Comments on: Yahoo, Death By 200 Paper Cuts http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/ Where Product is the New Marketing and Marketing is the New Product Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jeremy Gorr http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Jeremy Gorr Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:10:00 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-128 Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said "I said six slides and I meant six slides."nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc. Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I’m not sure if it’s an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said “I said six slides and I meant six slides.”nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter’s generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can’t get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc.

]]> By: Jeremy Gorr http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Jeremy Gorr Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:10:00 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-131 Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said "I said six slides and I meant six slides."nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc. Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I’m not sure if it’s an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said “I said six slides and I meant six slides.”nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter’s generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can’t get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc.

]]> By: Jeremy Gorr http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Jeremy Gorr Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:10:00 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-143 Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said "I said six slides and I meant six slides."nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc. Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I’m not sure if it’s an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said “I said six slides and I meant six slides.”nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter’s generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can’t get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc.

]]> By: Jeremy Gorr http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-152 Jeremy Gorr Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:10:00 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-152 Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said "I said six slides and I meant six slides."nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc. Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I’m not sure if it’s an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said “I said six slides and I meant six slides.”nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter’s generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can’t get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc.

]]> By: Jeremy Gorr http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Jeremy Gorr Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:10:00 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-153 Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said "I said six slides and I meant six slides."nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc. Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I’m not sure if it’s an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said “I said six slides and I meant six slides.”nnWhen determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter’s generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can’t get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc.

]]> By: Jeremy Gorr http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Jeremy Gorr Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:10:43 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-121 Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said "I said six slides and I meant six slides."<br><br>When determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc. Great point about a 200-page strategy document being a bad sign. It reminds me of the story of IBM, where having lots of Powerpoint slides was a source of pride. Then a new CEO came in and said that no presentations can be longer than 6 slides. None. I'm not sure if it's an urban legend, but I heard the story that the GM of the Austin IBM office was giving his introductory presentation to the new CEO, and he thought the mandate only applied to his subordinates, so he prepared dozens of slides. At slide number 6, the CEO walked up to the projector and turned it off and said “I said six slides and I meant six slides.”

When determining how a business can turn around, I often look back at Porter's generic strategies. Yahoo can either become cheaper than the competition, more niche-focused than the competition, or differentiate from the competition. They certainly can't get any cheaper than Google: free. There is not much opportunity that I can see for differentiation, since Google seems ahead of the curve on that. Maybe their only hope is to focus on a niche of customers rather than ALL web surfers. Something like: extra news coverage for news junkies, increased support for online stores for small business owners, etc.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Yahoo, Death By 200 Paper Cuts – A Random Jog -- Topsy.com http://www.arandomjog.com/2010/07/yahoo-death-by-200-paper-cuts/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Tweets that mention Yahoo, Death By 200 Paper Cuts – A Random Jog -- Topsy.com Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:26:51 +0000 http://www.arandomjog.com/?p=1793#comment-115 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by David J. Neff. David J. Neff said: RT @joshua_d: Yahoo, Death By 200 Paper Cuts – http://bit.ly/dC0XbW .Thoughts for #prodmgmt on portfolio management and turnarounds. [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by David J. Neff. David J. Neff said: RT @joshua_d: Yahoo, Death By 200 Paper Cuts – http://bit.ly/dC0XbW .Thoughts for #prodmgmt on portfolio management and turnarounds. [...]

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