startup

600 words, 3 minutes. Photograph of UK’s first cash machine installation 1967. Martins Bank Archive. In this bite-sized post I’m going to talk about the lag between initial adoption of transformative technology and the increase in productivity it’s supposed to bring. I’m going to talk about the disappointment felt when such technology meets established, dogmatic structures in business (or government), and what executives can do about it. Not all new technologies have the potential to transform business but those that do demand special care, because they are a pill that you swallow not a topical cream. »

1500 words, 7 minutes. Fishing Through Ice, Bain News Service. c.1910. This post is written from the perspective of a VC screening for success factors. In it, I drill deeper into successful operational characteristics. If you’re an entrepreneur or founder, you should give consideration to adopting some of the systems I talk about here. I’ll even suggest prioritising them over features and fixes to your product because getting imperfect product adopted by many is a better predictor of success than putting perfection in the hands of a few. »