FourWeekMBA (Gennaro Cuofano)

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	Date	Titre	Durée
	31 Mar 2019	The Ghostwriting Business Model With Zara Altair
Zara Altair creator of Zara Altair Writes. Author of multiple books on Amazon and professional Ghost Writer. Zara loves writing. Future authors appreciate her years of experience and collaborative spirit for ghostwritten books. Website owners and their website designers appreciate her knowledge and skill creating semantically optimized text. She accomplishes the dual purpose of writing to customers and increasing search engine attention. Zara lives among trees and wildlife in Oregon where she appreciates her rich surroundings. She has two grown children and loves to travel. She will explain to us how the business of ghostwriting works!
	01 May 2019	Amazon Business Model In A Nutshell
Amazon has a diversified business model. In 2018, online stores contributed to nearly 52% of Amazon revenues, followed by Physical Stores, Third-party Seller Services, AWS, Subscription Services, and Advertising revenues.
	04 May 2019	Facebook Business Model In A Nutshell
In collaboration with #SEOisAEO podcast, hosted by the great Jason Barnard. Gennaro Cuofano explores the key aspects of Facebook Business Model. Facebook makes money with an advertising business model. Almost all the revenue comes from targeted advertising. Indeed, Facebook revenue breakdown in 2018 was: Advertising (over 98% of revenues): it primarily consists of displaying ad products on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and third-party Payments and other fees (less than 2% of total revenues): it consists of the net fee received from developers using Payments infrastructure or revenue from the delivery of virtual reality platform devices and others But there are some others key aspects to take into account to understand Facebook Business Model! Read: How Mobile Advertising Is Driving Facebook Growth Key takeaways Mobile is driving Facebook growth, and now it represents 92% of its total advertising revenues In 2018 Facebook went all into advertising. Its business model isn’t becoming more diversified. Quite the opposite, advertising now represents 98.5% of its revenues Facebook user base (comprising Facebook and Messenger) stalled in the US and Canada Facebook user base kept growing a bit in Europe, and it kept increasing worldwide, thanks to substantial growth in Asia-Pacific (from 828 million users in 2017 to 947 million users in 2018) and in the rest of the world (from 692 million users in 2017, to 750 million users in 2018) Nonetheless, a stalled growth in the US & Canada Facebook ARPU grew substantially. Why did that happen? A first clear reason is that Facebook is monetizing via mobile, and it seems a growing number of marketers joined the platform (we can’t know the number from its financials) and those same marketers are spending more. At the same time, Facebook ads are “performing” better Instagram might be driving Facebook growth Facebook got 13% more expensive in 2018, yet not as much as it did back in 2017 when it was 29% more expensive A growing number of marketers are joining the platform and are spending more on ads Marketers might be spending more on ads also due to Facebook cutting off their organic reach. In short, advertising remains the most effective mean to reach an audience on Facebook Facebook profitability stands at 39.6% in 2018, which makes it (for now) a cash cow, even more than Google’s Alphabet (which profitability stand at 22.4% in 2018)
	04 May 2019	Problem/Solution Fit With Ash Maurya
Ash Maurya is a practitioner and entrepreneur. Author of Running Lean, Scaling Lean and the Lean Canvas, built on top of the Business Model Canvas. Ash is also the founder of LEANSTACK. I took the chance to ask Ash a few questions. I tried to limit those as I had so many things I wanted to ask him. And Ash was kind enough to answer all of them! Key takeaways Entrepreneurs are risk-averse Entrepreneurship is about getting in love with the problem Avoid to fall in the innovator’s bias, or getting in love with the solution Demo-sell-build rather than build-demo-sell There is a key metric to assess the success of a business: Traction! Business models can be categorized according to the actors and interactions involved in three kinds: direct, multisided and marketplace Business models are always evolving Searching for the proper business model means making it profitable Look for the smallest market, that is big enough to make your business sustainable You need to be fast from idea to execution, as a few ideas will turn out to be successful
	04 May 2019	Discussing Business Model Innovation With Felix Hofmann, CEO of BMI Lab
In this episode, I took the chance to ask, Felix Hofmann, CEO of the Business Model Innovation Lab, a spin-off from the University of St. Gallen, a few questions about business model innovation and more! To give a bit of context the Business Model Innovation Lab is a spin-off from the University of St. Gallen, from which research, the book “Business Model Navigator,” came up. The Business Model Navigator is one of my favorite books when it comes to understanding business model innovation. Key takeaways from the interview Business model innovation implies a lot of testing and iterations Beware of falling in love with vanity metrics A business model comprises a revenue model, but they are not the same thing A revenue model is part of the “why” dimension of a business model The blueprint of a business model is called a pattern. This needs to be repeatable Often a successful business model implies mixing up several business model patterns Before a business model might become viable it might take up years of experimentation and testing A business model scalability implies two dimensions: internal and external The business models of the future are becoming more about creating ecosystems Thus, circular business models might become dominant in the future Questions: What brought you to study and research business model innovation? Did you find the freemium model to be an effective model in your first start-up? Do you think can we call a business model viable when we’re missing the profit formula? What is for you a good definition of business model? What’s the difference between a business model pattern and the business model? Is business model innovation about mixing up those patterns and blueprints? How does business model scalability work? Are there business models that you see will be dominating in the future? Are there any interesting business model patterns that you notice so far in the blockchain world? Is there any person, academics, that you suggest following from the business modeling side? Is there a companion book that you suggest reading together of course with the “Business Model Navigator?” Key takeaways from the interview Suggested readings from the interview A glance at the business model patterns from the Business Model Navigator
	10 Jul 2019	Pretotyping Methodology To Avoid Business Failure With Alberto Savoia
Alberto Savoia is the former Innovation Agitator and Engineering Director at Google, and Innovation Lecturer at Stanford. Founder of Pretotype Labs. He is also the author of a book that I loved, which is “The Right It: why so many fail and how to make sure yours succeed.” I took the chance to ask Alberto a few questions, and he was very kind to answer them all! Contents: How did you get passionate about understanding why startups fail? What is your background? What is pretotyping, and how did you find out about it? How different is pretotyping from prototyping? What’s the IBM Text-To-Speech and why it mattered so much to your idea of pretotyping? How did you manage to help people embrace projects which were highly risky? Why then it matters to get out from Thoughtland and why you need to collect your own data? What companion business books (to The Right It) do you suggest? Is there any business person nor entrepreneur you suggest following? What are you working next?
	10 Jul 2019	How To Build A Successful Business Model With Dr. Adam J. Bock
Dr. Adam J. Bock is an academic entrepreneur, financier, tech-venturing expert, and co-author of a must-read book which is called The Business Model Book. The Business Model Book is an incredible resource which cut through the noise of understanding how to use business models and business model analysis to start your next venture. With Adam, we went in-depth into the business models world. How did you get into the study of business models? What business models are not? Were business models born with the Internet? (A brief history of business models) What are some other common myths that surround business models? Is business models analysis a primary tool for business experimentation? What’s a definition or effective definition of business models? The academic definition The entrepreneurial definition What are some of the business models tools available, and how to use them? The lean canvas as an early stage business model tool RTVN framework for a very early stage venture What are the SHaRP resources and why they matter? What’s the customer journey map and why it matters? What’s a business model narrative, and why it is essential? What are some of the key obstacles to designing a great business model? Suggested reading
	11 Jul 2019	The Creative Curve With Allen Gannett
Today we have here, Allen Gannett. He’s the Chief Strategy Officer of Skyword, founder of TrackMaven, which is a big data analytics company; and he’s also the author of “The Creative Curve“. A book that I loved and I suggest everyone reading it. And today we’re actually going to explore with Allen, the insights about creativity, how it works. And also the misconceptions we all have about how creativity works. So thank you for being with us today Allen. For the full transcript go to: fourweekmba.com/creative-curve-allen-gannet/
	11 Jul 2019	Inside Digital Transformation With David L. Rogers
David L. Rogers, is an author, speaker, and consultant. He is the Faculty Director of the Digital Business Strategy and Leadership at Columbia Business School. And he is also the author of a fantastic book which is The Digital Transformation Playbook. This is a must-read because it helps you to understand how the business world has changed. I asked David a few key questions to understand what digital transformation is really about! How did you get into digital transformation? What are the myths surrounding digital transformation? How can we define digital transformation? What is it really about? How do you think the business strategy world has changed? What are the five domains of business strategy in the digital era? Customers Competition Data Innovation Value How have customers changed in the digital era? What are the customers’ core behaviors in the digital era? Access Engage Customize Connect Collaborate What is the business model most suited for this digital era? What are the fundamental principles for a successful digital strategy? Key takeaways Conclusion
	28 Jul 2019	Inside The Lean Startup With Ash Maurya
Ash Maurya is a practitioner and entrepreneur. Author of Running Lean, Scaling Lean and the Lean Canvas, built on top of the Business Model Canvas. Ash is also the founder of LEANSTACK. In this session, we focused on continuous innovation and scaling lean. Contents How did we go from lean manufacturing to continuous innovation? What’s the key difference between an entrepreneur and a scientist? What are the key ingredients for an effective entrepreneurial experiment? Why monetization is a building block you want to test early on? What can we learn from the early Facebook on monetization and execution? How did Tesla instead execute a staged rollout? How do you go from problem/solution fit to scale? When is the right time, if there’s any, to take venture capital money? When does it make sense to bootstrap? How do you build the optimal business model? How is traction different from revenue and why is it a key metric? What is throughput accounting, and how it works? How does the 10x growth model work? Why do we need to remove failure from our vocabulary? Key takeaways
