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Business Strategy for Software Executives |
November 3, 2008 |
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The Race for PerfectThis excerpt from a new book describes how the relentless drive to create better products has produced a succession of soaring successes and embarrassing flops.By Steve Hamm, BusinessWeek Just after lunchtime on January 15, 2008, at Lenovo Group’s offices in suburban Morrisville, North Carolina, it seemed as if a four-alarm fire had broken out. Peter Hortensius, the senior vice president in charge of the laptop business, stormed through the cubicles on the fourth floor of Building 2 shouting to his secretary: “Phyllis! Get me one of those interoffice mail envelopes!” Phyllis Arrington-McGee ransacked filing cabinets until she found one and handed it to Hortensius, who was waiting nervously in his office with Sam Dusi, the head of laptop marketing. Hortensius hoisted a slim black notebook computer, the ThinkPad X300, off of his desk and slipped it into the envelope. Then he shouted: “It fits! It fits!” Such is life in one of the most competitive marketplaces on earth: the portable computer business.
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Ten Questions for SaaS Vendors
How to Waste Money on a Trade Show - Part II
Publish Your Perspective!SandHill.com wants your opinions. Send your thoughts on the enterprise software industry to SandHill.com editor, Maryann Jones Thompson (maryann@sandhill.com) and have your opinions published on our site. DON’T MISS: Eric Schmidt Shares Google’s View of the FutureA McKinsey & Co. interview with Google’s CEO reveals how the Internet will change the nature of competition, innovation, and company operations. Read the interview in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly. News Update: The Next 4 YearsA new U.S. President may usher in an IT revolution; plus SAP goes back to its roots, color the cloud azure, and the economy impacts CRM apps. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary. Poll: Pursuit of Perfection?To what degree does your marketing organization suffer from a relentless pursuit of perfection? Last week, readers assessed of their sales team’s personality. More at SandHill.com:Salesforce.com wants to host your web site. Novariant received $40 million. Oracle acquired Haley to bolster government contracts. GFI named Walter Scott CEO. Send us your feedback on this newsletter and the SandHill.com site. Parting Thought“The natural progression of business: Innovators, Imitators and Idiots.” Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group |
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