Market & Competitive Intelligence I TWB_
27 Dec

Market Intelligence for Startups 101

By TWB_ In Leadership, Product Strategy, Strategic Marketing /   No Comments

Market intelligence can be the difference between success & failure of a startup. Market intelligence is mission critical in that it enables you to understand your competitors, customers, and other business environment factors. Most entrepreneurs do not fully appreciate the importance of market intelligence or approach it as a strategic business function though. 

For the most part, entrepreneurs think Market Intelligence is what large companies with their big desks of people churning numbers from a variety of sources including paid reports and open sources. A lot of startups, therefore, rely on gut feel and seat of the pants driving and the VC inputs – to shape and design their products, map out competition and gauge the response of the market they wish to disrupt. But it is not, and it should not be the exclusive preserve of large tech companies.

What does Market Intelligence answer for a startup?

Market intelligence is a good start point to gather evidence for the assumptions of your business. Evidence comes in the form of both qualitative and quantitative information, collected from primary and secondary research that mitigates risk and guides investment. This doesn’t occur only in large companies with a large budget. As an entrepreneur, your investment decisions are even more critical for your success because they may be based on critical cash flows.

What differentiates the custom Market Intelligence TWB_ provides? We focus on creating ‘actionable insights’ married to your strategy rather than more data on your desk.

Market Intelligence can help identify opportunities and monitor market threats. You can create a feedback loop of learning and action involving customers, competition and your marketing action. You can lower the risk of new products or services that you plan to introduce.  Some of what you can answer is,

  • Where, how and who are you going to sell to? That includes geography, pricing models etc.
  • What kind of business models exists? What is the size of each?
  • What are your potential and addressable market? What do you substitute and solve?
  • Are you really disruptive? What are you replacing?
  • Who are your direct competitors? Do they have a diversified portfolio? What is your competitive advantage?
  • How are you going to position yourself? How will you move with market plays
  • Do you compare product/technology claims?
  • What are your weaknesses and strengths in capabilities, USP’s, value & quality, financials, cashflow, people?
  • What is the regulatory environment?

TWB_ Market Intelligence synthesis

What is special about TWB_?

In one word ‘insights’ rather than more data. TWB_ does not just produce data points, rather,

  • Synthesizes research findings & develop insights
  • Uses a perceptual map to build your brand story
  • Defines market segmentation and explain its benefits
  • Conjoint analysis to compute the relative importance of product features
  • Compare various brands and attributes using a perceptual map
  • and lastly, bring a full portfolio of strategic branding and marketing content to help execute your plan

Market intelligence is critical and core process and TWB_ is the partner to produce reliable market intelligence that you factor into your strategic decision making. Market intelligence is an essential tool for viewing the marketplace and making investment decisions and TWB_ has been doing that for the largest telecommunication, life sciences, semiconductor and others for years. It is from that experience we know that it does not have to be a captive function, nor does it have to be standard off the shelf reports. Market Intelligence can be custom, agile, incremental to your needs and focused on actionables rather than data given your positioning and growth trajectory.

Rakesh Shukla, Chief Executive & Founder, TWB_ I The Agency for Technology Brands I www.twb.in

Rakesh Shukla, TWB_ CEO

Tech Entrepreneur, TEDx speaker & Philanthropist, Rakesh Shukla is a BTech-MBA & CEO of the world leader in communications for technology businesses with a worldwide Fortune 500 customer base. Rakesh is a speaker on Leadership, Strategic Marketing, Strategic Communications, creating world-class bootstrapped Startups & resurgence in business. He lives with 800 rescued dogs, has no work-life balance and will not have it any other way! Rakesh has been featured in 100+ interviews on the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, CNN-IBN, NDTV, India’s national dailies etc.

Are you wanting to have real Market Intelligence to help make decisions?

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Diversity in Leadership I TWB_
19 Dec

Diversity in Leadership starts with Inclusion at all levels

By TWB_ In HR Communication, Internal Communications, Leadership /   No Comments

Companies across India are looking at how to have Diversity at the Leadership level – and mostly they refer to lack of women in management. But diversity is not only about female and male, gay or straight, Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, young or old. It is about the diversity of individuals, ideators and executors, great communicators and less so, introverts and extroverts, controlling type and people type as well.