	28 Jul 2019	The Art Of Unlearning To Be A Better Businessperson With Barry O’Reilly
Barry O’Reilly, is a business advisor, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and is the author who has pioneered the intersection of business model innovation, product development, organizational design, and culture transformation. Barry is the founder of ExecCamp, the entrepreneurial experience for executives, and management consultancy Antennae. He wrote an amazing book, “Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results” and he is also the author of “Lean Enterprise: How High Performance Organizations Innovate at Scale.” We’re diving deep into “unlearning” and how it can help organizations thrive in this era. Contents How did you get into the study, research and practice of unlearning? A change in mindset What’s the learning organization and what’s unlearning instead? Recognizing what’s not working Learn fast and rapidly innovate Is disruption organizational or it happens at an individual level? How does the Cycle of Unlearning work? Not a one-and-done cycle What are the key characteristics of unlearning? Curiosity Ownership Commitment Recap of the key characteristics to master unlearning What’s status quo leadership and why it might be damgerous? Avoid to just copy and paste frameworks Define the outcomes Build a system to continuous innovation through unlearning How to use the Three Cultures Model to build a successful company? What are unlearning prompts? And why they matter? How do you know you need to unlearn? Is there a number one reason people don’t unlearn? Build a growth mindset Fixed vs. growth mindset Switch the focus from the person to the process Recap about growth vs. fixed mindset What suggestions do you have for executives to bring this process in their organizations? Key takeaways
	28 Jul 2019	Dissecting Innovation With Greg Satell
For this interview, Greg Satell, international keynote speaker, advisor, and the author of a book, which I loved, a best selling book, called “Mapping Innovation: A Playbook for Navigating a Disruptive Age,” has answered a few key questions about innovation strategy and business model innovation. Let’s dive into them! Contents How did you fall in love with the quest for understanding innovation? Is innovation about making quick decisions? What are some of the myths surrounding innovation? How does the Innovation Matrix work? How important is sustaining innovation? In which scenario, the lean startup helps to find the right path toward business innovation? What instead is a classic example of breakthrough innovation? Are tools like Porter’s Five Forces and SWOT Analyses still useful in today’s business landscape? How has the business world changed? Is the business model canvas a useful tool for that? How do we understand ecosystems? How important is to build ecosystems for scaling up a business? Key takeaways
	28 Jul 2019	Dissecting Disruptive Business Models With Thales Teixeira
For this interview, I have with me Thales Teixeira, professor at Harvard Business School and author of “Unlocking the Customer Value Chain,” which is an incredible book and an incredible reading, especially if you’re trying to understand how today’s business world works. I asked Thales a few critical questions to understand the business landscape and each of them uncovers insights that will make you a better business person! Contents What brought you to study business model disruption and business innovation? What’s for you that the most effective definition of a business model? What is the customer value chain and how does that work? What is decoupling and why is it so important? How did Birchbox break the customer value chain? Is disruption about business model innovation? Didn’t Uber start as a tech company? What are the three phases of digital business disruption? Unbundling in a nutshell Disintermediation in a nutshell Summarizing the three waves of unbundling, disintermediation and decoupling How do we know what the consumer is looking for? And how to use decoupling in our favor? The three customers’ currencies How important is branding in consumers’ choices? In this context, are traditional business tools, like Porter’s Five Forces, still useful? How should I start a disruptive company today? Is specialization the key to decoupling? What’s next? Is decoupling the main disruptive force in the coming decade? Key takeaways
	28 Jul 2019	Understanding The Dynamics Of Platform Businesses That Dominate The Market With Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson is the Principal at Applico; he is also the co-author of the best selling book “Modern Monopolies,” which is incredible reading to understand the business model that is dominating today’s business world. With Nick, we explored the dynamics of platform business models. Contents How did you get to study business modeling and the platform business models? How has the business world changed since platform business models dominate? What is a diseconomy of scale? How have economies of scale changed in a world dominated by platform business models? What’s the definition of a platform business model? What is the core transaction? Why is the core transaction so crucial for a platform business model? How are platform business models primarily categorized? Are traditional business strategy tools like Porter’s five forces still useful? How do you build network effects? Uber network effects case study How do you know when you reached the critical mass to scale? Do platform business models create more prominent and larger markets? What’s the critical difference between a modern monopoly to an old monopoly? Is scale an essential element for any platform business model? What suggestion do you have for anyone starting a platform business model from scratch? Key takeaways
	28 Jul 2019	Acquisition Entrepreneurship With Walker Deibel
Walker Deibel, is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. He also the author of a book that is critical to master a framework to become an acquisition entrepreneur: Buy Then Build. With Walker, we covered the key steps to get into the mindset and process of acquiring businesses, to then scale them up further. Contents How did you get started as an acquisition entrepreneur? Inside acquisition entrepreneurship How did the name “acquisition entrepreneur” came up? What are the critical elements for a good acquisition strategy? Lack of urgency Accusatory mindset Create a sense of urgency Pitch the seller What mistakes should you avoid when acquiring a business? Go after a great opportunity A growth mindset is critical Why is not a good idea to start looking for businesses to buy online? What do you suggest to people that are getting started in acquiring other businesses? Understand your strengths but also your weaknesses Visualize the outcome and take action Find your sweet spot Is there an example of the perfect acquisition you’ve made? When does it make sense actually to use leverage to acquire a company?
	28 Jul 2019	Understanding The Dynamics Of Platform Businesses That Dominate The Market With Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson is the Principal at Applico; he is also the co-author of the best selling book “Modern Monopolies,” which is incredible reading to understand the business model that is dominating today’s business world. With Nick, we explored the dynamics of platform business models. Contents How did you get to study business modeling and the platform business models? How has the business world changed since platform business models dominate? What is a diseconomy of scale? How have economies of scale changed in a world dominated by platform business models? What’s the definition of a platform business model? What is the core transaction? Why is the core transaction so crucial for a platform business model? How are platform business models primarily categorized? Are traditional business strategy tools like Porter’s five forces still useful? How do you build network effects? Uber network effects case study How do you know when you reached the critical mass to scale? Do platform business models create more prominent and larger markets? What’s the critical difference between a modern monopoly to an old monopoly? Is scale an essential element for any platform business model? What suggestion do you have for anyone starting a platform business model from scratch? Key takeaways
	04 Aug 2019	What is a business model?
For more you can access the free guide at FourWeekMBA.com What is a business model? A business model is also about how you make money but how you make money isn’t your business model It’s all about business model design What are the primary components of a business model? How many types of business models exist?
	04 Aug 2019	Bullseye Framework For Marketing Channels Experimentation and Prioritization
The bullseye framework is a simple method that enables you to prioritize over the marketing channels that will make your company gain traction. The premise is that when you grow a company from scratch, in most cases, you don’t have a massive marketing budget. This requires a scientific method for marketing experimentation to prioritize on those channels that have the highest potential. Often, this marketing prioritization process will bring you to experiment with new marketing channels which might still be underutilized by your competitors, and for such reason also the ones with the highest potential. The bullseye framework was manufactured by Gabriel Weinberg, Justin Mares, in their book, Traction. Let me give you a bit of background about the story of one of the authors, Gabriel Weinberg, and how they came up with this framework. You find the full free guide here: fourweekmba.com/bullseye-framework/
	04 Aug 2019	Four Myths About Business Models
For more you can access the free guide at FourWeekMBA.com What is a business model? A business model is also about how you make money but how you make money isn’t your business model It’s all about business model design What are the primary components of a business model? How many types of business models exist?
	04 Aug 2019	What Basic Tools Can I Use For Business Model Innovation?
We’ll see a few one-page tools to give entrepreneurs clarity of mind on their overall business to take actions to build a sustainable venture that unlocks value for many players in the long-term. To go more in-depth into the topic, check out: Business model canvas Lean startup canvas Value proposition canvas Blitzscaling business model innovation canvas The business model navigator methodology Other resources for your business: What Is a Business Model? 30 Successful Types of Business Models You Need to Know What Is a Business Model Canvas? Business Model Canvas Explained Blitzscaling Business Model Innovation Canvas In A Nutshell What Is a Value Proposition? Value Proposition Canvas Explained What Is a Lean Startup Canvas? Lean Startup Canvas Explained How to Write a One-Page Business Plan How to Build a Great Business Plan According to Peter Thiel What Is The Most Profitable Business Model? The Era Of Paywalls: How To Build A Subscription Business For Your Media Outlet How To Create A Business Model What Is Business Model Innovation And Why It Matters What Is Blitzscaling And Why It Matters
	04 Aug 2019	How Does A Successful Company Look Like?
Other resources for your business: What Is a Business Model? 30 Successful Types of Business Models You Need to Know What Is a Business Model Canvas? Business Model Canvas Explained Blitzscaling Business Model Innovation Canvas In A Nutshell What Is a Value Proposition? Value Proposition Canvas Explained What Is a Lean Startup Canvas? Lean Startup Canvas Explained How to Write a One-Page Business Plan How to Build a Great Business Plan According to Peter Thiel What Is The Most Profitable Business Model? The Era Of Paywalls: How To Build A Subscription Business For Your Media Outlet How To Create A Business Model What Is Business Model Innovation And Why It Matters What Is Blitzscaling And Why It Matters
