Every week, we put together a list of our top 5 articles of the past week. Happy reading!
Strategy Frameworks and Decentralization Todd Simpson, iNovia
In this follow up article, Todd Simpson explains his thesis more in depth. He argues that we are moving towards a more decentralized system of control. I don’t necessarily agree with all the points he raises and matching the theory to other principles. Nonetheless, it provides great insight into a new strategic framework.
The Amazon-Whole Foods Deal Could Have Killed Instacart. Instead, The Startup Is Stronger Than Ever Forbes
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. This story sums up well this old saying. When Amazon bought Whole Foods, many people wrote off Instacart. Instead, the startup benefited enormously; many major retailers started calling. The company is still prioritizing growth over profits (read: burning cash) but it seems to have a bright future.
Something is wrong on the internet James Bridle, Medium
This article made the rounds last week and I finally got around reading to reading it. It’s a terrifying read about what kids are watching on YouTube. There are many automatically generated videos that are very creepy and potentially harming children. James’ conclusion? YouTube/Google are complicit in this and need to do something about it.
Your Company Doesn’t Need a Digital Strategy MIT Sloan Management Review
I was surprised to learn that the search volume of the keyword ‘digital transformation’ peaked in 2017 on Google Trends. I would have assumed it would have reached its apex 2-3 years ago. It seems that digital transformation is still important for many. This MIT Sloan article does a good job of encapsulating something we talk about a lot; strategy before technology.
The Slow Death of the Firm Nick Tomaino
This is a fascinating read into the rise of the decentralized organization. Bitcoin and its underlying technology have enabled decentralized currencies to emerge but also many more types of applications. Nick Tomaino argues that the firm will eventually become a decentralized organization but highlights that there are many roadblocks in the way.