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What Platforms Do Differently than Traditional Businesses

Harvard Business Review

They operate platforms that make it easy and efficient for participants to connect and exchange value. Three of the five most highly valued companies in the world — Apple, Google, and Microsoft — make much of their profits from connecting different groups, like developers and users in the case of Apple.

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What Spinning Off a GE Business Taught Me About Managing Ultra-Fast Change

Harvard Business Review

So four years ago, when I was CEO of GE Capital Retail Finance and tapped to lead a mega change initiative — splitting off our unit into a new, publicly traded company, Synchrony Financial — I’ll admit I viewed it as a huge challenge. We have hired more than 5,000 new employees since beginning the effort in late 2013.)

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Midsized Firms Can’t Afford Bad Bets

Harvard Business Review

The malfunction caused major delays shipping toys to retailers. Not surprisingly, many of those retailers refused to pay when the toys finally did arrive, too late for the holiday season. Then it cut general and administrative expenses and sales staff to contain operating losses.

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Enabling the Natural Act of Entrepreneurship

Harvard Business Review

I met Slovenian entrepreneur, Sandi Cesko, in 2007 when his Ljubljana -based multi-channel retail operation, Studio Moderna , had about $70 million in sales. Real entrepreneurs don''t mind paying taxes, so develop a clear, right-sized and strictly enforced tax system. Even better. Taxes per se do not hinder entrepreneurship.

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60 Countries’ Digital Competitiveness, Indexed

Harvard Business Review

Politics, regulations, and levels of economic development play a major role in shaping the digital industry and its market attractiveness. Retail e-commerce sales worldwide are expected to hit $4 trillion by 2020 , about double of where it is now. .” More than 1 billion jobs and $14.6 Digital markets are uneven.

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Disruptive Trends to Watch in 2013

Harvard Business Review

Academics and practitioners have built on Christensen's work to develop robust frameworks that can help leaders to spot disruptive developments early and respond appropriately. Sifting through this work highlights three seminal moments in any disruptive innovation's development: Conception. 3-D printing.

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