Segment 3(17) – Business Models (Brakes or Accelerators?)

[Paul Terlemezian]

Chris Anderson challenged us in "Free" to challenge our thinking so that we could understand how current (e.g. 2009)  business models were different from the past (e.g 1980's.)

Georgia LEARNS 2016 helped us explore thinking models inspired by "Business Model Generation."

The Accountable Learning Organization model uses "Business Model Generation" to enable executives to design business solutions (not "just" training solutions.)

Each panelist will be asked to respond to how "Business Model Generation" relates to their application of the Accountable Learning Model to a current problem (one of the 10 defined on 2016 or a different one of their choice.)

Here is link to help you learn more about "Business Model Canvas." - http://ifivealliances.ning.com/group/business-model-generation

Remarkable Speaker: Josh Turknett https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-turknett-md-66ab57b5/

Moderator: Mike Woodard https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-woodard-ma-pte-pi-334ba03/

Panelists:

• Brandon Carson https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncarson/
• Stephanie Crowe https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieackleycrowe/
• Andrew Dietz https://www.linkedin.com/in/asdietz/
• Bruce Kopkin https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucekopkin/
• Doug Pisik https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougpisik/

[Paul Terlemezian]

Until I read "Business Model Generation" the term "Business Model" was just a buzzword to me (perhaps that is due to my Liberal Arts Math Degree overriding my 30 years of business experience!) Since then, however it is a well-defined 9 piece puzzle (each piece having texture and depth!)

I have also seen company growth, profitability and value limited by a adhering to a less effective business model (brakes) than what others have applied.

I have seen traditional products gain new life via new business models.

I have seen innovations that would have been delayed or dead with previous business models become dominant because of their choice of business model (accelerator?)

[Stephanie Crowe]

During this breakout session of Georgia LEARNS 2017, we discussed how you need to get into the skin of your customer to really understand how you are adding value to them or their business - in real life.  Where the value is, that's where the commercial opportunity is.  And it's where customers are willing to invest.

My favorite comments from our discussion included:

• "Our customers ask for [that] all the time, but it's not what we do - it's not our business model."

Why don't you change your business model?

• "The real value is what they experience at the end, when it all comes together and delivers results."

How about moving the value earlier in how you deliver - how can your model be more agile?

• "[They] don't really understand the value of what we deliver.  They only see the collateral at the end, not what goes into it."

In education, you always have an uneducated buyer.  How can you better articulate the value you add - in the language of your buyer.  

Everyone appreciates the shiny green trash cans in the park, but no one thinks about the army of sanitation workers, the equipment, or the processing facilities. [Reference:  Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart.]  How can you shift the way your business model is structured to match the value your customer experiences, when they experience it?

[Paul Terlemezian]

Thanks Stephanie - great advice about "get into the skin of your customer." While it is important to appreciate a service like the Post Office - would they be more effective if they realized that there is no value added for their clients by expecting them to find a way to buy postage (e.g. wait in line) and no value added for their clients by expecting them to wait several days for an item to be delivered (mindful of weekends, holidays, distance and time of day.)

On second thought - maybe life would be better if emails were only delivered:

• Once a day
• Never on Sunday
• Only during business hours
• With a fee paid by the sender!

[Stephanie Crowe]

Interesting ... I recently heard that a huge percent of the psychological value in a vacation is in the 'anticipation' phase - what if when the post office knew it had picked something up for delivery to you, they could let you know it was on its way ... and provided a picture of it, and how many others in my area are expecting a similar one, and whether I can redirect it somewhere while in transit since I might not be there when it arrives

[Paul Terlemezian]

Very clever - in fact we have just signed up for a daily service where the post office scans the mail that it is expecting to deliver to us today and sends an email with the scans attached. We have known about this for a while but only signed up for it after having mail delivered after 9PM on several occasions and recently two days in a row with no mail. Service has been so poor we never know when to check for the mail.

With your idea - however - they could send me the scan when the sender mailed it versus the local carrier bundling it - that might be more interesting!