Archive for February, 2007
Did Apple’s dot just slip?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat happens when we pre-announce and then miss the date? Your stock loses value… as does your credibility. And how often is this a result of internal decisions rather than external market forces?
A spokesperson for Apple announced that their new Apple TV set top box is delayed. "Wrapping up Apple TV is taking a few weeks longer than we projected, and we now expect to begin shipments mid-March," spokeswoman Lynn Fox said. And Apple shares fell in after-hours trading.
When will we learn?
Many marketing departments like to announce at big shows or conferences but did Apple need to announce at MacWorld? Was anyone clamoring for an Apple TV device? But now that the cat's out of the bag, reporters and analysts will measure Apple by their ability to deliver.
The (in)famous Gartner "magic quadrant" rates companies on their vision and their ability to execute. Did Apple's dot just slip? What about your company? We hear frequently that sales and marketing and executives love to preannounce for many reasons but what if the product managers and developers cannot deliver?
Communicating your roadmap externally only makes sense when the internal team has confidence in the dates. Do yours?
CrackBerry.com Goes Live!
Posted by: | CommentsWell, I guess you know that you've arrived when people parody you. Now there's CrackBerry.com, the #1 site FOR CrackBerry Users and Abusers, built and operated BY CrackBerry Users and Abusers. Funny or sad? I'm not sure. Also check out the 13 Steps.
10 company (and product) name types
Posted by: | CommentsNaming seems to be a really emotional issue for some product marketers. We have to suffer the naming contest and the call to enlist a naming service. There's the ongoing argument of whether a name should be meaningful versus nonsensical. The Name Inspector offers these 10 company name types with examples and pros and cons for each.
Webinar: Building Effective Product Roadmaps with John Milburn
Posted by: | CommentsWhen there is more to do than can be done, how do you direct where resources should be expended? How do you get alignment of strategy, dollars, people, and programs that will result in an effective plan and product roadmap? How do you communicate your plans in a consistent and meaningful way? Learn techniques to align and focus the organization around the market, not just your products. Hear more in Building Effective Product Roadmaps with John Milburn.
Should you rent or own music?
Posted by: Steve Johnson on February 28, 2007 | Comments (0)Don Tapscott writes, "In a restructured Internet-friendly music industry, consumers would no longer download songs at a fixed price per tune, but would instead pay a moderate amount each month to listen to an unlimited number of tunes streamed to them over the Internet. I'd happily pay a few dollars per month to get access anytime, on any device, anywhere, to any music ever recorded." Read more in It's time to treat music as a service rather than a good.
Should you rent or buy music? Hmmm, should you rent or buy software? For that matter, maybe we'd be happier renting hardware too. I plan to buy the new Apple phone but I bet I'd be happier if I could rent one for a year and then exchange it for (what you know will be) a better version the next year.
We've talked for years about "metered" software–you know, pay by the transaction. Except there's a natural affinity to owning rather than renting (or leasing), or perhaps it's a belief that the manufacturer can rack up your rates at any time, or maybe just the fear that you don't know how many transactions you'll use but it's probably a lot. Remember that first mobile phone payment? It surely wasn't the $65 I was expecting!!
If you're in hardware or software, before you offer a product with the typical up-front purchase price, maybe renting or leasing (or SaaS) is a better fit for the buyer and better cash flow for the vendor.