	04 Aug 2019	What is Product Market Fit?
Marc Andreessen defined Product/market fit as “being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.” In an article entitled “The only thing that matters” Andreessen also highlights a few points: At any given startup, the team will range from outstanding to remarkably flawed; the product will range from a masterpiece of engineering to barely functional; and the market will range from booming to comatose. The Lean Startup Methodology in a nutshell The Minimum Viable Product in a nutshell Problem/Solution Fit comes first Product-market fit myths Myth #1: Product market fit is always a discrete, big bang event Myth #2: It’s patently obvious when you have product market fit Myth #3: Once you achieve product-market fit, you can’t lose it Myth #4: Once you have product-market fit, you don’t have to sweat the competition Product-market fit tools
	04 Aug 2019	19 Marketing Channels To Grow Your Business
The reference to this session is here: medium.com/@yegg/the-19-channels-you-can-use-to-get-traction-93c762d19339 More on the framework and channels below: Contents Why DuckDuckGo? What is DuckDuckGo? DuckDuckGo at the time of this writing Before DuckDuckGo: Who is Gabriel Weinberg? The Solopreneur’s Way Time for some more tinkering: what did Gabriel Weinberg do after selling his first successful startup? Flipping the switch: The Solo-launch A short interview with DuckDuckGo first user Challenge the Status Quo: How do you make people switch to your service when you’re the last to enter the market? The 19 Channels of Growth: how did DuckDuckGo start to get traction? What is the Bullseye Framework? DuckDuckGo Growth, Explained Stage One, the Billboard Stage Two, Google privacy policy change Stage Three, surveillance revelations How do you make money if you don’t track users? Finding the Hook: privacy as the mission statement
	05 Aug 2019	Flywheel Model: Amazon Business Strategy
The Amazon Flywheel or Amazon Virtuous Cycle is a strategy that leverages on customer experience to drive traffic to the platform and third-party sellers. That improves the selections of goods, and Amazon further improves its cost structure so it can decrease prices which spins the flywheel. This process is well known within Amazon and as explained by Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer this idea was first sketched by Jeff Bezos back in 2001 and would become Amazon marketing strategy for years to come. That contributed to the Amazon business model success. More than a tool this is a mindset, a way to seize opportunities within industries, where inefficiencies are the rule. At the same time, it helps speed up growth by investing as much as possible on customer experience. For more on that: fourweekmba.com/amazon-flywheel/
	05 Aug 2019	Value Proposition Canvas In A Nutshell
Breaking Down Value Proposition In Business Jobs-To-Be-Done Theory of value Value proposition: tell me why I should buy from you It all starts with a profitable and scalable business model The value proposition canvas What is a value in the value proposition canvas? The customer profile Understand what’s important and what’s insignificant about customer jobs Understand what extreme and what’s moderate about customer pains Understand what’s essential and what’s nice to have by generating customer gains The value map It’s all about product-market fit! Alternatives to the value proposition canvas Key takeaway
	05 Aug 2019	Business Model Canvas In A Nutshell
Business model canvas in a nutshell Key partners Key activities Value proposition Customer relationship Customer segment Key resource Distribution channel Cost structure Revenue stream
	07 Aug 2019	Blue Ocean Strategy: Value Innovation In The Era Of Business Model Innovation
Episode offered by FourWeekMBA.com, the leading source of knowledge and insights about business model innovation and digital entrepreneurship.
	07 Aug 2019	Growth Hacking: Mindset, Process And Framework To Speed Up The Growth Of Your Startup
What happens when you use Growth Hacking? What is Growth Hacking and what is not The Growth Hacking Mindset From Personal to Incremental: Two Approaches to Learning The Power of Yet: The Growth Mindset It Got to Be Data-Driven: The Feynman Approach The Method The Skills: Multidisciplinarity is the rule of thumb Growth Hacking is about the whole funnel The Top 20 Tools Suggested Reading Online Course Websites to read People to Follow on Twitter (source stuck study from GrowHack.com)
	08 Aug 2019	Blitzscaling: An Aggressive Business Strategy That Leverages On Speed Over Efficiency In The Face Of Uncertainty
There isn’t a single way to define a business model, and any tool that helps identify it from a different perspective – I argue – is useful for an entrepreneur building a different kind of business. In this article, I’ll focus on the Blitzscaling business model canvas. This is a model based on the concept of Blitzscaling, which is a particular process of massive growth under uncertainty and that prioritizes speed over efficiency and focuses on market domination to create a first-scaler advantage in a scenario of uncertainty. Blitzscaling is not a magic formula Rather than a magic formula that works in each scenario, Blitzscaling follows a framework that revolves around three key ingredients: business model innovation management innovation growth strategy Those three key ingredients of Blitzscaling. What’s Blitzscaling then? There are a few key elements I think are worth highlighting. Related: What Is a Business Model? 30 Successful Types of Business Models You Need to Know
	08 Aug 2019	Pirate Funnel: The Sales Funnel To Analyze, Prioritize, And Execute Your Business Strategy
Venture capitalist, Dave McClure, coined the acronym AARRR which is a simplified model that enables to understand what metrics and channels to look at, at each stage for the users’ path toward becoming customers and referrers of a brand. This funnel goes through: Acquisition Activation Retention Revenue Referral It is important to highlight that this is a model, and as such, it doesn’t represent the actual behaviors of users or customers. Instead, that is a simplification that helps identify the crucial actions and marketing tactics to implement to make sure a user becomes a paying customer. https://fourweekmba.com/pirate-metrics/
	09 Aug 2019	What is Bootstrapping?
What is bootstrapping? Not all businesses can bootstrap The Bootstrapper’s commandments Customers are your investors The company’s vision is in your hands Focus as the North Star Speed of execution Mastery and Passion A little to lose but a lot to gain Salesmanship In it for the long-term Bootstrapping is about survival Start from a proven business model Differentiate from the incumbent What the bootstrapper has that the big corporations don’t? Beware, a bootstrapper is not a freelancer, but an entrepreneur When to play venture capital game? Scale requires money, and network
	09 Aug 2019	What is Venture Capital?
A venture capitalist generally invests in companies and startups which are still in a stage where their business model needs to be proved viable, or they need resources to scale up. Thus, those companies present high risks, but the potential for exponential growth. Therefore, venture capitalists look for startups that can bring a high ROI and high valuation multiples. That’s because of the set of investments venture capitalists make; only a few will succeed. Therefore, they have to place more bets to make the system work in their favor. In the end, the venture capitalist makes money (the so-called exit) by either reselling the stake in the company at a much larger valuation or with the IPO of the company they invested in. When that happens, venture capitalists make substantial returns for their partners. Indeed, the venture capital firm is usually comprised by a group of partners which raised capital from another group of limited partners to invest for them. The limited partners (or LPs) can be either large institutions or wealthy individuals looking for high returns. Usually, venture capital firms invest in growth potential. Therefore, when a startup receives venture capital money, the venture capital firm – usually – expects aggressive growth. Before we get to the advantage and disadvantages of taking venture capital money, let’s first understand the explicit and hidden incentives that drive venture capital firms. Indeed, at the end, taking venture capital money is mostly about interests alignment. And if those interests do not converge, that is when probably it might be not a good idea to take that money. For more: fourweekmba.com/venture-capital-advantages-and-disadvantages/
	09 Aug 2019	Bootstrapping Vs. Venture Capital: What to choose? Episode 1
When does make more sense to use venture capital and when to use bootstrapping to build and grow a company? We'll look at both perspectives in this episode offered by FourWeekMBA.
	09 Aug 2019	Bootstrapping Vs. Venture Capital: What to choose? Episode 2
A venture capitalist generally invests in companies and startups which are still in a stage where their business model needs to be proved viable, or they need resources to scale up. Thus, those companies present high risks, but the potential for exponential growth. Therefore, venture capitalists look for startups that can bring a high ROI and high valuation multiples. That’s because of the set of investments venture capitalists make; only a few will succeed. Therefore, they have to place more bets to make the system work in their favor. In the end, the venture capitalist makes money (the so-called exit) by either reselling the stake in the company at a much larger valuation or with the IPO of the company they invested in. When that happens, venture capitalists make substantial returns for their partners. Indeed, the venture capital firm is usually comprised by a group of partners which raised capital from another group of limited partners to invest for them. The limited partners (or LPs) can be either large institutions or wealthy individuals looking for high returns. Usually, venture capital firms invest in growth potential. Therefore, when a startup receives venture capital money, the venture capital firm – usually – expects aggressive growth. Before we get to the advantage and disadvantages of taking venture capital money, let’s first understand the explicit and hidden incentives that drive venture capital firms. Indeed, at the end, taking venture capital money is mostly about interests alignment. And if those interests do not converge, that is when probably it might be not a good idea to take that money. A bootstrapper isnʼt a particular demographic or even a certain financial situation. Instead, itʼs a state of mind. That is how Seth Godin described bootstrapping in his “The Bootstrapper Bible.” As firms which are venture capital backed get so much media attention, it’s easy to miss the other 99% of businesses out there which made it and which built a sustainable business model by bootstrapping. That’s because by definition firms that are looking for venture capital needs a continuous PR coverage to play the “look cool game” to ease the hand in the pocket of the venture capitalist’s next door. Thus, it’s easy to forget of the army of entrepreneurs that from day one decides to go the other route and first build a viable business model, then and when they feel the time is right (if it ever is) take outside money to scale the business. Let’s start from a simple definition of bootstrapping.
	10 Aug 2019	Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big With Bo Burlingham [Interview]
In today’s session, I had the pleasure to have Bo Burlingham, contributing writer at Forbes, co-founder of the Small Giants Community, former editor-at-large for Inc. Magazine and author of several books among which I really loved and enjoyed Small Giants, which is going to be the topic of this conversation. For the full transcript of the interview: fourweekmba.com/small-giants/
	13 Aug 2019	How do you enter a market controlled by a few dominating players?
Business pills part of the Digital Business Model Podcast, offered by FourWeekMBA.com
	14 Aug 2019	Why Customers And Investors Finance Growth And Traction
Business pills part of the Digital Business Model Podcast, offered by FourWeekMBA.com
	14 Aug 2019	Network Effects: The Competitive Advantage For Platform Business Models
A network effect is a phenomenon in which as more people or users join a platform, the more the value of the service offered by the platform improves for those joining afterward. Why do network effects matter so much? Network effects have become an essential element of a successful digital businesses, for several reasons. First, the Internet itself has become a facilitator for network effects. As it becomes less and less expensive to connect users on platforms, those able to attract them in mass become extremely valuable over time. Also, network effects facilitate scale. As digital businesses and platforms scale, they gain a competitive advantage, as they control more of the total shares of a market. Last but not least, as we will see, network effects are considered among the defendable, or what confers to digital business, a competitive advantage. Where in the past linear businesses gained a competitive advantage by buying assets and controlling supply chains. Digital companies gain competitive advantages by building network effects. Read: Linear Vs. Platform Business Models In A Nutshell Read: fourweekmba.com/network-effects/
	15 Aug 2019	Aha Experience: The Foundation Of An Effective Growth Strategy
The key and foundational element of an effective growth strategy around your product and service is the aha experience! What's that, and why it matters? We'll see it in a new episode of business pills part of the Digital Business Model Podcast, offered by FourWeekMBA.com
	17 Aug 2019	Niche Marketing: Why You Need To Implement This Strategy
Niche marketing is a strategy which premise is to target a subset of a market which can be of various sizes. Where a marketing strategy focused on the whole potential market used to be effective when mass advertising was possible. A niche marketing strategy can help position your brand more efficiently, nowadays. A microniche is a subset of potential customers within a niche. Identifying a microniche nowadays has become critical to kick off the strategy of an online business. Read: https://fourweekmba.com/microniche/ https://fourweekmba.com/niche-marketing/
	18 Aug 2019	How do you know if you need marketing, sales or Both?
In this article, I want to focus on drawing a clear line between sales and marketing. In fact, in some cases, marketing and sales work together, and they are the same thing. Yet in many other cases, you need to keep in mind this distinction if you want to build a successful business. Thus, we’ll see why sales and distribution are critical, how it is different from marketing and how it can also be used as a marketing enabler to leverage for the branding of any company. Read: fourweekmba.com/marketing-vs-sales/
	18 Aug 2019	Business Model Patterns: The Tool To Hack Your Way Through Business Model Innovation
You find the reference to 60 business model patterns here: fourweekmba.com/business-model-generation/
	18 Aug 2019	Pipeline Vs Platforms: Understanding The Two Primary Kinds Of Business Models Existing Nowadays
In this session, I'm drawing from an interview of FourWeekMBA with Sangeet Paul Choudary, co-author of Platform Revolution and author of Platform Scale to grasp the key differences between linear or pipeline business models and platform business models.
