The battle between Dropbox and Box show the differences between selling to consumers and selling to enterprise.
Skating Towards the Goal
First things first: I do not subscribe to the idea that a Bill Gates return would be a good outcome for Microsoft. Indeed, much of what troubles Microsoft today is directly attributable to Gates, particularly the Vista disaster/distraction and the Windows obsession. Still, though, there is something to be said for the power and inspiration […]
Whither Liberal Arts?
This is part one in a series on last week’s iPad event. Part 1: Whither Liberal Arts? | Part 2: The Missing “Why” of the iPad | Part 3: The Magical iPad Steve Jobs closed the January, 2010 introduction of the iPad with this now famous slide: His remarks: The reason that Apple is able […]
An Interview with Eric Jackson at Forbes
Eric Jackson recently interviewed me for his column at Forbes. I’m cross-posting here my answers to the tech industry related questions. Check out the full interview to read more about me personally and the background of stratechery. Q: Where is Apple at right now as a company in this post-Steve Jobs period? A: I think, […]
Another Nokia Explanation; The Same Tragic Conclusion
While I remain convinced that Microsoft’s Nokia acquisition was largely driven by fear of losing Nokia as an OEM, either to Android or bankruptcy, there is something else curious about the timing. (The following scenario is conjecture, but not the analysis that follows) ValueAct, who is opposed to Microsoft’s push into devices, was dissuaded from […]
The Deal That Makes No Sense
Early this morning Microsoft acquired Nokia for €3.79 billion (plus €1.65 billion for patents). It is a deal that makes no sense. While industry observers love to pontificate about mergers and acquisitions, the reality is that most ideas are value-destroying. It is far better to form an alliance or partnership; most of the benefits, none […]
If Steve Ballmer Ran Apple
Bear with me, I know my premise is ridiculous. Imagine Steve Ballmer was right now the CEO of Apple, with the same set of products and opportunities. Suspend disbelief about cultural clashes, or organizational structure. Presume Ballmer could set the strategy, and that Apple would execute it accordingly. In this scenario Apple would make more […]
Services, not Devices
Microsoft needs to first understand the type of company it is, and choose its strategy accordingly. That means focusing on services, not devices.
The Uncanny Valley of a Functional Organization
Consider this Part 2 in an accidental series on Microsoft’s recent reorganization, and functional and divisional organizations. Part 1 focused on a divisional organization, while today’s Part 2 focuses on functional ones. The “Uncanny Valley” is most typically associated with animated films (although it was originally about robots). From Wikipedia: The uncanny valley is a […]
Why Microsoft’s Reorganization Is a Bad Idea
Steve Ballmer is reorganizing Microsoft into a functional organization: it is a mistake that misunderstands the company he leads.