Expert insights. Personalized for you.
LivingSocial is not the first to create a compelling coupon offer. Putting aside whether coupon sites are sustainable , all this begs the question of the value of buzz and being a first mover. But a new study shows that no amount of buzz, excitement or first mover's advantage will lead a product to sustained growth. Last month, Amazon invested $175 million in the number two online coupon site LivingSocial. MORE
To ensure first mover advantage, the schedule was extremely aggressive. Each site involved in global innovation will see the project through the prism of its own contribution and context, rather than putting the bigger picture first. Or begin building a capability in global innovation now to take advantage of lower development costs, faster time to market, and, most important, the ability to leverage dispersed knowledge to gain competitive advantage. MORE
Not only is it easier to differentiate brands when there is less competition, but also, products introduced during recessions will enjoy a first-mover advantage as the economy recovers. The family business is still widely regarded as an ineffective organizational form (read this , this , or that paper), especially in the US, even though recent evidence challenges this perception. MORE
First, the convenience of predictive shipping makes it much less likely that you purchase the items from a competing retailer as the products are conveniently delivered to your home before you buy them elsewhere. First, they must invest in developing a better understanding of how fast and how far the dial on their prediction machines will turn for their sector and applications. How will AI change strategy? MORE
In this environment, multinationals that are willing to accept some risk and invest in the country could benefit from first-mover advantages – but only if the new administration follows through with much-needed economic reforms. Mnangagwa’s first actions in office underscore how important he views economic recovery. For example, after opening its first store in 2014, fast-food chain KFC recently opened its fifth branch in the country. MORE
The good news: By engaging this market segment and rebuilding trust, health care companies can have a first-mover advantage. They must first develop gender smarts with customers and exhibit the behaviors women seek, as decision makers, to serve their needs. What is the greatest impediment preventing Americans from getting good health care? Surprisingly, it’s not the cost of care. MORE
That competitive advantages are becoming ever more transient and that the secret to survival will be to the ability to transform on a dime? It chronicles Steve Jobs’ first public introduction of the brand new Macintosh, which happened in January 1984 at Jonathan’s Society in Boston. One lesson from this is that real competitive advantage is enormously long-lived. In it, he talked about the competitive advantage of Southwest Airlines, Vanguard Group and Progressive Insurance. MORE
Given that news, it seems that businesses that have dominated their markets are learning that the magic elixir of network effects and winner-takes-all advantages are about as reliable as cures for baldness. In turn, the first mover experiences explosive growth and assumes a dominant market position while earning wonderful profits. And even if it did make that bet, the winner-takes-all business could credibly threaten to drop its prices at the first sight of competition. MORE
Innovation focused on first-mover advantage, not price point. In Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon , a classic but fictional town in Minnesota, "all the children are above average." When it comes to growth in a stagnating global economy, clearly most corporate executives tend to see their own prospects in a similar way. MORE
The mantra of “ first-mover advantage ,” the idea that winners are the ones who are the first entrants in their markets, became the conventional wisdom in Silicon Valley. First movers didn’t understand customer problems or the product features that solved those problems (what we now call product-market fit). CSA Images/Colin McPherson/Getty Images. NewTV, a new company focused on short-form video, just raised $1 billion dollars. MORE
In the second quarter of 2018, its international streaming revenues exceeded domestic streaming revenues for the first time. In France and India, for example, homegrown leaders offer local-language video content, thus depriving Netflix of first-mover advantage. and Netflix has managed to make inroads into even those markets where Prime arrived first. Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images. MORE
The good news for Microsoft is that it has a first-mover advantage, and can evaluate its platform partnerships to decide which third parties should be acquired, which should be exclusively available on Outlook, and which should be more tightly integrated. Email as we know it is changing—and so is Microsoft’s strategy for its cornerstone product, Outlook. MORE
Despite what many think, there are not generically great ways to win — e.g., being a first mover or a fast follower or a branded player or a cost leader. A How to Win choice based on superior scale is not going to be useful if the Where to Play choice is to concentrate on a narrow niche — because that would undermine an attempted scale advantage. MORE
Our study clearly shows that great leadership is a strong competitive advantage, with the top 20 BCL firms far outperforming the S&P 500 benchmark on shareholder returns. Toyota's decade-long investment in its Prius sub-brand ultimately succeeded in strengthening the company's reputation as a respected product innovator while allowing Toyota to capture first-mover advantage in the fast-growing hybrid category. MORE
Our conclusion is supported by the fact that in each of the first three five-year intervals in the 21st century, 2001−2005, 2005−2010, and 2011−2015, the largest number of net delists, defined as the number of delisting firms minus the number of listing firms, occurred in software, electronics, and computer industry. Such acquisitions become more lucrative with rising first-mover advantages, pace of technological development, and network externality. MORE