	18 Aug 2019	Negative Network Effects: How They Can Influence A Platform Business Model
While positive network effect can help a platform become more and more valuable, thus also help to become more solid. Negative network effects can dilute the value of the platform. That is why in this episode of the Business Pills from FourWeekMBA we'll look at this concept.
	18 Aug 2019	Growth Tools vs Network Effects: Key Differences
In this session of Business Pills offered by FourWeekMBA, we'll look at why it's important to understand the difference between growth tools and network effects, which are often confused.
	19 Aug 2019	Digital Platforms With Sangeet Paul Choudary
Sangeet Paul Choudary is the best selling co-author of Platform Revolution and Platform Scale. Sangeet is also the young global leader at the World Economic Forum and founder at Platform Mission Labs and keynote speaker. What actually drove you to this research into the platform business models? How do you think platform business models have impacted business strategy? What strategic framework can we use to understand the competitive landscape today? What are the key differences from pipeline to platform business models? What are some of the metrics that platform business models need to track? Is there a difference between growth tools and network effects? What are network effects? What are negative network effects? And why it is important to understand them? What is the chicken and egg dilemma? Why is that important? Where should you start to build a platform business model today? What are you working next? Where can people find valuable resources to understand platform business models?
	25 Aug 2019	A Quick Historic Glance At Business Modeling
In this session we explore how the concept of business model evolved over the years. For more go here: fourweekmba.com/what-is-a-business-model/
	05 Sep 2019	A Crash Course In Business Model Innovation
In the last years, I’ve been dissecting business models of any type, and companies of any size. At the same time, I’ve been talking, interviewing, and discussing business model and business model innovation with dozens of entrepreneurs and practitioners. I’ve been doing that for several reasons: To gain a better understanding of businesses around me. As I had the option to gain a Ph.D. on the topic or to create my Ph.D. I went for the latter, and in the process, I thought to document it all on FourWeekMBA. Over time I wanted to create the business school I always dreamed of. Business models enabled me to gain insights into how companies worked at a holistic level so that I could become a better digital entrepreneur. Business modeling also helped me test the assumptions around the business I was trying to build, thus reducing the time or potential financial resources spent on a project which was doomed to failure. In short, I found myself using business modeling for several reasons, and those I believe are all legitimate. At the same time, while researching the topic with the mindset of an entrepreneur but the depth of reach of a Ph.D. I noticed how business model and business model innovation had become widely adopted concepts. And also (and probably for that reason) widely misunderstood. Let me then clarify a few things that I’ve found out over the years, which if you’re starting out; but also if you’re passionate about the topic might help make sense of it. Contents [hide] Business model innovation enables you to create competitive moats A multi-faceted concept Analysts use business models to produce financial analyses Academics study business models for the sake of classifying things Most people confuse business models for business plans Startups confuse business models for monetization strategies Business model innovation is an experimentation mindset for entrepreneurs An entrepreneur is not a scientist Business model innovation is at the same time a mindset, a framework and a set of tools for entrepreneurs Key takeaways Business model innovation enables you to create competitive moats As technology becomes over time a commodity, creating a lasting advantage requiresbusiness model understanding, experimentation, and execution. That’s because business model innovation shifted the focus from the competition; which is what in the last decades we’ve all been looking at with frameworks like Porter’s Five Forces, to customers. Without going through all the reasons why that happened today, business model innovation has become more important than technical innovation. A quick caveat, before we move on. When I say that the focus has shifted to customers, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to understand your competition. It just means you need to start from customers and the problems they face. Only after that, you want to move to competition and what existing alternatives exist. A multi-faceted concept Although we like to give a single definition to each of the concepts we know. Those concepts will adapt based on the context they sit into. In short, that is fine to have multiple definitions of the concept, based on the objective that each practitioner might have. Therefore, it’s okay that a concept translated in several fields will have different meanings. Thus, let’s see some of those meanings. Analysts use business models to produce financial analyses Business modeling can be seen as a technique to dissect any organization and business for analysts and business people trying to gain a better understanding of those businesses. Business and financial analysts use business modeling to have a better understanding of tech companies. They do it to give investment recommendation, financial reviews, and investment advice. Academics study business models for the sake of classifying things For academics, a business model might be just a holistic way to describe a business. And the purpose of an academic might seem more rigorous than an entrepreneur. The academic has to prove the business has certain features that make it different or similar to other businesses. And from those features, the academic will derive classifications, that as they become more and more complex only live in theory land. The research, therefore, doesn’t have necessarily a practical purpose. But instead the goal of uncovering universal classification systems for things in the real world. As such, they might lose a practical application. Most people confuse business models for business plans Among the top results, Google suggests “How to write a business model” when typing “how to … business model. When you click on the result that Google suggested, see what happens. When you click on the Google suggested result for “How to write a business model,” you get “how to write a business plan.” For most people (those that didn’t study the topic), business models often resonate with business plans. I noticed it when I started to research the topic. As Google makes accessible the searching data and behaviors of billions of people, it also adapts to those search behaviors. To my surprise, in the past, I noticed how for the query “how to write a business model,” Google served results around “how to write a business plan.” I’ve learned to appreciate those “mistakes” as Google is a commercial search engine. And as such, it follows what most people search. If collectively people think that a business model is a business plan, Google might enable that to be true. This means that if you are an entrepreneur searching for valuable resources either you are lucky to find the resource you need or you might end up writing a hundred-page business plan which won’t help much with your business. If at all will prevent you from starting it. As you will start making things more complicated than what they should be. Startups confuse business models for monetization strategies An example of how Airbnb “confused” its business model for its monetization strategy(Slideshare) How WeWork described its business model in the report before the IPO. You might notice that what they’re talking about is their revenue generation strategy. (WeWork Financials) And for many startups, business model resonates with monetization strategies. I’m not saying this is right or wrong; it’s just what it is. Overall that is fine. Startup pitches or financial forms are in many cases, also a marketing tool meant to communicate and simplify a concept. Thus, if most investors want to know about your business model but what they mean is how you make money, that is fine to simplify it. However, as an entrepreneur, if you do believe yourself that a business model is how you make money that might limit your options, as all day long you’ll think about monetization strategies, rather than having a more holistic and strategic approach. Business model innovation is an experimentation mindset for entrepreneurs Business model design is not about sketching a plan on a piece of paper, but rather a mindset of experimentation. In business modeling, you can manufacture experiments (business models, and business model variations) that enable the entrepreneur to test the assumptions around the business quickly, cheaply, and with minimum effort. It is important to start testing (as practitioners like Ash Maurya highlighted) from the riskiest assumptions. Those assumptions for which the business might not become sustainable over-time. Things like monetization strategy or key customers understanding are some of the riskiest assumptions , and they need to be tested, quickly. An entrepreneur is not a scientist An entrepreneur has different goals than a scientist. Where the scientist might try to uncover more universal truths. The entrepreneur needs business model experimentation to test the assumptions, uncover market opportunities, reduce the time to market, and eventually build a valuable business. In short, an entrepreneur is a market-driven animal. Rather than starting from theories to find if that is true through experiments. An entrepreneur starts from a problem, and she, or he goes back to theory to understand what are the underlying assumptions which are preventing the business to succeed. Once those assumptions have been streamlined, they can be tested, so that the entrepreneur can move on and make the product or service in target with the market. Business model innovation is at the same time a mindset, a framework and a set of tools for entrepreneurs Business model innovation, therefore, can be seen as a mindset, framework, and a set of tools for entrepreneurs to build relevant businesses in today’s marketplace. Key takeaways Business model innovation is a popular topic, and as such, there are a lot of misconceptions around it. In my research around the topic, I’ve figured the reasons behind those misconceptions and how and why they exist. We also uncovered how business modeling has a meaning based on the reason why you’re using it. At the end of it all, business model innovation is a dynamic concept, at the apex of its evolution, and as such, it’s interesting to see how it can have different meanings and interpretations. At the same time, if you’re an entrepreneur, it’s essential to understand what it can do for you, and this article might clear things up. Read Next: Business Models Guide.
	15 Sep 2019	Inside Digital China With Jeffrey Towson
For this episode, we have with us Jeffrey Towson, a keynote speaker on Digital China and Asia tech trends, a business professor at Peking University and author of a great book, which is really a great reading to have a deeper understanding about China, very quickly. The book is called the One-Hour China Book. Let’s dive into China’s economy and more particularly into China’s digital economy. How did you get to study the Chinese market economy? What are the six mega-trends that shaped and are shaping China’s economy? What are those trends that you see are losing momentum and which ones are the ones that are really gaining momentum? Did this digital megatrend change the way China looks like in terms of society, consumers? How is the Internet affecting modern China? How did the Internet evolve in China compared to the US? How has (digital) word of mouth influenced the way the Chinese digital economy is evolving? Has the Internet also affected Chinese government influence on the economy? What tech companies are you following right now? How does voice search look like in China? For anyone trying to expand and build a digital business in China, what suggestions do you have? What’s the “coolest” thing right now in the digital marketing space in China? What kind of content are Chinese users consuming the most? What sources do you suggest to stay up to date with China’s digital economy? What’s the best way to contact you?
