Flip camcorder, Blockbuster video rental, Countrywide, Lehman Bros., Washington Mutual, Bear Sterns, Sun Microsystems, Arthur Anderson, and Brobeck...Heller Ehrman are examples of companies that failed to adapt to changing times. Many once dominant forces such as the Soviet Union, paper maps, landline phones, and encyclopedias written by experts have also been disrupted. To thrive today requires embracing change, immersing oneself in the customer experience to understand their needs and pains, and being ready to adapt and transform as circumstances demand.

1. Success in the agile age
Flip camcorder
LA Times, Chicago Tribune
Blockbuster video rental
Countrywide
Lehman Bros.
Washington Mutual
Bear Sterns
Sun Microsystems
Arthur Anderson
Brobeck…Heller Ehrman
Japan as economic miracle
Hosni Mubarak… Tunisia’s dictator Ben Ali
the Soviet Union
Microsoft as invincible
paper maps
landline phones
encyclopedias written by experts
pensions
CDs
Yellow pages and address books
fax
payphones
bookstores
newspaper classified ads
film cameras
record labels
Oldsmobile, Pontiac
US debt as the gold standard
RIM’s Blackberry
MySpace
Yahoo
Charlie Sheen
Miley, Brittany, Lindsay
software sold on CDs in boxes
Quicken

2. Quicken Apple
1993 2010 1999 2010

3. Find customer’s
likes & dislikes. . .
fears & pains
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Savor surprises
Share
1985 1991
½ used The alternative
“in office” to accounting of retail sales
1993 2010
Savor surprises. . . from customer immersion

5. Success in the agile age