There’s a rule of thumb that three points make a trend. I realized this morning, as I was talking to a private equity investor, that I have seen three clear events that tell me that we close to a bubble bursting.
Media: What Will Consumer’s Time Cost You?
The relationship between media owners and their readers and viewers continues to get more complicated. For many years advertising was the unavoidable tax that subsidized media. Now, with the rise of ad blockers and increasingly stringent privacy laws, consumers are becoming much more astute about the value of their time. Jun Group, where I am on the board of advisors, has developed compelling ad products that provide smart incentives for consumer engagement.
Make Every Meeting More Productive by Asking These Four Tough Questions
One of the most precious resources in any business is time. And yet, the same businesses that dispense nickels like they are manhole covers squander time like it’s water.
FutureFit: Fun Radio Interview with Lori H. Schwartz
I had the opportunity to spent a exhilarating hour talking with my good friend, Lori Schwartz (@TechCatGirl) , about technology trends, how companies can be FutureFit, and why strategic planning processes turn out so badly, so often. You can here the episode here.
Strategy: The Two-Edged Sword of Platform Dependence
The names change but the story doesn’t. A Facebook partner discovers that even though Facebook told them that they loved them and valued the revenue that they drove, they were about to put them out of business. Expressions of stunned disbelief follow.
FutureFit: Why Levi’s Is Blue About Yoga Pants
One of the continuing mysteries in American business is how companies can be blindsided by overwhelming market trends. These companies employ squadrons of MBAs who analyze and research the market. They go through extensive strategic planning processes, and then they completely miss the titanic meteor that’s screaming in from outer space to crush them.
Advertising: The One Chart You Need to Understand the Internet Media Business
One of the biggest challenges facing the internet ad business is complexity. It’s hard to understand and harder to navigate. Publishers, in particular, are trying to sort out their options and their strategies. They have begun to suspect that what they have in terms of people, skills and products may not resemble what they need.
Ad Tech: Get Big, Get Bought or Go Home
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
–Dylan