	15 Sep 2019	Inside Digital China With Jeffrey Towson
For this episode, we have with us Jeffrey Towson, a keynote speaker on Digital China and Asia tech trends, a business professor at Peking University and author of a great book, which is really a great reading to have a deeper understanding about China, very quickly. The book is called the One-Hour China Book. Let’s dive into China’s economy and more particularly into China’s digital economy. How did you get to study the Chinese market economy? What are the six mega-trends that shaped and are shaping China’s economy? What are those trends that you see are losing momentum and which ones are the ones that are really gaining momentum? Did this digital megatrend change the way China looks like in terms of society, consumers? How is the Internet affecting modern China? How did the Internet evolve in China compared to the US? How has (digital) word of mouth influenced the way the Chinese digital economy is evolving? Has the Internet also affected Chinese government influence on the economy? What tech companies are you following right now? How does voice search look like in China? For anyone trying to expand and build a digital business in China, what suggestions do you have? What’s the “coolest” thing right now in the digital marketing space in China? What kind of content are Chinese users consuming the most? What sources do you suggest to stay up to date with China’s digital economy? What’s the best way to contact you?
	25 Sep 2019	Inside Shenzhen Digital Economy With Johan Nylander
What drove you to research Shenzhen tech landscape? Is Silicon Valley in trouble now that Shenzhen is becoming a key player in the global digital economy? Will Shenzhen economy become also a key player in the software space? How did Shenzhen rise to the top? Why is it important to understand China in terms of clusters? What companies most represent the rise of Shenzen? Why is it important to understand the Shenzhen entrepreneurial mindset? Where would you need to start if you wanted to build a business in Shenzen? What are some of the biggest risks to be aware of doing business in China? What’s coming next for Shenzhen? What are you working next? Suggested reading Audio interview
	28 Sep 2019	Microsoft Business Model: Is Microsoft Just About Windows And Office Or There Is More To It?
Micro-soft, the name Who owns Microsoft? What is the Microsoft pay mix? What are Microsoft Segments? Productivity and business processes Intelligent cloud More personal computing Corporate and other Microsoft revenues breakdown for 2018 How does Microsoft really make money? How Does LinkedIn make money? What is Azure? How the Microsoft cloud service is growing at a fast speed How much money does Bing make? GitHub acquisition: how will Microsoft monetize that? What are the Microsoft distribution channels? Does Microsoft spend more on Research and Development or Sales and Marketing? What are Microsoft top products and services? Is Microsoft still innovating? Key takeaways from the Microsoft business model
	28 Sep 2019	Who Is Dominating The Digital Advertising Space?
Referenced and reads on the topic: The Power of Google Business Model in a Nutshell How Does Google Make Money? It’s Not Just Advertising! How Does DuckDuckGo Make Money? DuckDuckGo Business Model Explained How Amazon Makes Money: Amazon Business Model in a Nutshell How Does Netflix Make Money? Netflix Business Model Explained How Does Spotify Make Money? Spotify Business Model In A Nutshell The Trillion Dollar Company: Apple Business Model In A Nutshell DuckDuckGo: The [Former] Solopreneur That Is Beating Google at Its Game How Does Facebook Make Money? Facebook Hidden Revenue Business Model Explained
	28 Sep 2019	Is WeWork Business Model Viable?
li.li1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #000000} span.s2 {font-kerning: none} span.s3 {font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000} In this episode about WeWork we'll look at: Is there a private valuation bubble? Why timing is all The financial prospectus as a marketing document, and the wework buzzwords Bad financials and bottom-line Is WeWork a tech company? Addressable market, how big? How's WeWork different from a commercial real estate company?
	29 Sep 2019	Is Amazon Profitable?
Amazon profitability 1994-2018 Amazon Business Model What Is the Receivables Turnover Ratio? How Amazon Receivables Management Helps Its Explosive Growth Amazon Case Study: Why from Product to Subscription You Need to “Swallow the Fish” What Is Cash Conversion Cycle? Amazon Cash Machine Business Model Explained Why Is AWS so Important for Amazon Future Business Growth? Amazon Flywheel: Amazon Virtuous Cycle In A Nutshell Amazon Value Proposition In A Nutshell Why Amazon Is Doubling Down On AWS The Economics Of The Amazon Seller Business In A Nutshell How Much Is Amazon Advertising Business Worth? What Is the Cost per First Stream Metric? Amazon Prime Video Revenue Model Explained Jeff Bezos Teaches You When Judgment Is Better Than Math And Data Alibaba vs. Amazon Compared in a Single Infographic Amazon Mission Statement and Vision Statement In A Nutshell The Amazon Leadership Principles Crafted By Jeff Bezos
	29 Sep 2019	Is Netflix Profitable?
Show notes: Is Netflix Profitable? An analysis beyond profits How Does Netflix Make Money? Netflix Business Model Explained
	07 Oct 2019	Why Revealed Preferences Matter In Business
How do you understand what people really want? How do you uncover unsaid truths? How do you build an effective product that people want? The answer to all these questions is all about revealed preferences.
	20 Oct 2019	How Big Is The Digital Advertising Market
Read more at: fourweekmba.com/digital-advertising-market/
	20 Oct 2019	Are Social Media Changing? And Will TikTok Kill Instagram?
Read more: Fourweekmba.com/tiktok-business-model/
	20 Oct 2019	Grammarly Is Worth A Billion: A Look At Grammarly Business Model
Read: fourweekmba.com/how-does-grammarly-make-money/
	02 Nov 2019	Blockchain And Super Platforms With Jerry Cuomo, Vice President of IBM Blockchain Technologies
What drove you to focus on a blockchain? What are the key elements of the Enterprise Blockchain? Blockchain in a nutshell A crash course in Enterprise Blockchain How do you need to change the mindset in a blockchain-driven business world? Does the blockchain make centralized platforms irrelevant? Or is it an evolution of them? What is a Minimum Viable Ecosystem (MVE) and how to kick it off? How does the blockchain inject trust in a business model? How does economics change? Key takeaways and quotes
	27 Dec 2019	Inside “The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business” With Elaine Pofeldt
How did you get to research one-person one-million businesses? What are some of the factors that really push people to start their own solo business in the first place? What are the primary business models of solo businesses? But tell me your experiences as well, also on your side. What do you think? How do you build the branding for a solo business if you have very few financial resources? What do you think is probably the less risky way to build your solo business? How do you know when it’s the right moment to move full time on your side hustle? What would you suggest to someone who actually trying to start a side hustle today? Key takeaways Key resource
	29 Feb 2020	China Business Trends With Rebecca A. Fannin
What drove your interest in Chinese tech giants in the first place? Can you tell us a bit more about the current scenario for China’s tech giants? What other Chinese tech companies are your following? Is Facebook TikTok’s copy enough as a counterattack? Where are Chinese tech companies investing right now? China is also investing a lot in India, right? Is there any template China is using to invest in India? Why mini-programs are so important to understand the rise of super apps? Are there examples of US companies that successfully entered China? What about companies that failed to enter the Chinese market? Are there upcoming China’s tech giants? Are there any business people in China you suggest following? Do you have any suggestions for anyone who is willing to start a business with dealing as well with China? Final remarks
	13 Mar 2020	Constructive Paranoia In A Nutshell By FourWeekMBA
For more https://fourweekmba.com/
	13 Mar 2020	Customer Value Chain In A Nutshell By FourWeekMBA
For more https://fourweekmba.com/
	13 Mar 2020	Inside PlatformLand With FourWeekMBA
Business pills part of the Digital Business Model Podcast, offered by FourWeekMBA
	13 Mar 2020	Scale And Business Models By FourWeekMBA
Business pills part of the Digital Business Model Podcast, offered by FourWeekMBA.com
	13 Mar 2020	Coronavirus And Forced Digitalization
Business pills part of the Digital Business Model Podcast, offered by FourWeekMBA.com
	08 May 2020	Partnership Marketing In A Nutshell
https://fourweekmba.com/partnership-marketing/
	03 Feb 2022	1. The History of AOL with Gerry Campbell [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:09:25
In this episode, we explore the evolution of the Internet, from the perspective of AOL, and the rise of the first big tech giants. And how new players, like search engines, took over at the end of Web 1.0.
	08 Feb 2022	2. The History of PayPal with Jimmy Soni [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:19:21
PayPal was born as the merger of two early Internet startups, Confinity (founded by Max Levchin and Peter Thiel) and X.com (founded by Elon Musk). Both companies stumbled on a commercial killer feature (enabling Internet payments via email) and ended up being extremely useful on a nascent auction platform: eBay. From the merger of these companies, PayPal was born. And it wrote the Internet business playbook for startups. In this episode, we see the history of the early years with the author of The Founders, Jimmy Soni.
	13 Feb 2022	3. The Ethereum Story With Matthew Leising [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:17:10
Ethereum was launched in 2015 with its cryptocurrency, Ether, as an open-source, blockchain-based, decentralized platform software. Smart contracts are enabled, and Distributed Applications (dApps) get built without downtime or third-party disturbance. It also helps developers build and publish applications as it is also a programming language running on a blockchain.
	13 Feb 2022	4. The WeWork Scandal With Eliot Brown [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	00:00:01
WeWork was one of the most valuable startups in the 2010s, as it grew to become a multi-billion dollar company by 2015. It claimed it run a business model called space-as-a-service and it had managed to secure billions of dollars in investments from venture capital, mutual funds, and the most prominent tech investment funds until it almost went bankrupt as it tried to IPO in 2019.
	13 Feb 2022	What Happened To WeWork?	00:30:30
This is a recap of the WeWork story. The full episode is here. Or here: https://fourweekmba.com/wework-scandal/ https://fourweekmba.com/what-happened-to-wework/
	15 Feb 2022	5. The History of SpaceX With Eric Berger [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	00:56:31
Initially an outsider, SpaceX has become the dominant player in the space industry. Started in 2002, by Elon Musk, after the exit from PayPal, SpaceX has changed the whole space industry, with its reusable rockets, and its ability to bring iterative design, in a hardware-heavy industry.
