Business Archives

Range by David Epstein: Advice for Organizations

How can organizations benefit from having employees with a wide range of experience? Why are teams made up of specialists prone to mistakes? In his book Range, David Epstein argues that organizations should hire employees from varied and diverse backgrounds rather than specialists. This is because specialists tend to have narrow points of view whereas generalists tend to be more innovative and broad-thinking. Keep reading to learn why your organization should hire generalists.

TALC: The Innovators and the Early Adopters

What is the difference between innovators and early adopters? What are their motivations for trying out new, experimental technology? Innovators and early adopters represent the two early-market categories of customers in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle (TALC). Innovators are technology enthusiasts: they are the first to try out new technologies for its own sake. Unlike the innovators, early adopters are not interested in new technology for its own sake, but rather in the new advantages it may afford. We’ll take a look at the key characteristics of both groups below.

How to Choose a Niche for a Startup Business

How do you choose an appropriate niche for your product/service? Why is it especially difficult to choose a niche for a startup? For a startup, choosing an appropriate niche in the market is especially challenging because you can’t survey your customers or gather data on them—you don’t have any customers yet. This makes it difficult to make a decision that will determine the fate of your company because you don’t have enough data to substantiate your choice analytically. In this article, we will discuss how you can select an appropriate startup niche.

Working in a Different Culture: Things to Keep in Mind

Do you work in a culture that’s very different from yours? What challenges does that bring? Working in a different culture brings a lot of unknown unknowns—you don’t even know what you don’t know. In her book The Culture Map, author Erin Meyer provides some tips for working effectively across cultures. Here are some things to keep in mind if you work in a different culture, according to cultural communication expert Erin Meyer.

Crossing the Chasm: Quotes by Geoffrey Moore

Are you looking for Crossing the Chasm quotes by Geoffrey Moore? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? In Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore outlines a strategy that companies can use to move their products across this “chasm” to enter the mainstream market. Since the book’s publication, it has become a standard text for managers, engineers, and students, as well. Here’s a selection of top Crossing the Chasm quotes with explanations.

The 6 Best Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

What are the best marketing strategies for small businesses? How can you incorporate these strategies into your business’s marketing plan? Entrepreneur and consultant Allan Dib argues that marketing is the highest-value activity a small business owner can engage in. In his book The 1-Page Marketing Plan, he outlines the best marketing strategies for small businesses and gives advice on how to implement them. Find his six best marketing strategies for small businesses below.

Gary Vee: The 4 Steps to Building an Online Presence

What are the steps you should take when building an online presence? Should you hire a web designer to build your site for you? According to marketing expert Gary Vaynerchuk, after you pick your niche market, the second step is to establish your presence online. Vaynerchuk recommends four steps for doing this. Continue reading to learn how to build an online presence.

Geoffrey Moore: Chasm Theory and the Revised TALC

What is Geoffrey Moore’s chasm theory? How does Moore’s model differ from the traditional Technology Adoption Life Cycle? According to the traditional Technology Adoption Life Cycle, customers smoothly and progressively transition from one stage of adoption to the next. However, according to Moore’s chasm theory, the psychographic differences between customers in each stage create gaps between each category, and the traditional TALC doesn’t account for those gaps. In this article, we’ll take a look at how the characteristics of each category generate each of the gaps.

How to Listen Actively: Listen to Understand

Do you want to know how to listen actively? What three things should you do to become a better listener? In her book The Fine Art of Small Talk, Debra Fine explains that the three components of active listening are: 1) to give your partner visual cues, 2) give your partner verbal cues, and 3) the mental component of listening. Additionally, don’t forget that it’s not all up to the speaker to do the communicating. Keep reading for Debra Fine’s advice on how to be a better active listener.

Adoption of New Technology: The Struggle Is Real

Have you ever wondered why so many high-tech products seem to make a sensational entrance, but then disappear before they’re refined enough to become practical? What is the reason why most new, high-tech products never reach the stage of maturity? Adoption of new technology by the mainstream market doesn’t happen overnight. Further, most tech products will never see mainstream success. Marketing consultant Geoffrey Moore has an explanation for this: once the product is adopted by the early market of tech-savvy users, the sales stagnate as the mainstream market customers are not as keen on jumping on the new technology. Moore