Jack Covert Selects – Borrowed Brilliance

On September 14, 2009

Jack Covert Selects – Borrowed Brilliance

Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the Ideas of Others by David Kord Murray, Gotham Books, $26.00 Hardcover, 304 Pages, September 2009, ISBN 9781592404780 You may have heard the cynical expression “There are no new ideas.” Well, David Kord Murray wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that sentiment, but he would argue that [...]
On September 14, 2009

How Bad Bosses Haunt Companies After They’re Gone

When a company really needs to right its ship, a true outsider without any connections to prior leadership might be the best person for the job. That's because protegees have a psychological tendency to honor the decisions of their predecessors -- even if those were failing strategies.
On September 14, 2009

New GM Ad From McCann Spurs Backlash; Can Ed Whitacre Sell Cars?

General Motors appears determined to ruin the one good idea it has emerging from bankruptcy: a 60-day guarantee on its cars. Instead of touting that offer next to alluring examples of its new products, GM and McCann Erickson have wheeled out ... Ed Whitacre, the former chairman of AT&T, who knows nothing about cars, to say, "Before I started this job I admit I had some doubts."
On September 14, 2009

AllVoices Adds Twitter Data to its Citizen News Reports

As anyone who's ever tried to build a company from the ground up can attest, you have to keep tinkering with your business model if you're going to have a shot at success. It's not enough to simply have a great idea, a good url, a strong team and a solid work ethic. You've got to remain nimble on the strategy and tactics you employ as a business leader if your venture is to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. You've got to sort out the good options from the less-promising ones. And even though this all sounds good in theory, in practice it's extremely difficult to execute, because there are so many distractions swirling around the typical startup,...
On September 14, 2009

Apple Tries Riding the Price Avalanche

There's a great Shawn Colvin tune called "Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche," and that continues to be the path Apple seems to be taking. I've been largely addressing this in terms of the Mac, but the trend is rearing its head in pretty much every area of the company's business.
On September 14, 2009

Guy Vs. Guy: Can the iPhone Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying)?

Welcome to Guy Vs. Guy! In this recurring feature, Rick and Dave square off on the business and technology issues of the day. This week’s topic: The iPhone. Maybe you've heard of it? A recent flap in the UK raises the question of whether the iPhone can succeed in business (though some say it already has). Why does Apple insist on avoiding the office? Dave: The iPhone is without question the most hyped mobile device in the history of technology. But deservedly so: I find mine utterly indispensable, from its better-than-Windows Mobile Exchange Server support to killer apps like TripIt. It's the most awesome phone ever made, and essential for anyone who takes his or her business out of the...
On September 14, 2009

Despite Industry Efforts, ‘H1N1′ Will Never Replace ‘Swine Flu’

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is appealing to reporters to stop using the term "swine flu," saying the term is inaccurate and hurts pork producers. I agree that it hurts pork producers, and that's unfortunate, because anyone who's paying the slightest bit of attention should know by now that you can't get swine flu from eating pork. But the term isn't technically inaccurate -- the virus did evolve in part from flu strains found in pigs. But politics and accuracy aside, the fact is that people don't talk in numbers, and 'H1N1' feels unnatural to say. The pork industry would have had better luck pushing any other name in the world as long as the name used actual words. The World...
On September 14, 2009

A Tough Economy and Tough Love Make for a Tough Small Business

A recent article on CNNMoney.com told the tale of DNA Software, an Ann Arbor based company that received a $1.5 million dollar, three-year grant from the state of Michigan. Most small business owners – DNA Software had only 8 employees – would have thought themselves set for life if they had all those advantages – [...]
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