	28 Feb 2022	6. The History of Trader Joe’s With Patty Civalleri [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:01:45
Trader Joe's is an American chain of grocery stores, founded by Joe Coulombe, in Pasadena, in 1967. Trader Joe's evolved from a first small chain called Pronto Markets, which eventually led to Trader Joe's, the grocery store chain guaranteeing quality and low prices by leveraging intensive buying and virtual distribution and by targeting what Joe Coulombe called the overeducated, and underpaid, which was a niche market in the 1960s and yet it turned out to become the American middle class.
	02 Mar 2022	7. The History of Bell Labs With Jon Gertner [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:00:37
Between the end of the 1800s and until the 1950-60s, Bell Labs played a crucial role in developing the most critical innovations (from scaling the phone business to the first transistors), it revolutionized various industries. It opened the way to information theory and microprocessors. Therefore, giving birth to Silicon Valley.
	09 Mar 2022	8. The History of Passive Investing With Robin Wigglesworth [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:00:02
Passive investing is a long-term investment strategy based on holding securities that mimic the main financial indexes, thus mirroring stock market indexes and holding them long term. It's the opposite philosophy of active investing. Where active investing tries to beat the markets. Passive investing mimics them. The main advantage of this approach is the low-cost structure (given the low frequency of trading) and the lack of management fees that over time might eat up the whole ability of the portfolio to compound.
	29 Mar 2022	9. The History of Tesla, With Tim Higgins [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	00:00:01
Founded in 2003, by Eberhard and Tarpenning, eventually, the initial co-founders left the company, and by 2004, Musk first became the main investor, and thereafter, by 2008, he took over as CEO of the company. Tesla would go through many near-death experiences, until 2018. And yet, by 2021, Tesla became a trillion-dollar company.
	01 Apr 2022	10. The History of Silicon Valley With Federico Faggin [FourWeekMBA Podcast]	01:07:58
The Silicon Valley, an area in the southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, was commercially kicked off in the 1960s when William Shockley, leaving Bell Labs on the east coast, moved to California to start the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory. The company ceased operations by 1960, and yet Shockley had put together a team of people that turned out to found the first wave of semiconductors company, which created the PC market, on top of which the whole Silicon Valley would be built.
	09 May 2022	The Hard Problem Of Competition	00:07:52
Framing business competition in an ambiguous business world
	13 May 2022	11. History of Amazon With Brad Stone	00:53:12
The History of Amazon With Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound
	21 Jun 2023	The Innovation Paradox	00:10:55
For a full picture, check this out: https://thebusinessengineer.org/posts/the-innovation-paradox
	21 Jun 2023	How To Redefine Your Career In The AI Era	00:13:54
How To Redefine Your Career In The AI Era: https://thebusinessengineer.org/posts/moving-through-complexity
	23 Jun 2023	Section 230, Google Business Model, And The Evolution of The Generative AI Industry!	00:28:29
Section 230, Google Business Model, And The Evolution of The Generative AI Industry: https://thebusinessengineer.org/posts/the-end-of-big-tech
	21 Nov 2023	The OpenAI Drama	00:25:04
The OpenAI Drama
	09 Oct 2024	Business Scaling	00:12:54
I'm obsessed with business scaling, but if you're in business, that's the primary domain you'll deal with daily and at a long-term strategic level. Indeed, when it comes to scaling, it'll be critical to understand its nuances as the landscape changes everything (from product development to marketing and sales processes). But what about scaling that makes it so critical for business? Let me explain step by step but before a visual representation of what I’ll cover in this issue! Extract from https://businessengineer.ai/p/business-scale Understanding Business Scaling: A Deep DiveSource: Excerpts from "business scaling! -" by Gennaro Cuofano and FourWeekMBA Section 1: Introduction to Business Scaling This section defines business scaling as the transformation process a business undergoes when its product is validated by increasingly wider market segments. It emphasizes the importance of understanding scaling nuances for business success, as it impacts various aspects, including product development, marketing, and sales. Section 2: The Foundation of Scaling: Product and Target Market This section highlights the significance of a "great product" as the cornerstone of scaling. It emphasizes that a product's greatness is relative to its target market segment. The example of Tesla's initial focus on a niche market of sports car enthusiasts with the Roadster illustrates this concept. Section 3: From Product Validation to Sustainable Business Model This section delves into the crucial step after product validation: establishing a sustainable business model. It emphasizes that even with a validated product, a company might struggle to balance the elements needed for a viable business model. The section stresses that this alignment between product and business model is not linear and often requires trial and error. Section 4: The Role of Organizational Design in Scaling This section focuses on the increasing importance of organizational design as a company scales. It highlights the challenges of coordination as the number of employees grows and emphasizes the need for a scalable organizational structure. The section references Colin Bryar's insights from "Working Backwards" about Amazon's experience with organizational design during rapid growth. Section 5: Phases of Growth and Shifting Focus This section outlines the long-term growth process, highlighting the evolving focus on different aspects as a company scales. It emphasizes that while the product remains central, business model refinement and organizational design require increasing attention at different stages of growth. Section 6: Case Studies: Tesla, Amazon, and a Hypothetical Startup This section presents real-world case studies to illustrate the concepts discussed. Tesla's segmented scaling approach, Amazon's organizational design, and a hypothetical startup's failure due to a lack of a viable business model are presented as examples. Section 7: Additional Real-World Case Studies of Companies That Unlocked Scale This section provides a series of concise case studies of companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, and more. Each case study highlights the company's context, scaling strategy, approach, key highlights, and insights gained from their successful scaling journey. Each case study provides a brief overview of how these companies achieved significant growth and market dominance.
	09 Oct 2024	AI Moats	00:08:44
AI Moats Timeline: This timeline focuses on the evolution of AI business models and competitive strategies as discussed in the provided text. Early December 2022: Text Authored: The provided text, analyzing the developing AI industry and the potential for building competitive moats, is written. Central Question Posed: How can companies build a lasting advantage ("moat") in the AI industry, especially when building upon existing foundational models like ChatGPT? Three Layer Model Proposed: The text introduces a three-layer model for understanding the AI business ecosystem: Foundational Layer: General-purpose AI engines (GPT-3, DALL-E, etc.) Middle Layer: Specialized AI engines built upon the foundational layer, focusing on specific tasks or industries. App Layer: Applications built on top of middle-layer AI engines, targeting user growth and engagement. Late November 2022: ChatGPT Released: The release of ChatGPT sparks the author's in-depth consideration of AI industry competition and the potential for establishing moats. Ongoing & Future: Arbitrage Opportunities Shrink: The text notes that opportunities to quickly capitalize on the emerging AI landscape are diminishing as the technology advances. Multimodal Models Dominate: Foundational models are becoming increasingly multimodal (handling text, images, video, etc.), raising barriers to entry for competitors. OpenAI's Potential Dominance: The author speculates that OpenAI, due to its control over powerful models like GPT-3, could establish a dominant position similar to Apple's App Store, capturing value through APIs or AI application marketplaces. Data as a Moat: Leveraging data for integration, curation, and fine-tuning of AI models is deemed crucial for creating valuable, differentiated AI applications. Prompt Engineering's Significance: The emergence of "prompt engineering" (using natural language to control AI models) is highlighted as a potential core value driver and a new form of "coding." Network Effects in AI: The author draws parallels to the internet era, arguing that AI companies can leverage network effects and fast iteration loops to build moats, similar to companies like Netflix and TikTok. Workflow as a Differentiator: The efficiency and effectiveness of an AI company's workflow for developing, deploying, and iterating on AI applications is positioned as a significant barrier to entry. Brand & Distribution Remain Key: Building strong brands and securing strategic distribution partnerships with major tech players will remain critical for success in the AI industry. Cast of Characters: The Author: An individual deeply engaged in analyzing the AI industry, particularly the business models and competitive dynamics. Believes that understanding how to build defensible moats in AI is essential for long-term success. Draws comparisons between the evolving AI landscape and the strategies of successful internet-era companies. OpenAI: A leading AI research and deployment company. Developer of powerful foundational AI models like ChatGPT and DALL-E. Positioned as a potential dominant force in the AI industry, potentially shaping the market through its technology and partnerships. Microsoft: A major technology company that has formed a strategic partnership with OpenAI. This partnership is highlighted as an example of how distribution and technology will be intertwined in the AI industry. Other Companies/Entities Mentioned: DeepMind: An AI subsidiary of Google, mentioned in the context of AI partnerships. Stability AI: An open-source AI company known for its work on Stable Diffusion, mentioned as partnering with Apple. Apple: A tech giant highlighted for its potential partnership with Stability AI. Amazon AWS: Highlighted for leveraging its existing cloud infrastructure for AI. Meta (Facebook), Google, Netflix, TikTok: Mentioned as examples of companies that have successfully employed network effects and AI to achieve scale and dominance.