Having Diversity does not ensure inclusion. Diversity and Inclusion are nearly not the same things. Diversity by itself does not make people feel they belong — inclusion does. Diversity by itself does not accommodate differences of opinions — inclusion does. Diversity helps build inclusion by bringing in diverse viewpoints and creating an atmosphere in which people feel valued and have the same opportunities as others. Being an inclusive organization — where people focus on building common ground incorporating a range of views — rather than focus on differences can be a very powerful growth strategy.

Diversity is not a set of affirmative actions imposed on the organization — it is an output of the culture of the organization. Without adequate diversity being a lone female employee in a consistently all-male leadership team or being part of a minority where the leadership team converses in a regional language is common across the Indian tech industry. For an individual caught in that situation, it is difficult to feel motivated. 

This McKinsey study shows a significant relationship between a diverse leadership team and better financial performance. The top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform the industry average compared to companies in the bottom quartile. For ethnic diversity, that number jumps to 35%.

If the data proving that diverse organizations are more productive is not enough the cautionary tales from movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp should provide the impetus for tech companies to address diversity in their organizations.

What does diversity do?

Diversity at the leadership level is a consequence of hiring people who bring new perspectives to management meetings. Diversity is good because,

  • It gives you a larger pool of ideas: Diverse leadership teams have a larger pool of experience and points of view to draw from, which can help with finding solutions to problems and generating new ideas.
  • It increases staff retention and motivation: Seeing people ‘like them’ in positions of power is very inspiring for employees to stay longer in the organization and strive for promotions themselves
  • It gives you a larger talent pool to choose from: Diverse organizations find it easier to attract great and have a larger talent pool to choose from.
  • Makes for better business linkages: People from different groups and backgrounds often bring unique connections with them, which can lead to more networking opportunities for your company.
  • Makes for better Communication: Diverse companies are less likely to create tone-deaf and sometimes offensive communication than if they had a more varied group of decision-makers.

Lack of diversity stems from bias

People are hired on the premise that they can perform on the job and technical evaluations are pretty accurate. However, most organizational problems stem from a different place — that people don’t get along with other people. Biases in hiring and working together are the greatest bottlenecks. Families, friends, peers, education, religion, ambition etc influences how we see the world, and ourselves. These biases also shape our perceptions of what people are capable of.

A lecture on diversity will not erase these biases. Diversity is deeply related to culture and culture is difficult to change. If it must then it must first change at the top.  Developing diversity involves a cultural change and requires workshops, identifying and creating role models but most of all it involves a commitment by the organization’s leadership.

Building Diversity

The first step towards building diversity is actively seeking diverse people and seeking information from this diverse group. People from diverse backgrounds need to be seen as key variables in the process of problem-solving and decision making. Building diversity across an organization can only happen if there is an atmosphere where they can express their views without fear of repercussion. They can approach colleagues and manager for help and will not be viewed as weak if they do.


The Diversity Checklist

  • Leadership commitment: The first step is having leaders within the organization become visibly involved in programs affecting organizational culture change and articulating policies that govern diversity. To do so, you must display leadership that eradicates oppression of all forms. 
  • Having a Diversity and Inclusion strategy is not enough: Having a strategy has no meaning if it is not reflected in who the company hires and promotes. It only when the CEO downwards the organization realizes that to be the best they need to embrace diversity there is has a higher probability of being really inclusive, including right at the top.
  • Hiring from a range of backgrounds: Hire people who can bring new perspectives to your management meetings and relate personally with a wide range of your employees. But making culture more inclusive the first stop is the leadership team. Employees will always notice who you promote into positions of power.
  • ‘Diversity quotas’ are a double-edged sword: When you set ‘diversity quotas’ for your organizational and leadership teams, ensure that you are not dismissing good people for the sake of diversity. You don’t need a checklist of genders, ethnicity, religions, abilities and sexual orientations to promote talent you need caliber.
  • Building high-performance teams: Moving your workforce from larger organizations to teams that use the full potential of every individual is a great idea. Teams focused on objectives are forced to accept others for what they are.

Conclusion

Diversity is not just diversity in race, religion, sex, age but it is what makes an organization succeed — and typically that requires men & women, introverts & extroverts, controllers & thinkers, dreamers & doers, organizers & team members to reach the organizational goals.  

