.”

Same goes for business model innovation. The lateral and multi-disciplinary nature of business model innovation projects require the motivation and true buy-in from all parties involved. Top-level support, while necessary, wont be sufficient to succeed.

A must read as to management innovation is Gary Hamel’s book “The Future of Management“. WL Gore is one of the examples which he explains in-depth. Others are Google, Whole Foods Market and Semco. Good Stuff. Gary Hamel has the merit of being the first “management guru” to raise awareness of this topic at the board level (read the NY Times book review).

Impressively, Gary Hamel, one of the most influentual management thinkers today, didn’t just leave it with writing a book. In June this year he gathered 30 leaders in management development, education, consulting, and the CEOs of Whole Foods, Gore, Ideo, Google, and HCL to discuss “the future of management”. He mobilized the crème de la crème of management thinking, such as Henry Mintzberg, C.K. Prahalad, Tim Brown, Peter Senge, … (too many gurus to mention them all). His gathering question was “why can’t we bring as much innovation, adaptation, and engagement to our organizations as we do to our development of products and technologies?”.

Read more about this event on David Sibbet’s blog.

Posted in c.k. prahalad, financial times, gary hamel, google, guru, management innovation, mintzberg, peter marsh, semco, stefan stern, terri kelly, whole foods, wl gore | 1 Comment »

Dec 5, 2008

Upcoming Workshops

Alexander Osterwalder

I have two public workshops coming up, besides my work for companies and conferences. It would be a pleasure to meet you there! There is an attractive “early bird rate” until December 19.

Public workshops:

  • 21. January ‘09: Zurich “Crafting Innovative Business Models” in German (info & sign-up here)
  • 22. January ‘09: Geneva “Crafting Innovative Business Models” in English (info & sign-up here)

Public Talks:

  • 15. December ‘08: VizThink Madrid – short keynote on business models and visual thinking together with XPLANE

Also, in April I will do another North America tour. Toronto and New York are sure stops. Others will be defined in the coming weeks.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Dec 2, 2008

Business Model Innovation Book – buy early access to raw content now!

Alexander Osterwalder

In MaySeptember 2009 Yves Pigneur and I will bring a new management book to the market, which will be a beautiful manual for entrepreneurs and executives about business model innovation.

The interest we are getting for the book is staggering, because our business model innovation methods are already in use in companies such as 3M, IBM, Deloitte, Telenor, Logica and more. Our aim is to write a book that is visual & simple, applicable, relevant and full of exciting examples.

If you are interested in the topic you now have the exclusive possibility to get early access to the book content and a community of business model innovators. It is a unique opportunity to participate in the makings of a management book that has the potential to become a global bestseller. Working title: “Crafting Innovative Business Models” “Business Model Generation”.

We will float and discuss the book content as it emerges on www.businessmodelhub.comThe content is already done, but you can get your name into the book until August 14th. Access will only cost you $US 24.- $US 36.- $US 54.- $US 81.- $US 121.50 $US 243.- (the price increased because we exceeded 100 200 300 400 450+ subscribers and are now near publishing)

SUBSCRIPTION IS NOW CLOSED UNTIL WE PUBLISH THE BOOK IN SEPTEMBER

By joining you will have the following privileges:

  • first & exclusive access to raw book content as we write it on www.businessmodelhub.com
  • FREE digital version of the full book when it is published
  • opportunity to influence authors and join content discussionsthe book is done by now
  • personal mention of your participation (names of participants’ in print version in order of sign-up… so you better hurry this is your last chance ;-)
  • about 8 19 installments of book chunks (in a non-linear order as they emerge)
  • 50% discount off the FREE final book
  • access to templates and exclusive PowerPoint slideshows
  • being part of the business model innovation community

When you buy access for $US 243.- we will invite you to the book chunk platform www.businessmodelhub.com within 48 hours. There you will be able to access everything that is going on. The first “book chunk” is due mid-December and is currently in the making. Already now there is a discussion on the book platform about examples, book format etc. 13 All book chunks are online now. This is the last opportunity to participate and get your name into the final print version book of this amazing breakthrough project.

Don’t miss out on being part of a potential management book bestseller. You will even be able to prove it because your name will be mentioned in the print version!

On Monday January 19. 2009 at 17:00 (CET, Zurich/Geneva) we will hold a free webinar to explain how the book chunk project works.

Posted in book, book project, business model, business model book, business model canvas | 29 Comments »