	09 Oct 2024	What makes up an AI Business Model?	00:22:52
Extract from https://businessengineer.ai/p/ai-business-models-book Table of Contents: Excerpts from "AI Business Models Book" I. Introduction: The Current AI Revolution This section introduces the concept of AI as a collaborative tool and highlights the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on business. It emphasizes the growing integration of AI in various sectors and its potential to reshape the future of work. II. The Path to Generalized AI This section explores the technological advancements that have enabled AI to evolve from narrow applications to more generalized capabilities. It discusses the role of unsupervised learning and delves into the significance of the Transformer architecture, developed by Google, in revolutionizing text processing and AI development. III. Shifting Paradigms: From Search to Generative AI This section highlights the shift in information processing from traditional search-based models to pre-training, fine-tuning, prompting, and in-context learning approaches. This transition, driven by AI, is presented as a paradigm shift that will make traditional search methods obsolete. IV. The Evolving AI Ecosystem This section discusses the transformation of the AI ecosystem, focusing on the transition from narrow software to more open-ended and generalized applications. It also notes the shift from CPUs to GPUs in hardware, fueling the AI revolution. V. Transforming Consumer Experiences This section examines how AI is changing consumer experiences, highlighting the move from static, non-personalized content to dynamic, hyper-personalized experiences driven by AI. It emphasizes that this shift is already impacting millions of users globally. VI. Deconstructing AI: The Three-Layer Theory This section introduces a framework for understanding the AI industry's trajectory: The Three Layers of AI Theory. This framework categorizes AI into foundational, middle, and app layers to illustrate its development and future potential. VII. The Foundational Layer: General-Purpose AI Engines This section delves into the first layer of the framework - the foundational layer. It describes this layer as consisting of general-purpose AI engines like GPT-3. Key features of this layer, such as multi-modality, natural language processing, and real-time adaptability, are discussed. VIII. The Middle Layer: Specialized Vertical AI Engines This section focuses on the second layer - the middle layer. It describes this layer as being comprised of vertical AI engines that specialize in specific tasks, such as AI lawyers or marketers. It further emphasizes the role of data moats in creating differentiation and the potential for these engines to replicate corporate functions. IX. The App Layer: Specialized Applications Built on AI This section examines the final layer - the app layer. It defines this layer as consisting of specialized applications built on top of the middle layer. It underscores the importance of network effects and user feedback loops in driving the success of these applications. X. Defining AI Business Models: A Four-Layered Approach This section introduces a four-layered framework for analyzing AI business models. It emphasizes AI's role as a connector between value creation and distribution. XI. Foundational Layer: The Technological Paradigm This section explores the first layer of the AI business model framework, focusing on the underlying technological paradigms. It categorizes them based on the use of open-source, closed-source, or a combination of both types of AI models to enhance products. XII. Value Layer: Enhancing Value through AI This section discusses the second layer - the value layer - and how AI enhances user value. It identifies three key ways AI achieves this: changing product perception, improving product utility, and introducing entirely new value paradigms. XIII. Distribution Layer: Reaching the Customer This section delves into the third layer, the distribution layer, and how AI-driven businesses reach their target markets. It highlights the importance of a combined technology and value proposition, leveraging various distribution channels, and utilizing proprietary channels for effective product delivery. XIV. Financial Layer: Sustainability & Profitability This section examines the fourth layer - the financial layer - and analyzes the financial viability of AI businesses. It focuses on revenue generation, cost structure analysis, profitability assessment, and the generation of cash flow to sustain continuous innovation. XV. AI Business Models: Real-World Case Studies This section provides real-world examples of companies successfully implementing AI business models. It uses the four-layered framework to analyze the models of DeepMind, OpenAI, Tesla, ChatGPT, Neuralink, NVIDIA, and Baidu. XVI. Key Takeaways: Understanding the AI Revolution This concluding section summarizes the key takeaways about the evolution and impact of AI. It reiterates the shift in technological paradigms, the evolving AI ecosystem, the transformation of consumer experiences, and the emergence of distinct AI business models. AI Business Models: A Detailed Briefing This briefing document reviews the main themes and important ideas from an excerpt of "AI Business Models Book" by Gennaro Cuofano and FourWeekMBA. The excerpt focuses on the evolving landscape of AI, its impact on business models, and provides a framework for understanding this transformative technology. Key Highlights: The AI Revolution: The authors argue that we are in the midst of an AI revolution powered by advancements in unsupervised learning and the development of powerful new AI models like GPT-3, the foundation of ChatGPT. This revolution is characterized by a move from narrow AI applications to more general and open-ended systems. The Importance of the Transformer Architecture: Cuofano emphasizes the "Transformer" architecture, a neural network design that excels in processing sequential data like text. He states, "As you'll see in the Business Architecture of AI, the turning point for the GPT models was the Transformer architecture (a neural network designed specifically for processing sequential data, such as text)." This architecture is crucial for the effectiveness of models like ChatGPT. From Search to Generative AI: The excerpt highlights a fundamental shift from traditional "crawl, index, rank" information processing models to "pre-train, fine-tune, prompt, and in-context learn" models. This transition marks a move from search/discovery as the dominant paradigm to a generative AI-powered approach, making traditional search methods obsolete. The Three Layers of AI: Cuofano proposes a three-layered model to understand the AI ecosystem: Foundational Layer: This layer consists of general-purpose AI engines like GPT-3, DALL-E, and StableDiffusion. These engines are multimodal, primarily interact through natural language, and can adapt in real-time. Middle Layer: Built on the foundational layer, this layer comprises vertical engines specializing in specific tasks. Examples include AI lawyers, accountants, and marketers. Differentiation in this layer is achieved through "data moats" and fine-tuned AI engines for specific functions. App Layer: This layer features a multitude of specialized applications built upon the middle layer. These applications rely on network effects and user feedback loops to scale and improve. The AI Business Model Framework: The excerpt introduces a four-layered framework for understanding AI business models: Foundational Layer: This layer examines the underlying AI technology used by a business, whether open-source, closed-source, or a combination of both. Value Layer: This layer analyzes how AI enhances value for the user. This can be achieved by changing product perception, improving utility, or introducing entirely new paradigms. Distribution Layer: This layer focuses on how the AI-powered product or service reaches its customers. Key considerations include growth strategies, distribution channels, and proprietary distribution methods. Financial Layer: This layer assesses the financial sustainability of the AI business model, encompassing revenue generation, cost structure analysis, profitability, and cash flow assessment. Real World Examples: The excerpt analyzes several companies through the lens of this AI business model framework, including: DeepMind (Google) OpenAI Tesla ChatGPT Neuralink NVIDIA Baidu Key Takeaways: We are witnessing a paradigm shift in how we interact with information and technology, driven by AI. The "Transformer" architecture is a cornerstone of this AI revolution. Understanding the three layers of the AI ecosystem and the four layers of AI business models is crucial for navigating this evolving landscape. Existing companies and new entrants are leveraging AI to create value, enhance products and services, and redefine business models across various industries.
	09 Oct 2024	Business Engineering	00:16:02
Source: Excerpts from "Business Engineering - The Foundational Discipline For The Modern Business Person" by FourWeekMBA Link: https://businessengineer.ai/p/business-engineering-book-workshop I. Foundational Business Concepts Porter's Diamond Model: This section introduces Porter's Diamond Model, a framework for analyzing why certain industries in specific nations achieve international competitiveness. It explains that factors beyond traditional economic theory, such as firm strategy and supporting industries, contribute to a nation's competitive advantage. Minimum Viable Product (MVP): This section explores the concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), emphasizing the importance of quickly testing and iterating on a product to determine its viability in the market. It also cautions against oversimplifying the MVP definition and provides examples of successful MVP implementation. Investor Relations in Blockchain: This section highlights the significance of economic incentives in blockchain protocols and the role of investor sentiment in the success of blockchain projects. It stresses the importance of monitoring investor response to the evolving blockchain ecosystem. Business Acumen & First-Principles Thinking: This section defines business acumen as the ability to comprehend and navigate business opportunities and risks effectively. It emphasizes the importance of developing this skill and introduces first-principles thinking as a method for breaking down complex problems into fundamental elements. Bounded Rationality: This section delves into the concept of bounded rationality, which posits that human decision-making is limited by cognitive capabilities and environmental factors. It explores the ecological and cognitive aspects of bounded rationality and how it challenges traditional economic models of rational decision-making. The 10X Attitude: This section advocates for adopting a "10X attitude," which involves striving for tenfold improvement rather than incremental gains. It emphasizes the importance of an audacious vision, creative problem-solving, and a first-principles approach to achieve significant success. X-Shaped People: This section argues that the traditional "T-shaped" skillset, while valuable, is insufficient for achieving ambitious goals. It proposes the concept of "X-shaped" individuals, who possess deep expertise in multiple areas combined with strong leadership and authoritative skills. II. Business Strategy & Growth Mapping the Context with Psychosizing: This section introduces psychosizing market analysis, a method for estimating market size based on the psychographics of the target audience. It explains different market types (microniche, niche, market, vertical, and horizontal) and their characteristics based on consumer readiness and product complexity. Tesla Case Study: Vision & Market Entry: This section uses Tesla as a case study to illustrate the importance of a strong vision and effective market entry strategy. It analyzes Tesla's approach to market validation, highlighting the concept of a "transitional business model" used during the initial stages of growth. Reverse Engineering & Identifying the Moat: This section emphasizes the importance of identifying a company's core asset or "moat" - its sustainable competitive advantage. It provides a framework for analyzing a company's financial model, technology development, and competitive landscape to uncover its sources of strength. Business Scaling & Growth Profiles: This section defines business scaling as the process of expanding a business model as the product gains traction in wider market segments. It outlines different growth profiles: gain, expand, extend, and reinvent, each with its own strategic considerations and risks. Organizational Structures: U-Form vs. M-Form: This section contrasts two primary organizational structures: U-form (unitary) and M-form (multidivisional). It explains the advantages and disadvantages of each structure, providing examples of companies that effectively utilize each model. Strategy Lever Framework & the Blue Sea Strategy: This section introduces the Strategy Lever Framework, which focuses on identifying a profitable niche to launch a product and create a feedback loop for rapid improvement. It also introduces the "Blue Sea Strategy," which emphasizes finding a minimum viable audience within an existing market rather than seeking to create an entirely new market. The Importance of Niche and Minimum Viable Audience (MVA): This section stresses the significance of starting with a niche market to validate a product and establish a feedback loop for rapid iteration. It defines the minimum viable audience (MVA) as the smallest customer segment that can sustain a business during its initial growth phase. III. Business Model Analysis Spotify Case Study: Ad-Supported & Premium Models: This section analyzes the Spotify business model, highlighting its two-sided marketplace approach and the interplay between its ad-supported and premium