Smartphones have become boring. And That’s Good.
The recent announcements by Apple warning about poor sales of its iPhone, and the subsequent commentaries about market saturation for smartphones, is an interesting evolution in the digital economy. Their loss of over $300B in market cap in a few days was a shock to the market. It is also a stark warning to innovators […]
There is No Such Thing as a Digital Strategy
Let me say it again. There is no such thing as a Digital Strategy. Honestly. If you think your organization needs a new digital strategy in 2019, then I’m sorry to say that you’ve completely missed the boat. It is misguided and dangerous to be creating a separate digital strategy for your organization in world […]
Has Blockchain Lost its Mojo?
The interest and excitement around blockchain technology seems to know no bounds. Every day I see new articles, companies, and announcements declaring its virtues. Even watching the TV I was astounded to see a 30 second advert finish with the bold statement that this payment infrastructure was better because it was “…secured by blockchain”. Is […]
The Slow Pace of Digital Transformation in Business Schools
Business Schools are struggling to keep pace with the digital business world. Observers point to the sterile teaching methods, the scale and composition of cohorts, and outdated content taught at business schools they too often find. Some go further and argue that their structure and approach is misaligned to business’ needs. Even the value of […]
Talking to Technology
One of the interesting threads running through digital disruption is our changing relationship with technology. As its “separateness” from our lives changes and evolves, we challenge our sense of self, and our ability (or need) to distinguish between what is human and what is not. Wearables, IoT devices in the home, personal robotic assistants, embeddable […]
Hey Dude, Where’s My Data?
Taking back control and ownership of your data has recently become very fashionable. Worrying about online data management has long been a concern. From privacy and security of your personal information and credit card details, to wondering who is reading your facebook posts. The massive shift in the last few years to online commerce and […]
Finding a Fit for Wearables
A couple of weeks ago my 16 year old son was given an Apple Watch by his uncle as a present. He was excited to open the box. Three days later he handed it back to me with a puzzled look on his face, saying “Dad….what’s it for?”. He really couldn’t understand it. He uses […]
Does WeWork Work?
In setting up the new INDEX team at the University of Exeter, we very much see ourselves as a startup. A startup inside a big corporation. That means several important concrete things to us. One of them is that we live and work like a startup. So inevitably we needed to deal with the question […]
Digital Transformation Means Navigating Both Near and Far
The trouble with digital transformation is that it is so easy to get carried away. There are many extraordinary technological developments to be investigated. From iPhones to dones. From biosensors to blockchain. From robots to cobots. As a result, many companies are investing wildly in pursuing futuristic solutions, incubating high-risk startups, and extravagantly experimenting with […]
The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship in a Digitally Disrupted World
One of the clear consequences of digital disruption is the rapid pace of change in the tech industry. New ideas emerge, are explored, and transformed in weeks. New companies are born, scale rapidly, and morph into existing commercial entities. This has many positive aspects…but also creates some huge pressures. The case of Autonomy’s purchase by […]
