by Brant | Mar 24, 2021 | Innovation, Lean Innovation
Most big companies think technology when thinking about innovation, regardless of whether or not they’re technology companies. Startups are often considered to be de facto innovators, but is that the case? Marketing tends to have their own way of talking about innovation. Is there any Fortune 500 company that doesn’t talk about their innovation capabilities in their About Us section of their website?
by Brant | Jan 20, 2021 | 21st Century Leadership, Disruption Proof
People often have different ideas of what makes a good leader. The definition of a leader, to me, is someone who empowers others to be all that they can be. They must bring out the best in people and help them realize their potential, including how to pursue their own ideas for solving problems. It is crucial as a leader to empower your employees, teach them how to be an A-Player, have great communication with them, and have empathy for one another.
For example, Garry Ridge, CEO of WD-40 here in San Diego, wrote a book, “Helping People Win At Work.” Though this is a strong title, the subtitle is really what was memorable “Don’t Measure My Performance, Teach Me How to Get an A.” I really love that because most leaders obsess over measuring performance; typically with KPIs or OKRs. In many organizations, performance reviews or quarterly, at best. Teaching someone how to get an ‘A’, however, is an ongoing process.
Of course, you might believe in the well worn startup myth: only hire “A-players.” If anybody’s looked at a bell curve, you know how many A-players there are out in the world. The responsibility of a great leader is to create A-players. It’s to teach people how to get an A.
by Brant | Nov 18, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Marketing Help, Process-Oriented Marketing, Startup Marketing
I don’t know who is more exasperated, entrepreneurs flummoxed by marketers or me, upset that another entrepreneur has been flummoxed by marketers! People, language is for communication and marketing terms, abused as they are, fall somewhere within the scope of...
by Brant | Sep 3, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Process-Oriented Marketing, Startup Marketing
A technical CEO learning marketing is the equivalent of a sales/marketing CEO learning development engineering. Not. I am not a developer. If push comes to shove, I can code in PHP, or develop shell scripts, and truth be told, I did take a couple of ECE courses in...
by Brant | Feb 17, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Process-Oriented Marketing, Startup Marketing
As with most marketing terms, the phrase “market segment” is often tossed about carelessly by entrepreneurs, technologists, and yes, even by some marketers. To my mind, however, segments are a cornerstone of market-driven business plans. Market segments...
by Brant | Feb 12, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Economy, Metrics-Driven Marketing, Process-Oriented Marketing
I just got off a webinar about lead gen in today’s economic environment. I was pleased to see several process-oriented and metrics driven marketing recommendations, including: need to be revenue focused, rather than # of leads focused; marketing taking greater...
by Brant | Feb 11, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Process-Oriented Marketing, Startup Marketing
A CEO of a high-tech start-up recently lamented to me: I was told I needed marketing, so I hired a PR firm and after 6 months and a lot of money, I got nothing. Paraphrasing, a local venture capitalist admits: Most CEOs lack marketing skills. They need marketing...
by Brant | Feb 11, 2009 | Updates
A CEO of a high-tech start-up recently lamented to me: I was told I needed marketing, so I hired a PR firm and after 6 months and a lot of money, I got nothing. Paraphrasing, a local venture capitalist admits: Most CEOs lack marketing skills. They need marketing...
by Brant | Feb 6, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Metrics-Driven Marketing, Process-Oriented Marketing, Sales and Marketing Roadmap, San Diego
Since moving (returning) to San Diego from the San Francisco Bay Area in June of 2007, my running joke has been: In the Bay Area I was a small fish in a large pond. In San Diego, at least I’m a small fish in a small pond. bah-dump, bump. The San Diego market...
by Brant | Jan 28, 2009 | Brant's Rant, Sales and Marketing Roadmap
For the last several years, many marketing professionals have been discussing and blogging about metrics-driven marketing. As a matter of fact, measuring marketing ROI has become its own lucrative market. Any marketing services vendor worth its salt is an ROI...
