1) Crossing the Chasm: This book is good but a little dry. I almost put it away for good a few times but I persevered and made it 3/4 of the way in. The distribution/pricing chapter got to me though. I had no idea what he was talking about. However, there are some seminal ideas in this book overall.
A lot of these techniques/ideas can be applied on a smaller scale; for instance, in my own position as an analyst pushing out a new product so we get more users.
- He advocates the idea of creating user stories very similar to user profiles in usability testing.
- Whole product marketing is another concept that can be applied. If I tackle the beachhead users, I need to make sure I fulfill all their needs. They'll be my references so that I can move on and win my other customers.
- And of course, just deciding on the beachhead is a big decision. You need to FOCUS on which segment you want to win. You can't tackle all your customers at once.
2) Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
I haven't yet read this book but it's on my queue. Even before I heard of the book, it came to me in a flash that the single biggest obstacle to success is lack of execution. Every Tom, Dick & Harry has a new plan, a new strategy that if they get their way and implement, then things would work out. But give Tom, Dick or Harry that chance, and you'll see 9 times out of 10, they'll kick the strategy off, give a few high level commands and assume it's done. They'll then move on to other areas where they can tout other high-level strategic initiatives. Tom, Dick & Harry have no follow-through. They think their jobs are done and move on to conquer the rest of the world. The sad reality is that without the actual will to implement, enforce and measure, their strategies end up being only mere words and now Ray, Jim & Frank are waiting in the wings to kick off their own set of initiatives. And here we go again...
