You run a business a market that is doomed to disappear, whether due to regulation, climate change, a geopolitical event, or because new solutions are rendering your offering obsolete. What can you do? Once the initial stages of grief have passed, two options emerge: • the traditional option, guided by financial criteria, • the entrepreneurial […]
The market is doomed : How to keep your company afloat? Read Post »
In an article issued in January 2026, strategy professor Philippe Silberzahn calls for ‘developing a true culture of uncertainty’ in organisations. In a post published shortly afterwards, he points to management’s inadequate reactions to uncertainty, trying to protect teams by increasing control and centralising decisions. He advises showing ‘vulnerability […] to better connect with reality’.
Embracing a culture of uncertainty, … really? Read Post »
Who hasn’t heard sales colleagues boasting of having taken advantage of their customer’s poor organisation or limited skills? You’ve laughed heartily, and you may also have congratulated the sales person for their cunning move. And then, on reflection, a feeling of unease sets in: how does the customer feel about it? This situation actually takes
Making money off my customer’s weaknesses: rewarding, profitable,but not sustainable! Read Post »
I sometimes hear company leaders doubt whether their teams have a good understanding of customer expectations. Surprisingly, despite the ease with which data can be collected, processed, and disseminated today, the quality of information on customer expectations remains a source of concern. This article lists the various factors that can lead to this situation. It
The quality of information on customer expectations drives business performance Read Post »
CEOs willing to make their company more innovative come up often to the conclusion: “We need to improve our innovation culture!” Alas culture is a fuzzy concept . It’s time to put some meat around this bone! We propose here a systemic approach to characterise your innovation culture, which combines1- soft skills,2- the content of
Invest in your innovation culture and transform smoothly your company! Read Post »
In companies that invest in innovation, the asymmetry of knowledge between R&D and marketing teams is striking: On the one hand, R&D teams are made up of experts who have often been in their positions for many years, who have accumulated decades of knowledge and experience in specific fields, and established long-term collaborative relationships with
Three rules for a winning relationship between R&D and marketing Read Post »
A marketing career in industry has given me many opportunities to deep-dive into the customer experience. And I have also been lucky to team up with systems engineering practitioners. I have discovered the decisive competitive advantage a company can gain from bringing together user experience and systems engineering practitioners, especially for innovative design. In this
How to make system engineers and customer experience experts work together? Read Post »
Having spent most of my career in marketing, I never miss an opportunity to champion the added value of this function, and the importance of acquiring solid training and experience before taking on responsibilities. It is therefore with perplexity that I sometimes discover the gap between the advertised function and the actual skills of the
Industry: What to do with the usurpers of the marketing title? Read Post »
A McKinsey paper estimates that companies that focus on satisfying their existing customers grow twice as fast as others. And yet, who among those of you who works in an industrial company has not heard the sales forces lamenting: “we are a product-oriented company anyway”, or harsher: “the engineers have here all the power”? To
Can a product-centric company become customer-centric? Read Post »
With order intake below expectations, the market launch of the innovation has been disappointing. The oncoming review meeting with senior management will be difficult. Yes, it will be necessary to admit that repeated weak signals had hinted at difficulties. Yes, some decisions should have been better prepared, some assumptions should have been requestioned from the
Getting my innovation adopted by the market:What is the winning strategy? Read Post »