The Kodak lesson: An ending that didn’t have to happen

From the link: http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/insight/kodak-lesson-ending-didn-t-happen-191731960.html

However the Kodak saga plays out, it's become a hugely influential example of how not to manage a business within a market undergoing fundamental and historic change. Here's a quick look at some key lessons that were ignored by successive generations of Kodak leadership:

• Core technologies won't remain relevant forever
  Kodak dominated the photographic film and paper business for so long that its leaders assumed demand would always remain strong. The shift to digital destroyed demand for Kodak's revenue pillars, but the company failed to recognize the depth of the change until it was too late. Kodak is hardly alone: Stubborn and exclusive reliance on BlackBerry smartphones, Polaroid cameras and Motorola cell phones spelled disaster for their respective makers, as well.

• Inventing something is never enough
  Kodak built the world's first digital camera, then watched others successfully market the new devices and undercut its business. It was also instrumental in introducing — but not profiting from — a wide range of technologies, including OLED displays and wireless-capable cameras. The company failed to turn these then-revolutionary technologies into sustainable sources of revenue, wrongly assuming that simply creating something was sufficient to create new markets. It needed to execute, as well.

• Don't stretch too far
  Over-Diversification can compromise organizational focus and result in viable business units being starved of resources. Kodak learned this lesson the hard way with ill-starred forays into, of all things, medical testing equipment and bathroom cleaners.

• Don't hold on for too long
  Kodak's major failing lies in its inability to exit businesses before their value collapses. It stubbornly continued to manufacture film-based cameras long after major competitors had fully transitioned to digital. Its slow-footed transition away from declining revenue streams prevented the company from actively developing a differentiating presence in new markets. When it finally went digital, it was as a me-too follower.

In many respects, what happened at Kodak is precisely the kind of thing that can happen to any tech company if leadership fails to maintain focus and adapt. Organizations that believe in the supremacy of their dominating business for too long will face a similar fate. In industries increasingly marked by accelerating product cycles and reduced ROI windows, following Kodak's example could represent the shortest route to oblivion. It's a picture no one wants to take.

Ben Gulak with The Uno on Dragon's Den

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You can click on the live links above, as well :) 

TiE Institute ---> Toronto, CANADA Launch - Suresh Madan (Part 1 of 2)

Suresh Madan on Entrepreneurship and Immigration

www.tieinstitute.org : TiE Institute: Entrepreneurs educating Entrepreneurs !

TiE = The indus Entrepreneurs. Somwhere I read it wrongly mentioned as " Talent, Ideas & Enterprise".

“Entrepreneurs are the engine of our economic development. Inspiring youth to become entrepreneurs in Canada is a very high priority. This is a great time to become an entrepreneur and a great time to educate others to become entrepreneurs,” says Suresh Madan, President of TiE Toronto.


Starting on September 15th, the TiE Institute will offer 3-hour long educational workshops in Toronto including: an Entrepreneurship Overview (i.e. what makes an entrepreneur), Idea Generation, Business Plan Development, and Idea Commercialization.

Anyone can take the courses. However, the TiE Institute is gearing the program towards two demographics in particular – youth and immigrants. “Youth bring tremendous energy and many new ideas but need a lot of guidance to become successful entrepreneurs. We want to fulfill that gap. Secondly, immigrants are generally very qualified and have an almost 18 times higher propensity to start their own venture. Therefore, this is an important demographic segment that we want to address,” says Madan.

The main goal of the program is to help aspiring entrepreneurs learn about starting a business from experienced entrepreneurs. The TiE motto is 'Entrepreneurs Educating Entrepreneurs'. The Institute intends to provide real-world training that’s often missing from Business Schools (that teach MBA / BBA etc).

All students who participate in the program will receive 1-on-1 mentoring from successful entrepreneurs. TiE Toronto will match students up with successful business owners in similar industries. Students also get to participate in opportunities to present their projects to venture capitalists. This will help to improve their entrepreneurial success by refining their skills and ideas.

Entrepreneurship Overview - Dave Valliere (Part 1 o2)

Blog stats crossed 6000 hits per month in the last 30 days.

If I made $1 for every view, I would have $6000 a month, LOL :) Blog stats in the last 30 days crossed 6000 hits per month. This is increasing at a fast pace. And I am glad. However, I do not do this for money. I do this because I enjoy blogging. Chart here is for the last 30 days:

Dress codes in some OTHER business schools, which insist on formal wear. .

Some schools have strict dress codes for MBA, but where I study, there are no such rigid rules. Just to give you a better idea, I got some info from other Business Schools regarding MBA dress codes. These pictures below enlarge when you click them. Enjoy ! :)

Dress code info from another nearby Business School in Canada is as below:

Policy: Business Casual Dress EnvironmentThe _________ School of Business MBA Program supports a business casual environment. A business casual environment serves to enhance the image, differentiation and reputation of _________  while allowing students to dress comfortable and affordably. To assist in defining the term business casual, the following guidelines have been developed by the MBA Association based on feedback from the student body.

