January 6, 2010
It may be apocryphal, but Henry Ford supposedly said, “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me a faster horse.” It is not apocryphal that within a few short years of creating the modern personal computer market, International Business Machines abandoned the PC. Its customers, who were data center managers, told them there was no future in the PC. Of course, that verdict came a few decades early. It cost IBM a lot of revenue. Both stories illustrate the grave risk that lies in listening to customers—especially in listening to them about innovation and market shifts, which we’ve been seeing plenty of and which will surely not let up in 2010. Read the article →
Adam Hartung, Managing Partner of Spark Patners, is a popular speaker at corporate events. He shows business audiences how to find the “white space” in their organizations and markets to create new opportunities that can launch businesses, create new products, and seize hidden marketplace opportunities.
“Your recent presentation was remarkable. I’m confident that the practical ideas you shared will be the foundation of new innovation and profitable growth for years to come.” Bill Durkin, Vice Chair, Corporate Network, The Association for Corporate Growth
“Create Marketplace Disruption is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. Adam Hartung offers business managers and leaders new insights to long-term success that apply across markets and industries.”
Steve Burke, President Comcast
Of all the companies that typified America’s rise as an industrial superpower, none was more successful than General Motors. What happened? Why has it fallen so far?
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