Apple iPad : A Profile of a Technology Influencer / Opinion Leader / Early Adopter.

There are studies about shopping behaviour and there are studies. Then, there are Confessions of a Technology Shopaholic.

As a self-confessed gadget freak, I can see that the link below- a Technology Influencer / Opinion Leader / Early Adopter spilling the beans on a purchase- falls in the latter category:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/358/how-my-499-ipad-purchase-became-a-1170-credit-card-bill/

If you can't wait to hit the Apple store to see a decade long buzz on convergence and ubiquitous computing take a step closer to reality thanks to great productization and marketing, join the line. :-)

What do you think?
 
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Consumer Electronics Show ( CES 2010 ): The CE Ecosystem and Opportunity I

Executive Summary: A perspective of the ecosystem behind CES 2010, to help you manage the complexity of change it would deliver at your doorstep, and to help YOU find opportunity- for new products, or for expanding the reach of existing products- in this ecosystem.

Introduction: The Who.

Who would be you, a.k.a. the target audience, here?  You are interested in CES 2010 for various reasons. Here a spectrum:
1. The Consumer- "Should I buy that 37 inch 120Mhz 1080p LCD TV in Spring?"
2. The Product Guru- "So what's out there that I should watch out for?"
3. The Marketing Guru- "Mobile ads for my ad dollars?"
4. The Finance Guru- "Productivity for the company dollars?"
5. The IT Guru-"I have cloud on my mind... um... what could this lead to?"

Granted, this is a little bit of overkill for The Consumer, but don't discount the Gadget Gurus among us.

Introduction: The What and The How.

The Consumer Electronics Show / CES 2010 promises to be as exciting as ever.With over 2800 exhibitors and about 20,000 new products, it can be a dizzying experience. You may have a priority list structured by companies, products, target consumers, sectors, etc., to manage the scale, but the complexity can be mind boggling.

Why are we interested in it? In terms of innovation and externalities, the aggregate impact of CES could well be similar to NASA's moon landing effort in the 1960s. (Note to self- research the innovation parallels :-)) Consumer, consumer oriented businesses, and even intra-business and B2B structures may be impacted.

Framework Overview: The How.

Below is an ecosystem view of the players at CES. Industry veterans with broad experience across the consumer and technology space may find this familiar and similar to approaches they have developed over time- for the rest of us, its and interesting tool to snapshot this evolving industry.

The Strata
The picture can be broken down into the following strata:
1. Consumer
2. Applications + Content
3. Platforms
4. Core Infrastructure

So What?
For the snapshot, or even as a first pass, each strata can be structured as a linear ecosystem with its supply chain. The fun begins when you map it out and start seeing the interconnectedness, even a cliched convergence, across the board.
The next "order" of approach would be to note the elements outside the ecosystem. However, that's for later.

Content for an Electric Toothbrush?
Yes. In this case, content is all the MindShareWorks (TM) that goes into getting a consumer to buy and sustain usage of the mighty electric toothbrush.

As Easy As 1-2-3-...?
Yes... and No. You still have to do the hard work to optimize this tool for your objectives. If you are, say, an investment analyst, you still have to put in the hard work to learn and leverage this approach in the sector.

The Strata Attributes
We could use standard market mapping tools like
1. Competitiveness,
2. Number of Market Participants, etc.

The Devil's Advocate
Hello! This reminds me of the Five Forces Framework: Well, hang in there- there is value in getting specific and structuring it this way. The So What? should have sold you on this already.

Stay Tuned! More to come in the mapping.

What do you think... so far?

Good Product Management and Delegation?

What does it mean to delegate as a Good Product Manager?
I found myself at a site on "Good Product Management" that recommended delegation as an important tool. This led to some discussion on what it means for a product manager to delegate responsibilities. Some bloggers were of the opinion that delegation is irrelevant to a product manager- he should be focused on helping others get their job done within an integrated product management framework.

I don't think the two viewpoints are different. They are really only approaching the same idea from different perspectives. Let me explain.

The Dynamic View: Fire, Fire Everywhere!
Having been involved in a massive product turnaround, I can attest to the fact that you will find ample opportunity to get sucked into fires (a reference to "The Goal"). These fires are not just specific high visibility issues, but also cases involving process variance/ risk factors where you have leaders defined and contingency plans in place. This is a dynamic view in product management reality.