Rakesh Shukla, Chief Executive & Founder, TWB_ I The Agency for Technology Brands I www.twb.in

Rakesh Shukla, TWB_ CEO

Entrepreneur, TEDx speaker & Philanthropist, Rakesh Shukla is a BTech-MBA & CEO of the world leader in communications for technology businesses with a worldwide Fortune 500 customer base. Rakesh is a speaker on Leadership, Strategic Marketing, Strategic Communications, creating world-class bootstrapped Startups & resurgence in business. He lives with 800 rescued dogs, has no work-life balance and will not have it any other way! Rakesh has been featured in 100+ interviews on the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, CNN-IBN, NDTV, India’s national dailies etc.

Are you looking to create or improve how HR Communicates?

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Purpose and Meaning in Work I Rakesh Shukla, Chief Executive and Founder, TWB_
02 Jan

Finding Purpose and Meaning in Work: Growth and Transformation in the Leadership

By TWB_ In Communication, Corporate Training, Leadership /  7 No Comments

Dreading work is common. That’s why weekends were invented. Ah, it’s the weekend! Oh, it’s Monday!! Or you have a new assignment or a new boss or a restructuring is going on or maybe you’re simply bored in your role. And you ask yourself the question: Why am I doing this? Does my work have any meaning?

The quest for “meaning at work” impacts every job productivity and retention metric. Consider this:

  • A survey of 12,000 employees across companies and industries found 50% lacked meaning and significance at work (see The Energy Project).
  • Employees who derive meaning from their work are 3 times as likely to stay with their organizations, have 1.7 times higher job satisfaction and 1.4 times more engagement with the company.
  • “Meaning at Work” impacts longevity and productivity positively more than other ‘job satisfiers’ including:
    • Learning and growth
    • Connection to a company’s mission, and
    • Work-life balance!

So what can companies do to make their employees feel that their work has meaning? The short-term answer seems to be — making employees feel happy. Terms of employment, lavish cafeterias are all answers to that question — make employees happy. However, this ‘happiness’ is temporary. The other is to make jobs more creative, less monotonous and facilitate a sense of meaning with a career path. But they are still answers to different questions. A more significant one is to give the job meaning and purpose. So what then in meaningful work? 

What is the meaning of “meaning”?

Happiness isn’t the only ingredient to a life well-lived. Sometimes it’s not even a criteria. On the other hand ‘meaning’ is what causes people to go into unknown territories, motivates to do things out of the ordinary and causes personal growth and long-term satisfaction.

The trick is there is no one meaning of “meaning”. While it is important for each of us, it is also different for each of us. In the corporate context, one way to define meaning is through its negation: while companies are rarely good at finding “meaning” poor leadership is connected to a loss of meaning very quickly! There is a lot of research which shows meaning at work can be enhanced if employees have an opportunity to realistically reflect on their work & their contribution in the company and their respective lives. A few steps that are known to enhance this are (a) a culture of ethics (b) keeping high moral standards (c) executing on social responsibility that employees can support.

 

What can management do to give meaning to work?

The following steps allow management to engage with employees in a way that they find work life more meaningful:

  1. Discuss the meaning of the organization & their contribution to it: When employees understand the purpose of the organization and the positive impact it has on business and communities it allows them to be a part of something meaningful. This works best when employees have a clear view of the company’s goals, values and vision and plans for the future. Management should explain how every role impacts the greater organization. When employees see how their work contributes to that big picture it enhances their sense of meaning and purpose.
  2. Culture and community: Management should help their employees feel connected to communities or other employees that are impacted by the company’s products or services, so they understand clearly who it is that they are helping.
  3. Create a purpose: What is the difference between these 2 mission statements (a)“To be the most successful computer company in the world” and (b) “To be the most successful computer company for the world”? They point to a major meaning trap. When you say ‘for’, meaning comes from the impact of our work on others. People aren’t inspired by what they do, they are when they know they matter to others.

 

As an employee what can you do to give your work meaning?

