Shift Happens

Last night we discussed a presentation which presented lots of facts about things changing.

DID YOU KNOW? SHIFT HAPPENS

What did you think? Comment here or register and comment on the other blog.

Gene A. Wright

GOOGLE and Chaos -- Part of their Strategy?

In the article "Chaos by Design" Fortune, October 2, 2006 is interesting because it talks about the culture at GOOGLE and why "chaos" is all part of the plan. The eight year old company is the "ultimate petri dish" according to the Chief Chaos Officer Shona Brown (who wrote the book "Competing on the Edge" has tons of experiments going on all of the time.

The article talks about unique spaces, unique policies, unique benefits and the unique ability it has to make money. Innovation is the key to everything. The amount and level of talent is unbelievable.

What makes this company tick?
What makes it so special? We know it is different?
What is their strategy?
What do you think is their most unique characteristic?
Can they come up with a "second act" as the article asks? What will it be?

Gene A. Wright

Disney and Pixar

One of Disney's Core Competencies is animation. In fact, Bob Iger said that animation is the "heart, soul, and engine that drives the train called Disney". However, Disney spent $7.4 Billion on Pixar. Pixar is responsible for animated blockbusters such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles Cars and Toy Story. Disney's cartoons are classics and consistently do well at the box office and on DVD and now on iTunes.

The article "Pixar's Magic Man" discusses the deal between Disney's Bob Iger and Apple's Steve Jobs.

In another article, John Lasseter, now the head of animation for Pixar and Disney, once fired by Disney said that "Every film that I've made is a tribute to Walt".

Why did they make this deal?
What will this do for Disney? Pixar? Apple?

Gene A. Wright