Should you step into each case? What's the best way to do so? Or should you let the defined leader find a way? Should you step back and spend your time drafting "Integrated Product Management" processes for each exception?

The Static View: We Have a Magic Bullet!
At the other end of the product management spectrum, you risk complacency (we are only getting started here) when you think you have the right "chess pieces" with the right processes in place, when you are in a dynamic business environment that will unflinchingly sneak problems past your Product Management framework. This is the static view in product management reality.

A product manager may thrive with a static perspective of his role thanks to serendipity.

Dynamic Solutions to Dynamic Environments
While being a facilitator is important, a product manager is likely to find himself working toward building levers and an ecosystem that improves outcomes.

This is essentially change management. Similar to the decision making of a good general manager, who realizes the limitations of the environment he operates in, a good product manager will wisely exercise judgement in taking up tasks- even choosing tactical tasks- toward change.

What do you think?

I am not selling the product...

...just the message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5xCGZuvhWI

Notes on first impressions of the ad seen on CNBC during Lunch:
1> The background score by Gustavo Santaolalla has parallels with Indian music.
2> Its a 90 second spot. The rationale? Apparently, time is the only true luxury.
3> This is an interesting brand initiative- and is the first Louis Vuitton TV ad ever.

What do you think?

Blast from the past: Other TATA products? A.k.a. And you thought Indian IT was getting hammered?

I had been reading articles about how Indian IT is getting hammered, so I had to send this one out. Its a blast from the past for me.

This note would be useful to folks interested in product management for the B2B space, as well as useful to folks tracking emerging markets, the banking sector, the business process consulting segment in IT consulting, and finally the IT sector as a whole.

This is about trends in Universal Banking, the corresponding impact on Financial Services Technology products and also about a little bit of nostalgia.

Yours truly was involved in product development and management of important components (core banking and trade) of the portfolio of products below. You could probably find an IDC report about how it all started, though this insider would disagree with some details in it. :-)

TCS BaNCS Recognized as #2 Universal Banking Solution in the 2007 IBS Sales League Table:
1> http://www.forbes.com/prnewswire/feeds/prnewswire/2008/02/29/prnewswire200802290830PR_NEWS_USPR_____LAF007.html
2> http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/technology/article/tcs-bancs-recognized-2-universal-banking-solution-2007-ibs-sales-league-table_501179_12.html
3> http://www.techweb.com/showPressRelease.jhtml?articleID=X678164

TCS BaNCS Core Banking ranked China's No. 1 Core Banking Solution in 2006:
1> http://www.myguides.com/guide/news/2007/Jul/31/TCS_B%CE%B1NCS_Core_Banking_ranked_China%E2%80%99s_No._1_Core_Banking_Solution_in_2006_by_Independent_Research_firm.html

Now, I would like to find that IDC report on how it all started. Any pointers?

Product tracking: TATA Nano Part Hahaha Duh

I recommend you read part I of this post here:
http://randomjunkyramblings.blogspot.com/2008/01/product-tracking-tata-nano.html

Some publications that talked about the TATA Nano since I last posted on it:
1> http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1702264,00.html

2> http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/tata-nano-the-worlds-cheapest-car/?hp

3> http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article3331789.ece

I usually avoid talking about reaction to news, and I wanted to cover the car rental market and the used car market in India. However, the reaction to the TATA Nano provides irresistible grist for the mill. So here goes.

My friend V. (who I respect a lot for staying true to our computer science roots, unlike me who sold out to the management brigade), made some interesting points about the TATA Nano:
1. A cheap car does not mean you have the roads and infrastructure to drive it on.
2. Fuel is super expensive. According to his calculations, driving 20 miles/ 30 KM/ day would cost about a third of the car's price in a year.
3. The launch of the car will lead to increased pollution, traffic congestion, and fuel prices.

These are all great points, and I would start looking at them in the reverse order.

On point 3: Why is TATA Nano being singled out and slapped with these objections? Some more drivers (TATA would certainly hope that a lot of drivers) would join the global brotherhood of high-falutin' gas guzzlers to enjoy the priviledge of driving, and some would say, enjoy the right of getting from Point A to Point B. Only, the procession of Newbies in their shiny new Nanos would be doing it at 50 MPG.

Perhaps the though of achieving 50 MPG so easily is giving the hybrid hippies (before the greens come after me, I know someone who claimed she was a hippie for owning a Prius)- who've probably pawned off their Jordan XX3s to go green- sleepless nights.

