Launching A New Initiative - Stop Checking the Box

Most often, when I analyze a company, one of the things that help you predict if an initiative is going to go well is understanding the culture and psychology of its leadership. 

However ... there are wildcards.  There are a few unpredictable leaders in business.

I would submit that Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs are a couple of exceptions to this rule. 

Steve Jobs (Apple) was famous for his "Think Different" philosophy.  Amazon has a corollary to this: it's OK to be misunderstood for an extended period by investors, and by the market, etc.

Furthermore, both Amazon and Apple have seemed willing to go into entirely new arenas based on its internal innovation.

Whoever thought 20 years ago, Apple would compete with Nokia and build a phone?

Whoever thought 20 years ago, Amazon would compete with Rackspace?

But the thing is, they didn't compete with those players.  They built something unique to their own DNA and based on their own ideas, needs, and strengths

This is the core of any good strategy.  The next time you find yourself checking the boxes to capitalize on a noticeable trend, reconsider HOW you are checking that box.

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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