Starting off on the right foot is crucial, especially during "the first 100 days," when new top executives are under intense scrutiny to prove they're equal to the job. An incoming CEO of an entertainment company, eager to secure first-mover advantage, instituted an ambitious growth strategy and set specific targets for managers. Perhaps the most dangerous myth of all is that a new CEO's worth can be judged in the "first 100 days." MORE
I know about this kind of thing first-hand. We were unable to capitalize on first mover advantage. But first mover advantage is a simplistic tenet of global strategy. On the other hand, eBay wanted to confer advantage from its global codebase and international presence — new site functionality was rolled out to all countries every two weeks and, very importantly, local sellers'' items were given exposure to buyers all around the world. MORE
Paul Kennedy's seminal Rise and Fall of the Great Powers captures the way technological and economic advances have converted into strategic advantage, and how failure to "lock in" that edge accelerates imperial decline. But America's edge is eroding fast as it struggles to keep first-mover advantage over its innovations. Five thousand years ago, use of the wheel began to spread from Mesopotamia across Eurasia, revolutionizing transport and enabling chariot warfare. MORE
In the second quarter of 2018, its international streaming revenues exceeded domestic streaming revenues for the first time. In France and India, for example, homegrown leaders offer local-language video content, thus depriving Netflix of first-mover advantage. and Netflix has managed to make inroads into even those markets where Prime arrived first. Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images. MORE
They may be strategizing their way to first mover advantages and positions that leave few if any attractive options in the market. When I ask business executives about their company's strategy — or about an apparent lack thereof — they often respond that they can't or won't do strategy because their operating environment is changing so much. There isn't enough certainty, they argue, to be able to do strategy effectively. MORE
Within the first 5 years of its founding, Amancio Ortega, the founder of Zara figured out the responsiveness and speed were key to dominance in apparel retail as opposed to costs so Zara produced in expensive locations and used expensive shipping modes to react to trends faster. Before long, despite all the first mover advantages of Viagra, the competitors reduced Viagra's market share from over 90% to around 50%. MORE
To ensure first mover advantage, the schedule was extremely aggressive. Each site involved in global innovation will see the project through the prism of its own contribution and context, rather than putting the bigger picture first. Or begin building a capability in global innovation now to take advantage of lower development costs, faster time to market, and, most important, the ability to leverage dispersed knowledge to gain competitive advantage. MORE
In many markets around the world, companies have the chance to seize a first-mover advantage by investing early in this growing consumer touch point, much in the same way that companies that made early, scaled investments in TV advertising in its youngest years secured long-term cost advantages. We've seen this first-hand with the performance of our app, "Twist, Lick and Dunk," a mobile game that digitally re-imagines the childhood tradition of how to eat OREOs. MORE
Its story starts like many success stories do: An innovative concept coupled with a first-mover advantage, enabling a rapid physical expansion and generating increasing returns to scale. The strategy had moderate success at first: Sales and assets grew gradually, while profitability remained stable and even grew slightly. Companies tend to repeat what has worked for them in the past. MORE
Blockchain startups raised over $5 billion in 2017 through ICOs and over $12 billion through the first three quarters of 2018. Those benefits fall into three categories: To jumpstart network effects that provide a first-mover advantage: Many of the projects being built using blockchain technology are “protocols” that govern the interactions between users in a decentralized autonomous network. Renee Comet/Getty Images. MORE
First mover advantage by proactively stopping tobacco sales before they need to. Social Good had nothing to do with CVS’ decision not to sell cigarettes. CVS announced that it will discontinue selling cigarettes by the middle of 2014. It is tempting to think that social good played a role in this decision. After all, smoking is the number 1 cause of preventable cancer deaths, and by discouraging smoking , CVS is saving lives. MORE
Long-term: Work with academia or a third party to solve a high-impact use case (augmented human decision making in a key knowledge worker role, for example) with bleeding-edge AI technology to potentially capture a sizable first-mover advantage. There’s still time to make AI a competitive advantage. Photo by Aaron Burson. MORE
Clearly there is a first mover advantage in some cases: Chris Brogan developed a passionate following as an early blogger, and Guy Kawasaki jumped onboard Twitter and became a powerhouse there. I recently got back from the New Media Expo in Las Vegas. Scheduled before the massive annual CES gathering, it's a powwow for bloggers and other social media enthusiasts, early adopters who are quick to jump on board the next great thing. MORE
First-mover Advantage Related Topics The Idolbuster
FEBRUARY 6, 2014
First mover advantage by proactively stopping tobacco sales before they need to. Social Good had nothing to do with CVS’ decision not to sell cigarettes. CVS announced that it will discontinue selling cigarettes by the middle of 2014. It is tempting to think that social good played a role in this decision. After all, smoking is the number 1 cause of preventable cancer deaths, and by discouraging smoking , CVS is saving lives.