subscription services. It discusses the challenges and opportunities of maintaining a free product offering while ensuring the sustainability and scalability of the overall business model. Grubhub Case Study: Valuation & Market Dominance: This section examines the Grubhub business model, focusing on its key value drivers: restaurant relationships, diner acquisition, technology, and trademark. It analyzes Grubhub's valuation, its growth strategy through mergers and acquisitions, and its position as a leading player in the food delivery market. Blockchain-Based Business Models & Steemit Case Study: This section explores the emergence of blockchain-based business models, using Steemit as a case study. It explains the Steemit platform's use of cryptocurrency (Steem, Steem Power, and Steem Dollars), its reward system for content creators and curators, and its potential to disrupt traditional social media and content monetization models. Bundler Model & Microsoft Case Study: This section introduces the bundler business model, where companies leverage their distribution networks to group multiple products or services into a single offering. It uses Microsoft as a case study, analyzing how the company has bundled products like Windows and Office to dominate the PC software market and extract maximum value from its customer base. Distribution-Based Models & Aldi Case Study: This section discusses distribution-based business models, where a company's success hinges on its ability to establish and control key distribution channels. It uses Aldi as a case study, examining the company's vertically integrated supply chain, its cost-cutting strategies, and its focus on private label brands to offer low prices and maintain high quality. Multi-Brand Model & LVMH Case Study: This section explores the multi-brand business model, where companies manage a portfolio of distinct brands, often targeting different market segments. It uses LVMH as a case study, analyzing its strategy of acquiring and managing a diverse collection of luxury brands while granting them autonomy to maintain their unique identities and customer relationships. Netflix Case Study: Evolution of a Business Model: This section analyzes the evolution of the Netflix business model, from its origins as a DVD rental service to its current status as a global streaming giant. It emphasizes that a business model encompasses more than just monetization; it's about value creation for multiple stakeholders and the ability to adapt and innovate over time. One-For-One Model & TOMS Shoes Case Study: This section examines the one-for-one business model, where companies donate a product or service for each sale made. It uses TOMS Shoes as a case study, analyzing how the company has successfully integrated social impact into its business model, using it as a key driver of marketing, sales, and brand loyalty. IV. Building and Scaling Businesses GitLab Case Study: DevOps Platform & Open Core Model: This section analyzes the GitLab business model, focusing on its open-core approach to providing a comprehensive DevOps platform. It highlights the company's mission, vision, and core values, emphasizing its commitment to empowering developers and organizations to build better software. Grammarly Case Study: Freemium Model & Value Differentiation: This section examines the Grammarly business model, highlighting its freemium approach to offering grammar and writing assistance. It analyzes the company's core values, its focus on user experience, and its strategy of providing a valuable free service while incentivizing users to upgrade to premium features. DuckDuckGo Case Study: Privacy-Focused Search & Value Proposition: This section analyzes the DuckDuckGo business model, emphasizing its differentiation from Google through a privacy-focused approach to search. It discusses the company's monetization strategy through untracked advertising and affiliate marketing, highlighting the growing importance of user privacy as a key value proposition. Razor & Blade Model & Dollar Shave Club Case Study: This section explores the razor and blade revenue model, where companies sell a base product at a low margin to drive demand for high-margin consumables. It uses Dollar Shave Club as a case study, analyzing how the company disrupted the traditional razor market by flipping the model and offering a subscription service for affordable blades. Retail Business Model: Dynamics & Considerations: This section provides an overview of the retail business model, highlighting its direct-to-consumer approach, higher margins, and associated risks. It discusses factors such as local competition, wholesale price fluctuations, and the importance of building customer relationships for long-term success. WeWork Case Study: Shared Workspace & Market Opportunity: This section examines the WeWork business model, analyzing its approach to providing flexible, shared workspaces and its target market of entrepreneurs and businesses. It discusses the company's value proposition of cost savings, community building, and its ambitious growth strategy. Franchising Models: Types & Strategies: This section explores different types of franchising models, including business-format franchising, traditional franchising, and social franchising. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of each model, providing examples of companies that have successfully implemented each approach. McDonald’s Case Study: Heavy-Franchise Model & Real Estate Strategy: This section analyzes the McDonald's business model, highlighting its heavy reliance on franchising and its unique approach to real estate ownership. It discusses how McDonald's maintains control over its brand and product quality while leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit of its franchisees. Brunello Cucinelli Case Study: Luxury Brand & Ethical Capitalism: This section examines the Brunello Cucinelli business model, focusing on its positioning as a luxury brand that emphasizes craftsmanship, creativity, and ethical values. It analyzes the company's unique approach to "humanist capitalism" and its commitment to social responsibility. Business Incubators: Types & Roles in Supporting Startups: This section provides an overview of business incubators and their role in supporting the growth of startups. It differentiates between various types of incubators, including non-profit, corporate, private investor, and academic incubators, highlighting their specific goals and methods. Apple Case Study: Innovation, Ecosystem, and Market Disruption: This section analyzes the Apple business model, emphasizing its focus on product innovation, ecosystem creation, and market disruption. It discusses how Apple has consistently challenged industry norms, creating new product categories and transforming the way consumers interact with technology. Marketplace Business Models: Types & Dynamics: This section introduces the concept of marketplace business models, where platforms connect buyers and sellers to facilitate transactions. It differentiates between two-sided, three-sided, and multi-sided marketplaces, providing examples of each type and highlighting the importance of network effects in their success. Luxottica Case Study: Vertical Integration & Brand Portfolio: This section examines the Luxottica business model, highlighting its vertical integration strategy, its acquisition of prominent eyewear brands, and its control over the entire value chain, from design and manufacturing to retail distribution. Bootstrapping vs. External Funding: Factors to Consider: This section discusses the key considerations when deciding between bootstrapping and seeking external funding for a business. It explores factors such as market size, growth potential, control over the company, and the founder's risk tolerance in making this crucial decision. Market Sizing Techniques: TAM, SAM, SOM, and Bottom-Up Analysis: This section introduces various techniques for estimating market size, including the TAM-SAM-SOM framework and the bottom-up approach. It explains the importance of market sizing for both businesses and investors in evaluating opportunities and making informed decisions. Source: The Business Engineer Almanack by FourWeekMBA The Business Engineer Almanack acts as a compilation of business principles, fallacies to avoid, and thinking frameworks. It challenges conventional business wisdom and encourages readers to adopt a more nuanced and critical approach to decision-making and problem-solving. The Almanack emphasizes the importance of: Challenging Assumptions & Embracing Uncertainty: The Almanack encourages readers to question common business assumptions, recognize the limitations of traditional models, and develop strategies for navigating uncertainty and complexity. Experimentation & Iteration: The Almanack emphasizes the importance of rapid experimentation, data-driven decision-making, and continuous iteration in developing successful business models and strategies. Human-Centered Approach: The Almanack stresses the significance of understanding human behavior, motivations, and cognitive biases in designing effective business models and creating value for customers. Long-Term Thinking & Sustainability: The Almanack advocates for balancing short-term gains with long-term sustainability, considering the ethical implications of business decisions, and building organizations that create value for all stakeholders. The Almanack serves as a practical guide for aspiring and experienced business professionals, providing a framework for critical thinking, problem-solving, and navigating the complexities of the modern business world.
	16 Dec 2022	Building An AI Art Marketplace With Thomas Beverley	00:28:47
In the FourWeekMBA AI interviews series, we look at an AI marketplace discovery platform.
	19 Dec 2022	10+ AI Tools For Business	00:08:02
You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgKlW4g7WRg&t=8s
	19 Dec 2022	Is ChatGPT Killing Google?	00:15:09
Let's look at the evolution of AI business models as of now to understand what's commercial use cases are coming up to understand the landscape, threats, and opportunities. Full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4enjNvU57M&t=57s
	19 Dec 2022	AI Business Ideas To Start Your Business In 2023!	00:14:43
Jump on https://beta.openai.com/examples and build yoru startup!
	19 Dec 2022	AI Writing: How To 10x Your Blog Writing Skills With AI	00:11:02
Find the whole video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Hvpt8uYpc
	20 Dec 2022	The Future of AI in Business	00:12:18
How will AI evolve in business? We look at the three layers theory, where you get: A foundational layer made of general-purpose generative models. A middle layer comprised of more specific intelligence-based models (AI Lawyer, AI Accountant, AI HR). And the applications layer.
	20 Dec 2022	Who Is Sam Altman? History of OpenAI	00:09:20
Who Is Sam Altman? History of OpenAI
	21 Dec 2022	Is OpenAI The Next App Store?	00:08:48
Is OpenAI The Next App Store?
	24 Dec 2022	"Code red": How is Google managing ChatGPT survival threat?	00:15:32
"Code red": How is Google managing ChatGPT survival threat?
	25 Dec 2022	ChatGPT Greatest Pitfall!	00:12:46
What is the most significant risk of ChatGPT right now? The Dunning-Kruger effect! The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a task overestimate their ability to perform it well. Not only that, but ChatGPT goes to the extent of providing an answer that seems always grounded and factual, but it’s fake and misleading! An example? I asked ChatGPT to tell me “what’s FourWeekMBA,” but I also told it to cite its sources. caption for image ChatGPT first defined it, and it made total sense, thus making you believe that the answer was grounded and based on facts it found. Yet, when it cited its sources, those were mostly invented! In short, the AI - as long as something is plausible and it makes sense - it will make stuff up only to have you believe that what it says is factual when it’s not! Of course, the AI doesn’t know what it’s doing neither it’s trying to deceive as it’s not conscious. In short, the example below it answers the question of what’s FourWeekMBA by making up sources which do not exist on the website! Thus, to make its argument convincing, ChatGPT produces links for those fake sources as if they really existed on my website when they do not exist! This can generate a huge amount of misinformation if employed at scale… Therefore: 1. AI-generated content is not - in many cases - factually correct Beware of these limitations when you do use AI-generated content like this one. 2. AI-generated content as misinformation wave Right now, this is the greatest threat to Google, as if this AI-generated content gets employed at scale on the web, it might quickly destroy the value of Google’s index. 3. Information vs. Knowledge and Understanding It shows that one thing is the form or the understanding of the machine of how to structure an argument; another is the substance or whether that argument is grounded in reality or experience! Which is an incredible limitation of AI right now. Information can be vague, noisy, ambiguous and even misleading. Knowledge and understanding on the other hand, are grounded in reality and real-world experience! 4. Negative externalities for society That is a major obstacle to the scalability of these AI assistants. As of now, with a limited user base, misinformation has a low externality. Yet if it were to be carried on a large user base, the externality might become unbearable. 5. Staged roll out vs. mass release To enable scale, those AI assistants might need proper guardrails and confidence scores to give answers, and they will need to be grounded in reality as the risk of hallucination is substantial. Therefore, to be viable they’ll need to be - initially closed assistants available for very specific features, before they can be employed as general-purpose engines!

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