Creating Blue Oceans

Blue Ocean Strategy for art

Read about one artist’s inspiration to create her own blue ocean marketspace for art here.

[Image via Artsy Shark]

This week, we move to the second sneak peek installment from Razi Imam’s forthcoming book entitled Driven.  In his book, Razi shares personal insights to motivation and achievement.  We are delighted to have received an advance copy from which we will share brief excerpts that focus on the deeper inner drive that allows us to challenge conventional wisdom and come up with breakthrough ideas.

From chapter four of Driven by Razi Imam:

History has shown that the Wright Brothers persisted until they built a machine that could fly and ultimately affected the lives of millions in years to come.  They transcended logic and overcame hardship in the service of their inspiration to achieve manned flight -- all during a time when the world was completely satisfied, happy with other forms of transportation, and no economical or business need to build a plane existed. 

Regular readers of Creating Blue Oceans will recall Landslide Technologies has drawn on Gabor’s expertise to enter an already crowded and very competitive sales force automation market.  It did so in a way that redefined the market and creating Blue Ocean space, and has been the recipient of accolades ever since. The company’s latest crowning achievements including the introduction of its new President and CEO, Rich Faulk, as well as its successful bid to raise another USD 8 million in growth  capital.  Landslide’s founder and former CEO, Razi Imam, stepped down recently to start another business focused on nanotechnology.

Pre-oder your copy of Driven now.

[Image via jmacphoto.com.]

Defying Conventional Wisdom: The 388-meter dash

Blue Ocean Strategy is all about challenging conventional wisdom – questioning taken-for-granted assumptions, and overstepping industry boundaries. It’s a frame of mind of continuously questioning and searching for a different angle and fresh perspective. You can draw inspiration from everyday life, and train your mind by having a discerning view of the world around you.   In celebration of the Winter Olympic Games, consider the following bit of comic insight as an example of challenging conventional wisdom:

The 388-meter dash

In all sporting events measured against time, such as running or swimming, the competition distances ought to be modified every couple of years. This would lead to much more frequent record settings, making the sports more exciting for both participants and spectators. For example, the 400-meter run could be changed to 425 meters, then down to 388, etc. And a similar variety can be introduced to other sports as well. Instead of a javelin all the time, why not see who could toss a limbo stick the furthest, or instead of a shot-put, why not hurl a watermelon at the next Olympics?

[Image via Solar Worlds.]

Driven: Hold nothing back

Following up on the Blue Ocean Strategy success of Landslide Technologies, we were pleased to learn from Razi Imam, founder and former CEO of Landslide, of some of the company’s latest crowning achievements—including the introduction of its new President and CEO, Rich Faulk, as well as its successful bid to raise another USD 8 million in growth capital. 

These developments are paving the way for the release of Razi’s forthcoming book entitled Driven.  In his book, Razi shares personal insights to motivation and achievement.  We are delighted to have received an advance copy from which we will share brief excerpts that focus on the deeper inner drive that allows us to challenge conventional wisdom and come up with breakthrough ideas.

From Chapter four of Driven by Razi Imam:

To live within the state of Junoon is to concentrate passionately on realizing your mission and transcending day-to-day, human motivation to a degree that seems impossible to those around you. Being in this state coalesces and magnifies your ordinary strength of will and determination, and turns you into a person who rises to challenges in ways that others can't even imagine. You hold nothing back. You put your all into everything that you do, and through that investment of your entire being, you find ways to surmount the most daunting of circumstantial barriers with incredible energy.

Regular readers of Creating Blue Oceans will recall Landslide Technologies has drawn on Gabor’s expertise to enter an already crowded and very competitive sales force automation market.  It did so in a way that redefined the market and creating Blue Ocean space, and has been the recipient of accolades ever since.

Pre-oder your copy of Driven now.

[Image via Amazon.]

The Perfect Calm Series: Swirl turns washing clothes into a game

One of the most exciting spheres of application for Blue Ocean Strategy is the realm of Social Capitalism. This explosive market space is at the intersection of successful business and lasting social impact. Traditionally these two spheres were considered separate, but the two can be pursued simultaneously via Blue Ocean Strategy. Periodically, we feature stories which illustrate stimulating ventures, ideas and concepts targeting this very market space.

