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Why are products so complex?

Posted by Grant Brewer

Technology and progress were meant to make us more productive and make life easier. We were meant to be enjoying more leisure time, whilst technology helped us get the job done. We know that this idea was far from the truth, but there is still a nagging doubt that life (and the products and services we consume whilst living) have become more complex to deal with rather than less complex. One of the keys to overcoming the challenge is to stop trying to please everyone -- accept that some potential customers won't buy your product or service, and this takes courage. Good strategy often requires the courage to take such a stand. If you get your product portfolio right and get customers to understand your products you might be on the road to creating value through product leadership. And that might help you lower the cost of sales and lower support costs as you get the right product to the right consumer, just when they want it.

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Essays | Strategy | Intelligence Strategym

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design (3) | product strategy (2) | mtn (2) | apple (2) | telkom (1) | simplicity (1) | compexity (1) | bmw (1)

SA Blook, Chapter 3 — What the world thinks of South Africa

Posted by Grant Brewer

Understanding South Africa is a challenge. It is a country full of paradoxes and extremes. As the setting of one of the most remarkable political transformations in modern history, it is also home to widespread poverty and mind–numbing violent crime. We remain trapped by past beliefs in our strengths — such as the idea that South Africa is a rich country because of its mineral wealth, or that our extraordinary political transition owes us opportunities in a global economy — and we're struggling to define what exactly we contribute to and how we relate to the world around us. How do all these things come together to forge a nation that can define its own meaning for the twenty first century, and in doing so create an emerging land of opportunity.

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Essays | Books

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south africa (5) | china (4) | world cup (3) | globalisation (3) | brazil (2) | 2010 (2) | mtn (2) | india (1) | tutu (1) | global perspectives (1)