Part three in a four-part series on innovation and change as the new schools of business management… To call Zappos an online shoe store takes away from the brilliance behind the 12-year-old e-commerce powerhouse. While its original premise was based on helping people find the shoes they want, in one place, online, and discounted, it certainly evolved into something nothing short of disruptive. As we hear so often with technology startups, Zappos was born in a college dorm room. Already…
Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey and the Ideas that Sparked a Revolution
Part two in a four-part series on innovation and change as the new schools of business management… Jack Dorsey is the co-founder of Twitter and Square. He has since rejoined Twitter as Executive Chairman and will focus on product development to further Twitter’s mainstream appeal. He also remains CEO of Square. What follows is my uncut interview with Dorsey for a recent Entrepreneur Magazine cover story. Maybe you have to have helped conceive Twitter to be bold enough to take…
The Dilemma’s Innovator: Innovation and Change as the New Pillars of Business
If necessity is the mother of invention, then perhaps imagination is the source of innovation. In December 2010, I was given the opportunity to write the cover story for Entrepreneur Magazine. The article, “Change: Lessons on What’s Next,” explored the innovation behind three (well four) companies — Foursquare, Square + Twitter, and Zappos. Throughout the years, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with Dennis Crowley, Jack Dorsey and Tony Hsieh. And over that time, I’ve observed inherent traits that…
Happy 5th Birthday @Twitter: A look at Twitter’s growth by the numbers
Five years ago today, Twitter’s @Jack published the very first Tweet, the first of billions of Tweets that would eventually change the way millions of people share, learn, and communicate. While other news media (Twitter included) report that Jack’s first Tweet simply stated, “inviting coworkers” – the first tweet on record by @jack actually read, “just setting up my twttr.” That same Tweet was published by all employees at a time when Twitter was actually known as Twttr. In five…
Revolution Series 2 Debut: How Mercedes Benz Successfully Uses Social Media to Engage
Social media marketing is gaining in awareness and acceptance by businesses all over the world. According to a recent report published by Burson-Marsteller… 67% of Fortune Global 100 companies use Twitter to directly engage with consumers. This is a 78% increase over the previous year. And, 9 out of 10 companies are talked about on Twitter. When you think about social media and customer engagement, luxury brands are viewed upon through a different lens. The question is, are buyers of…
Are you a content consumer or creator?
You’ll soon learn why I’m posting shorter, but more frequent posts…In the mean time, I wanted to share with you something I’ve been thinking quite a bit about these days. Think about the generation or two before us. A significant portion of free time was spent consuming media. From print to broadcast, everyday people simply digested information and content presented to them. But then, everything changed. We were gifted with the ability to share what we think, feel, and experience,…
Social Business Takes a Human Touch, No Really
Served as inspiration for The End of Business as Usual… The socialization of media is the undercurrent for the Industrial Revolution of our time. Yet, here we are today, forcing social media into the aging paradigms that the social revolution set out to upset in the first place. Businesses still weigh the ROI of participation. Teams debate over who owns the company’s social presences. The parochial in middle and upper management see it as either a playground or an extension…
Will You Lead, Follow, Ignore? The Choice is Yours
Yes, while it’s a bit dramatic, its design is intentional. This is a rare moment in history where, if we take “social” media out of the discussion and we stop looking at Twitter and Facebook for just a moment, we can focus on what’s truly important. Right here, right now, what makes this time so special, is you… This is about empowerment. This is about not just having a voice or the ability to express it, but to connect people…
The Beginning of the End of Business As Usual
Listening is only the beginning. Engagement is the beginning of the end of business as usual. Once we hear, truly hear our customers and the people who influence our decisions, effective engagement is inspired by the empathy that develops simply by being human. We start to see things through the eyes of our consumers. We feel their pains, frustrations, and also happiness. We sense what it takes to encourage positive sentiment. Once we put “people” back into the mix, a…
(R)evolution Episode 4: Charlene Li on Open Leadership
Welcome to the fourth episode of (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. My guest in episode 4 is Charline Li, founding partner of Altimeter Group, author of the new book, Open Leadership and also my dear friend. The premise of “open leadership” sets the stage for executives to embrace social technology to transform the way they lead. In our discussion, we also review how social…
