Archive for June, 2009

Jun 29, 2009

Beta Version Available! Computer Aided Business Model Design

Alexander Osterwalder

Together with my former PhD supervisor Professor Yves Pigneur (and now my co-author), I have long advocated the utility of some kind of computer aided business model design tool (see here) – in fact my PhD dissertation aimed at building the foundations for that. Now this vision is starting to become reality. One of Yves’ new PhD students has built such a tool on the basis of Yves’ and my conceptual groundwork.

Boris Fritscher, a brilliant student who has just started working on his PhD, has conceived a Web-based tool to sketch and edit business models. Now this Business Model Editor called BM|DESIGN|ER is open to the public in the form of a beta version (I talked about Boris’ work previously here and here). The more you test it and play around with it the better it will get. All you need to give in return is substantive feedback! I hope to see the tool on TechCrunch soon – I think it is a substantial basic tool for start-ups to play around with their business model.

Check it out the BM|DESIGN|ER here:
http://bmdesigner.com/

Personally, I believe we can make a lot of progress in the field of computer supported business design. While I am a great fan of working on whiteboards and/or with post-it™ notes, I also think computer-aided systems have an essential complementary role to play (and one day we will be able to conveniently brainstorm with virtual post-it notes).

Some of the main advantages of computer aided business model design over paper are:

  • Highlighting of linkages between business model building blocks throughout a model – e.g. what resources, activities and partners do we need to serve a specific customer segment.
  • Navigating between layers of a business model – e.g. this allows us to look at the different interlinked parts/layers of Amazon.com’s business model, which has expanded from online retailing towards providing Web infrastructure to other companies.
  • Automatically generating financial spreadsheets based on visually conceived business model prototypes.
  • Advanced manipulation of business models, such as storing, merging, comparing, versioning and sharing models.

Of course this all sounds a bit futuristic and it remains to be seen how business people pick up on this. But look at the history of information systems in business and you might be able to trace a trajectory: We started out with modeling accounting information and now have sophisticated software-based accounting systems. Then we started modeling order and warehouse management. That brought us sophisticated enterprise resource planning systems. We moved on and started modeling and redesigning processes. Now we have quite advanced Business Process Management Systems. So what is the next bastion? Business Models: New ways of creating value ;-)

Boris, bravo for providing a first advance in this direction! Let’s have fun playing around with and advancing the BMeditor!!! Boris put all the examples of our upcoming book, Business Model Generation, into the system. That will give you something to start with…

Posted in alexander osterwalder, boris fritscher, business model innovation, computer aided business model design, computer aided design, yves pigneur | 5 Comments »

Jun 22, 2009

Business Model Knowledge Fair & Book Launch

Alexander Osterwalder

No, the book is not finished yet, but we launched a 200-print unfinished limited edition for the Business Model Knowledge Fair in Amsterdam last Friday. The limited edition, which was messed up by the print-house (page order wrong), is now truly a collector’s item and can be purchased for $250.-

The “real” book will be out in September and can be pre-ordered at a special 25% discount on www.businessmodelgeneration.com. The reason it takes a little bit longer than planned is because we are co-creating the book. Integrating 400+ people in the process is time-consuming, but makes for a better book!

A number of those co-creators from our business model book writing Hub also took place in the Business Model Knowledge Fair last Friday. It was extraordinary to see them face to face. They came from many different places: US, Spain, Canada, Slovenia, Germany, and more (12 countries in total – on the Hub participants are from 40+ countries).

As to the event: The day was perfectly run by Patrick van der Pijl from Business Models Inc, who moderated the presentations and workshop sessions. The event took place at the “Hotel De Goudfazant” – an innovator’s venue.

I kicked off the day with a presentation on… Business Models. Check out the slides:

After my Intro Patrick interviewed the entire core book team, including my co-author Yves Pigneur, designer Alan Smith and editor Tim Clark (Patrick is himself involved managing production and distribution). To give the audience a feel for the book project FISH-EYE media produced a short video trailer of the book writing. Enjoy it:

Then, after his short video intermezzo, four business model innovation practitioners presented their work. Bas van Oosterhout of Capgemini presented his work at DSM, Marielle Sijgers presented Seats2meet.com and Harry Verwayen of Kennisland presented his work at the National Archive. Really impressive what these people are achieving!

In the afternoon we continued with something that I find core to systematically approaching business model innovation: Visual Thinking. The visual strategists of JAM, who are substantially contributing to the book, ran a dare2draw session. They got all 60 participants to draw their business model. Look at the photo proof (or check out all the photos here):

After the drawing session Tim Clark and Alan Smith took over. Tim presented his exciting and relevant research on the relationship between cultural context and business models, particularly related to Japan. Alan gave us a great insight into design methods and design thinking. Absolutely crucial when it comes to business model innovation.

The end of the day was devoted to the business model Hub where we co-created the book. First, Martijn Pater of Fronteer Strategy – a co-creation specialist – outlined the guiding principles of co-creation. Then the participants jointly brainstormed on a couple of questions to continue this business model innovation community: What are the lessons learned? What business model questions remain unanswered. What do we really need to focus on as a community of practitioners. Let’s hope this effort will go much beyond the book!

Here some final photos – The book team (Tim’s missing – see him in the next photo)

Tim Clark (with the blue shirt) and others – drawing business models

Participants enjoying the day

Presentation of a visual business model

I’m presenting the “broken” b&w limited edition

If you are interested in buying one of the remaining “broken” & unfinished limited editions of Business Model Generation, of which only 200 examples will ever be printed, you can do that here. The book is printed in black & white, contains about 70% of the final content, of which 50% is fully designed. This limited edition was part of the package of the Business Model Knowledge Fair. What makes it a collector’s item is that the print house got the printing wrong. The page order was misaligned, which completely messed up the design and made the book almost unreadable.

Buy the “broken” limited edition of Business Model Generation now for $250.- and you will get the final full color print in addition for free this September.


Caveat: This is a collector’s item of which only 200 examples will be printed. The book is not finished, not fully designed and has a print error.

Posted in business model generation, business model innovation, business model knowledge fair | 4 Comments »