Business CasualIn general, business casual is crisp, neat, and should project a professional, business-like image. The purpose of this policy is to establish and recognize reasonable guidelines for dress at school, and to provide examples of appropriate and inappropriate attire.

ResponsibilityThis policy applies to all full-time and coop MBA students. It is the responsibility of the student to represent himself or herself in an appropriate and professional manner that reflects the business casual dress environment.

TopsCasual collared shirts, polo shirts, buttoned shirts, sweaters, and turtlenecks are appropriate for men and women. Plain t-shirts or camisoles together with cardigans are appropriate for women. Many tops can easily be dressed up with blazers, cardigans or sport jackets. It is inappropriate to wear tank tops, midriff tops, sweatshirts, muscle shirts or tops that are excessively tight or revealing. Clothing with potentially offensive words, large logos, cartoons and slogans should be avoided.

PantsDress pants, capris, cotton pants, corduroys and khakis are acceptable in a business casual environment. Sweatpants, cargo pants, pajama pants and similar items are inappropriate. Baggy, ripped or torn jeans are inappropriate, whereas clean-cut and tailored jeans can be paired with dressy shoes and a shirt to create a “light” business casual look. During the summer term, shorts can similarly be paired with complementary clothing items to create a business casual feel. Beach and athletic shorts are not to be worn.

Dresses and SkirtsCasual dresses, skirts, and split skirts are appropriate and should be no shorter than four inches above the knee. Short, tight skirts that do not reach the mid-thigh length are inappropriate.

FootwearLoafers, dress shoes, boots, flats, dress sandals, open-toed shoes, and closed-toed shoes are appropriate. Avoid such items as athletic shoes, slippers, sneakers, flip-flops and similar styled items.

HatsHats are not appropriate in the business casual environment unless they are required for religious or cultural purposes.

Religious and Health AccommodationShould a bona fide religious practice/belief or legitimate health need of a student conflict with the dress code policy, reasonable accommodation will be made to allow for approved clothing to be worn.

Text book for Brand Management Course.

Will post soon.

New MBA term, new minor additions to my wardrobe.

So, the new term has begun. Winter 2012 ! January to April 2012. This term shall FLY QUICKLY !!! The reason being that February month shall have not only 1 week of integrative week, but also 1 week of Study Break (in the 3rd week of February) - an early Spring break, if you like to call it! I prefer to study then, but a lot of people I know are going on a tour somewhere.

Just 1 more term to spend with classmates in class. Additionally, we are now closer to our internship term. This means that we shall be getting jobs by May if we choose to do internship / job. (I shall talk about that topic - of jobs later - this post is about clothes :) I am not so much into fancy clothes, though I like to dress conservatively and as much formally as possible.

So I recently got myself a formal sweater and formal shoes. Yes, I did have some money left over after buying the text books, LOL :) Nothing fancy or expensive. Just something more business like, if there are interviews or info sessions held. Actually, we do have some info sessions with Deloitte soon.

After a discount: Canadian $ 70 + tax

So far I did not have actual winter boots. I just wore some shoes made by Columbia which were slip resistant and were fine in the snow. They served me well for more than 3 years. 2 days back, I got myself an "ALDO Thinsulate" pair of black leather shoes as in the picture. This is the first time that I bought tall leather shoes.

I wanted to buy Blundstone shoes, but they are a bit more expensive :) My next shoes shall be a pair of the legendary Australian shoes. For now, while I am a student, I do not want to blow my money, at least, till I am on a MBA related job :) So I settled for the ALDO shoes as above. They are supposed to be resistant to the cold weather. There is a lot of insulation padding inside by the company "Thinsulate". They should get me through this winter and 1 or 2 more :)








Got a black round neck sweater from Chaps for less than 30 bucks, since there is a 30% sale going on at Sears. Sweater looks somewhat like this:

The type I got: Black sweater with a round neck

Though I had wanted to buy something link this below (blue sweater with a V neck), but could not find the right kind in Sears. The ones there were very thin and that would allow the white shirt to be seen from outside.  

The type I was looking for: Navy Blue sweater with a "V" neck.

And finally, a pair of Khaki cargo pants. I LOVE cotton cargo pants. They are so comfortable. Plus they have so many pockets for the things you carry. A pocket to keep your cell phone, one for your receipts, one for your chewing gum, one for this and that. Again, I got the Chaps brand for less than $30 (after a 30% discount). And it looks somewhat like this (though it is not the same):

Khaki Cargo pants

What should an MBA male's wardrobe / clothing be like ? What should MBA males wear?

In my own opinion, EVERY MBA male should have the following in his wardrobe. (I am a guy and am unattached, so I can only speak for the males :)

• White shirt
• More light shirts - pastel colours - cream, pista, vanilla, light pink, baby blue / oxford blue etc
• Black trousers
• Beige / Khaki trousers
• Black socks
• Black shoes
• Nice black leather belt
• 1 Black suit
• More suits: Dark colours like charcoal grey, dark brown etc.
• A nice neck tie with polka dots or strips. 
• A V-neck sweater: Black or Navy blue
• Cuff links
• And so on.... 
• Of course, students do wear blue jeans, black jeans, hoodies, parkas, T shirts, casual wear etc.