Harvard Business
MAY 4, 2016
Given that news, it seems that businesses that have dominated their markets are learning that the magic elixir of network effects and winner-takes-all advantages are about as reliable as cures for baldness. In turn, the first mover experiences explosive growth and assumes a dominant market position while earning wonderful profits. And even if it did make that bet, the winner-takes-all business could credibly threaten to drop its prices at the first sight of competition.
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Harvard Business
AUGUST 27, 2018
Our conclusion is supported by the fact that in each of the first three five-year intervals in the 21st century, 2001−2005, 2005−2010, and 2011−2015, the largest number of net delists, defined as the number of delisting firms minus the number of listing firms, occurred in software, electronics, and computer industry. Such acquisitions become more lucrative with rising first-mover advantages, pace of technological development, and network externality.
Harvard Business
AUGUST 28, 2017
Long-term: Work with academia or a third party to solve a high-impact use case (augmented human decision making in a key knowledge worker role, for example) with bleeding-edge AI technology to potentially capture a sizable first-mover advantage. There’s still time to make AI a competitive advantage. Photo by Aaron Burson.
Harvard Business
OCTOBER 3, 2017
First, the convenience of predictive shipping makes it much less likely that you purchase the items from a competing retailer as the products are conveniently delivered to your home before you buy them elsewhere. First, they must invest in developing a better understanding of how fast and how far the dial on their prediction machines will turn for their sector and applications. How will AI change strategy?
Harvard Business
AUGUST 20, 2018
The mantra of “ first-mover advantage ,” the idea that winners are the ones who are the first entrants in their markets, became the conventional wisdom in Silicon Valley. First movers didn’t understand customer problems or the product features that solved those problems (what we now call product-market fit). CSA Images/Colin McPherson/Getty Images. NewTV, a new company focused on short-form video, just raised $1 billion dollars.
Harvard Business
APRIL 3, 2017
Despite what many think, there are not generically great ways to win — e.g., being a first mover or a fast follower or a branded player or a cost leader. A How to Win choice based on superior scale is not going to be useful if the Where to Play choice is to concentrate on a narrow niche — because that would undermine an attempted scale advantage.
|
Harvard Business
OCTOBER 12, 2018
In the second quarter of 2018, its international streaming revenues exceeded domestic streaming revenues for the first time. In France and India, for example, homegrown leaders offer local-language video content, thus depriving Netflix of first-mover advantage. and Netflix has managed to make inroads into even those markets where Prime arrived first. Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images.
Harvard Business Review
FEBRUARY 3, 2014
That competitive advantages are becoming ever more transient and that the secret to survival will be to the ability to transform on a dime? It chronicles Steve Jobs’ first public introduction of the brand new Macintosh, which happened in January 1984 at Jonathan’s Society in Boston. One lesson from this is that real competitive advantage is enormously long-lived. In it, he talked about the competitive advantage of Southwest Airlines, Vanguard Group and Progressive Insurance.
Harvard Business Review
AUGUST 18, 2015
The good news for Microsoft is that it has a first-mover advantage, and can evaluate its platform partnerships to decide which third parties should be acquired, which should be exclusively available on Outlook, and which should be more tightly integrated. Email as we know it is changing—and so is Microsoft’s strategy for its cornerstone product, Outlook.
Harvard Business
NOVEMBER 7, 2018
Blockchain startups raised over $5 billion in 2017 through ICOs and over $12 billion through the first three quarters of 2018. Those benefits fall into three categories: To jumpstart network effects that provide a first-mover advantage: Many of the projects being built using blockchain technology are “protocols” that govern the interactions between users in a decentralized autonomous network. Renee Comet/Getty Images.
Harvard Business
DECEMBER 28, 2017
In this environment, multinationals that are willing to accept some risk and invest in the country could benefit from first-mover advantages – but only if the new administration follows through with much-needed economic reforms. Mnangagwa’s first actions in office underscore how important he views economic recovery. For example, after opening its first store in 2014, fast-food chain KFC recently opened its fifth branch in the country.
Harvard Business Review
JANUARY 23, 2013
Clearly there is a first mover advantage in some cases: Chris Brogan developed a passionate following as an early blogger, and Guy Kawasaki jumped onboard Twitter and became a powerhouse there. I recently got back from the New Media Expo in Las Vegas. Scheduled before the massive annual CES gathering, it's a powwow for bloggers and other social media enthusiasts, early adopters who are quick to jump on board the next great thing.
|
Harvard Business Review
JANUARY 8, 2013
They may be strategizing their way to first mover advantages and positions that leave few if any attractive options in the market. When I ask business executives about their company's strategy — or about an apparent lack thereof — they often respond that they can't or won't do strategy because their operating environment is changing so much. There isn't enough certainty, they argue, to be able to do strategy effectively.
