Winning Moves Blog

My previous writing has stressed the importance of building on a company’s strengths when adopting digital technology and responding to digital disruption. This means applying digital technology in ways that fit your business. It means companies without much high tech expertise generally should not embark upon expensive forays into direct Continue reading “Merely Going Digital Is Not Strategy” »

Congratulation to Microsoft for recognizing the value of insiders at the helm!

As I’ve said before, insiders understand the nuances of a company’s culture and competencies far better than outsiders. So, the appointment of Microsoft Insider Satya Nadella as its new CEO, with founder Bill Gates as technology advisor, bodes well for Microsoft in terms of insider advantages. Yet, big challenges remain, especially since Microsoft now faces the kinds of conditions that often prompt companies to Continue reading “Microsoft’s New CEO: Insider Advantages for Strategic Fit Challenges” »

A high failure rate for new ventures tends to be expected. It is often thought that success with new ventures is the classic example of high risk, high reward, and that there must be many failures for every great success in such risky situations. Yet, my research into business success and failure patterns finds otherwise. There are Continue reading “Patterns and Knowledge Drive New Venture Success” »

Some research downplays the success of serial entrepreneurs, finding that they often fail in their subsequent ventures despite their previous start-up experience, which allegedly might have provided the learning to guide future entrepreneurial success.

After researching business success and failure patterns for 25+ years, I am not surprised by these Continue reading “Building on Strengths Fosters Serial Entrepreneurs’ Success” »

It doesn’t matter whether the new CEO from outside was recruited to bring professional management to an entrepreneurial venture or to revitalize a long established company. In either case, rather than striving for drastic change, the new CEO should seek effective ways to build on the company’s strengths. The CEO can bring Continue reading “New CEOs from the Outside Should Build on Company Strengths” »