However, I do accept the reality that driving conditions would change, for a start, in India. That family of 4 that would make you suddenly brake by appearing in front of you out of nowhere? They would now suddenly appear in front of you out of nowhere in a TATA Nano. Only, given the Nano's limitations, it would not be so sudden anymore. So congratulations, you, driving that more expensive car, will now find more reason to exercise the horn.

As an added benefit, you will feel happier that you don't have to worry about that family of 4, riding a scooter with the baby hanging loose by the sari's "dupatta" at the back ,while you drive.

Now, coming to point 2: fuel being super expensive. Would you trade in your more expensive car for the Nano? I hope you make the smart move and dump the Fords, Suzukis and the Hondas of the world, given that high gas prices are only going to get higher. Oil is $100/ barrel and some are betting it will reach $200/ barrel by end of 2008. A couple of lakhs in rupees/ a few grand in dollars saved in upfront car cost will fuel your current lifestyle for a few years.

Let's expand that to TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). Someone joked that in a couple of years, the engine might have to be replaced by bullocks. Well, more power to bullocks then! In a few years, even used cars would be too difficult to fix in the owners' backyards. That should be fodder for thought right there.

As for point 1, infrastructure: Look at how crazy traffic is in Bombay. The price of the car is really not going to be the key driver in terms of reaching an equilibrium on the Quantity of cars on Bombay streets (until we hit a tipping point, of course, and given Bombayites bottomless ability to endure, the tipping point will take some time coming, I assure you). The city that contributes over a quarter of the country's taxes has horrid infrastructure. Pointing to the quantity of cars on Bombay is really a misdirection for a lack of planning and infrastructure.

Before I wrap up, I would like to quote an incredibly funny take on this by my friend Sameer Gaunekar. This has Bombay and Bollywood references, and if you have seen "Thank you for smoking", the parallel is the senator trying to remove references to smoking in old movies:

Remember the motorbikes with the side carriers; with the advent of Nanos they surely will disappear, so if Ram Gopal Varma or even if the Sippy’s ever had to direct a re-make of Sholay then the “Yeh Dosti” song would be shot in a Nano instead of a motorbike with a side carrier….

End quote.

Borrowing Bono's phrase, Sameer's brilliant. :-)

Wrapping up: The reaction to this car from some quarters seems to be similar to the reaction to Negroponte's One Laptop per Child. The issues raised are those we have been grappling with since the first oil crisis in the 1970s, an will continue to work to resolve.

If this car makes people put money where their mouth is (instead of their foot), and do something about transport- decent public transport/ improved roads/ alternative energy sources/ whatever - then its more than served its purpose of being the "People's car". :-) What this "Freedom of Movement" does to India and its economy down the line is something I would like to see.

What do you think, my friend?

Product tracking: TATA Nano.

Here we go!:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/2689238.cms

And more, if you can't get enough:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2687930.cms

1. Would the family of 4 riding the motorcycle/ scooter switch to the TATA Nano?
2. Would those able to afford cars 3x the TATA Nano pricepoint switch to the car?
3. Would this car develop the market further than where it stands right now?

Over a decade ago, I found myself (by chance) sitting across an Ex MD of IFCI in the Rajdhani train. During our conversation, he mentioned that Pepsi had signed the document to enter India in his office. The talk then flowed to the struggle MNCs faced in India, and how their market estimation as well as consumer behavior analysis had been off target.

One reason for MNCs struggling in India, he pointed out, was that the Indian consumer was conservative and did not really believe in disposable products. i.e. consumers would evaluate alternatives and go for the cheapest option after factoring in TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). Consumers would pick products that lasted long, and could be fixed quickly by the local handyman, over jazzy products without as much ROI (return on investment).

A lot has changed since then- and that includes Pepsi becoming "the choice of the new generation". India's youth could be called the "liberalization youth"/ "satellite channel youth". As we learn more about the product, about the people buying (as well as not buying) this product, we are likely to find a huge indicator of India today; also specifically, an indicator of TATA Motors as a business, and of India's consumers.

Of course, I have not even touched upon the next step- going global.

What do you think?

P.S. The Part Hahaha Duh (a.k.a. Part II of this post on reaction to the car) is here:
http://randomjunkyramblings.blogspot.com/2008/01/product-tracking-tata-nano-part-hahaha.html