This week we select the story: Swirl turns washing clothes into a game

Do you know of other companies, organizations or business visionaries sailing along the intersection of good business and social good? Share your ideas with the Creating Blue Oceans Community.

[Image via Fast Company.]

Cuddle your way across vast blue oceans

Over the past few months, there’s been quite a wave of Blue Ocean Strategy-related stories emanating from the airline industry.  First there was the story of Pet Airways, then came the story of Allegiant Air — the most profitable airline in the USA.  And we offered a tidbit from our Defying Conventional Wisdom series entitled “Flying Bazaars.”  The basic premise was that for most passengers, duty-free shopping onboard is one of the continuously irritating aspects of flying.  As a solution, Gabor suggested that airlines eliminate shopping on regular flights, and cater to diehard shoppers by creating shopping-only flights (thus offering greater in-flight experience to both shoppers and non-shoppers). 

As a follow-up, we could not pass-up the opportunity to report on a similar, yet more intimate example of targeting a new buyer group in the airline industry — with the world’s first ever “cuddle class.”  

From Wired:

So, it comes as welcome news that when Air New Zealand takes delivery of its new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft this fall, those of us in coach will enjoy the possibility of lying flat to sleep. The catch is the “Skycouch” turns three seats into a small bed. That means it probably works best if you’re not very tall or you’re traveling with kids. It fits the bill if you’re lucky enough that you and your traveling companion can enjoy having the seats to yourselves, like the lucky couple in the promotional photo from the airline.

And that, of course, assumes your traveling companion is someone you actually want to sleep next to.

Airline CEO Rob Fyfe says the company has spent three years trying to ignite a passion for flying, especially on long-haul trips.

“For those who choose, the days of sitting in economy and yearning to lie down and sleep are gone,” he said. “The dream is now a reality, one that you can even share with a traveling companion — just keep your clothes on, thanks!”

[Image via Wired.]

Basking in blue oceans of “intelligent luxury”

What is the  common link among all the companies that are successful in creating Blue Oceans?  The  answer can be distilled down to two words: Lifestyle enrichment.  Companies that understand that they are not in the business of selling certain products or services, but rather in the business of delivering lifestyle enrichment to customers, are the ones that prosper.  Blue Ocean Strategy helps to instill this perspective, and once it takes root, a company can continue to stay highly relevant to customers, drive lifestyle changes, and continuously create blue oceans.

Embracing this way of creative thinking, we share with our readers an interview with Sonu Shivdasani, hospitality industry visionary, Founder and CEO of Six Senses Resorts.  From Hotelier Middle East:

“Financial profitability doesn’t come by focusing on the numbers; it comes on inspiring your hosts [and] creating a concept that values and inspires them,” he continues. “Then they can create a fantastic experience for our guests, then the guests remain and they come back again and again and that’s what leads to financial profitability.”

His approach is clearly working. Over 30 percent of Soneva’s business is generated by repeat customers. The firm’s core philosophy is one of “intelligent luxury” — a saying Sonu and his wife coined, which refers to their desire to offer luxuries of the highest standard in a sustainable environment.

[Image via Six Senses Resorts & Spas.]

Defying Conventional Wisdom: Herring Power

Blue Ocean Strategy is all about challenging conventional wisdom — questioning taken-for-granted assumptions, and overstepping industry boundaries. It’s a frame of mind of continuously questioning and searching for a different angle and fresh perspective. You can draw inspiration from everyday life, and train your mind by having a discerning view of the world around you. Consider the following bit of comic insight, as an example of challenging conventional wisdom.

Herringpower

Horsepower seems a logical measure of thrust for machines of land transport. You can visualize “220” horses pulling a car at high speeds. But with boats such visual association doesn’t hold up. A bunch of horses swimming along and tugging a speedboat behind them doesn’t seem to provide much glide or acceleration. It would be much more appropriate to reference some aquatic animal as the performance basis for sea craft engines, as in “tunapower,” or “herringpower.”

[Image via Donation4Charity.]