Harvard Business Review
OCTOBER 4, 2012
To ensure first mover advantage, the schedule was extremely aggressive. Each site involved in global innovation will see the project through the prism of its own contribution and context, rather than putting the bigger picture first. Or begin building a capability in global innovation now to take advantage of lower development costs, faster time to market, and, most important, the ability to leverage dispersed knowledge to gain competitive advantage.
Harvard Business Review
OCTOBER 4, 2012
To ensure first mover advantage, the schedule was extremely aggressive. Each site involved in global innovation will see the project through the prism of its own contribution and context, rather than putting the bigger picture first. Or begin building a capability in global innovation now to take advantage of lower development costs, faster time to market, and, most important, the ability to leverage dispersed knowledge to gain competitive advantage.
Harvard Business Review
AUGUST 6, 2012
Our study clearly shows that great leadership is a strong competitive advantage, with the top 20 BCL firms far outperforming the S&P 500 benchmark on shareholder returns. Toyota's decade-long investment in its Prius sub-brand ultimately succeeded in strengthening the company's reputation as a respected product innovator while allowing Toyota to capture first-mover advantage in the fast-growing hybrid category.
Harvard Business Review
JULY 25, 2012
Its story starts like many success stories do: An innovative concept coupled with a first-mover advantage, enabling a rapid physical expansion and generating increasing returns to scale. The strategy had moderate success at first: Sales and assets grew gradually, while profitability remained stable and even grew slightly. Companies tend to repeat what has worked for them in the past.
Harvard Business Review
APRIL 29, 2013
I know about this kind of thing first-hand. We were unable to capitalize on first mover advantage. But first mover advantage is a simplistic tenet of global strategy. On the other hand, eBay wanted to confer advantage from its global codebase and international presence — new site functionality was rolled out to all countries every two weeks and, very importantly, local sellers'' items were given exposure to buyers all around the world.
Harvard Business Review
JANUARY 30, 2012
Starting off on the right foot is crucial, especially during "the first 100 days," when new top executives are under intense scrutiny to prove they're equal to the job. An incoming CEO of an entertainment company, eager to secure first-mover advantage, instituted an ambitious growth strategy and set specific targets for managers. Perhaps the most dangerous myth of all is that a new CEO's worth can be judged in the "first 100 days."
Harvard Business Review
APRIL 7, 2014
Not only is it easier to differentiate brands when there is less competition, but also, products introduced during recessions will enjoy a first-mover advantage as the economy recovers. The family business is still widely regarded as an ineffective organizational form (read this , this , or that paper), especially in the US, even though recent evidence challenges this perception.
Harvard Business Review
JANUARY 25, 2011
LivingSocial is not the first to create a compelling coupon offer. Putting aside whether coupon sites are sustainable , all this begs the question of the value of buzz and being a first mover. But a new study shows that no amount of buzz, excitement or first mover's advantage will lead a product to sustained growth. Last month, Amazon invested $175 million in the number two online coupon site LivingSocial.
Harvard Business Review
MAY 28, 2015
The good news: By engaging this market segment and rebuilding trust, health care companies can have a first-mover advantage. They must first develop gender smarts with customers and exhibit the behaviors women seek, as decision makers, to serve their needs. What is the greatest impediment preventing Americans from getting good health care? Surprisingly, it’s not the cost of care.
Harvard Business Review
NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Innovation focused on first-mover advantage, not price point. In Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon , a classic but fictional town in Minnesota, "all the children are above average." When it comes to growth in a stagnating global economy, clearly most corporate executives tend to see their own prospects in a similar way.
Harvard Business Review
MARCH 6, 2013
In many markets around the world, companies have the chance to seize a first-mover advantage by investing early in this growing consumer touch point, much in the same way that companies that made early, scaled investments in TV advertising in its youngest years secured long-term cost advantages. We've seen this first-hand with the performance of our app, "Twist, Lick and Dunk," a mobile game that digitally re-imagines the childhood tradition of how to eat OREOs.
Harvard Business Review
DECEMBER 5, 2012
Within the first 5 years of its founding, Amancio Ortega, the founder of Zara figured out the responsiveness and speed were key to dominance in apparel retail as opposed to costs so Zara produced in expensive locations and used expensive shipping modes to react to trends faster. Before long, despite all the first mover advantages of Viagra, the competitors reduced Viagra's market share from over 90% to around 50%.
Harvard Business Review
JUNE 12, 2012
Paul Kennedy's seminal Rise and Fall of the Great Powers captures the way technological and economic advances have converted into strategic advantage, and how failure to "lock in" that edge accelerates imperial decline. But America's edge is eroding fast as it struggles to keep first-mover advantage over its innovations. Five thousand years ago, use of the wheel began to spread from Mesopotamia across Eurasia, revolutionizing transport and enabling chariot warfare.
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