The first thing to remember is that purpose is built, not found. Working with a sense of purpose requires thoughtfulness and practice. Here are some things you can do to find meaning at work:

  1. Become conscious that other people matter: If you have meaningful relationships at work you will find more meaning at work. A Gallup study found that the most engaged workers report having a best friend at work. Those reporting higher meaning are not necessarily those who are doing more, but those who have more meaningful relationships.
  2. Build social experiences: Purpose can be found in the simple things that connect colleagues. Sincerely asking a colleague how they are because you are genuinely interested not because it is small talk, will give meaning to both of you!
  3. Find what fuels you: ‘Meaning’ is not a vague idea it is tangible and you must look for it for yourself. If you value contribution find out how you can contribute to a group, or a customer or a community. If you value humour do you make colleagues, and customers smile?
  4. Don’t invest everything at work: Work gives meaning your life but it is only 1 of 4 parts that do —  faith, family, and community are the others. Life’s’ portfolio is a balance between these 4 things — faith in something bigger than each of us, your family that you nurture, your community that you impact, and success through meaningful work that creates value. Learn to focus on each in turn.
  5. Write a personal statement: One way to create more meaning is to define your purpose by making a personal declaration of purpose. It is a simple, succinct, jargon-free, and expressive. A statement about how you decide to live each and every day. For instance “I’ll always give my children the best opportunities they need”. Just stating it gives your life purpose even though nothing else in your job has changed. Now you know it has mean because it drives a purpose.

Purpose isn’t magic. It is something we must create. The fact is most of us don’t work for fun. For the most part, we work to earn money and to pay bills. Work in itself is a meaningful act of service — parents often work hard for their children, some work to support ageing parents. Focussing on what brings meaning to them will create meaning in your own life. With the right approach all jobs are meaningful.

 

Rakesh Shukla, Chief Executive & Founder, TWB_ I The Agency for Technology Brands I www.twb.in

Rakesh Shukla, TWB_

Entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, Philanthropist, Rakesh Shukla is a 1996 MBA graduate and 1993 BTech. Rakesh Shukla is the Founder & CEO of TWB_ which is the partner for technology & business content for Fortune 500 leaders worldwide. A motivational speaker he speaks on creating success from professional and personal failure. He divides time between his 2 homes in Bangalore and is called the ‘dog-father’ for being papa to the 750 rescued dogs that live with him at the VOSD Dog Sanctuary. Rakesh has featured in 100+ interviews on the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, CNN-IBN, NDTV, India’s national dailies, and at TEDx talks.

 

 

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20 Jun

TWB_ is the Agency for Technology Brands (revisit – 2)

By TWB_ In Marketing Content /  5 No Comments

TWB_ is the agency for technology brands – that includes the biggest tech brands. The world’s #1 cloud infrastructure, enterprise servers, mainframes, virtualization, personal computers all have one thing in common – they all come with TWB_ content.

TWB_ is unique because it operates on the intersect of Strategic + Creative + Technology. No-one else does that.

This campaign from end 2014 reflects the beginning of the change in our own communication.

TWB_ is the Agency for Technology Brands (2014)

TWB_ is the Strategic + Creative + Technology Agency for Technology Brands (2014)

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06 Jun

Are you a CEO without a Corporate Content Strategy?

By TWB_ In Content /  6 3 Comments

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/rubik-cube-game-sand-strategy-1703600/

 

Not having a corporate content strategy adversely impacts revenue by 10%[1] and increases spends to create content across Marketing & Sales, Engineering, Delivery & Support organizations by a whopping 200%[2]. Here’s why every CEO should have one, and how.

Does a company really need a content strategy and does the CEO need to get involved?

Any number of CEOs will tell you that they don’t need to bother about content because their management does. It’s true in a way. The CMO’s office takes care of marketing content. The CTO and Engineering CxOs handle the product and technical content. The HR CxO takes care of internal training content for company processes, sometimes even internal communication. Many in their teams are not trained in creating content, or the technologies or the processes or understand company objectives. But that is only part of the problem. Forget corporate alignment and reuse, organizations will develop content simply because they are expected to. Content is a line item for most organizations within the company. For the company itself it’s a footnote. Which begs the question, do you need a corporate content strategy, and why?

A content strategy is the high-level vision that guides different organizations’ future content development to deliver against specific corporate objectives. It puts into words a company’s content goals, audience, creation, quality and collaboration workflow.

Content strategy is required because without it a CEO’s company creates content with no core theme or purpose. A lack of strategy leads to generic content. Generic content is made by generic companies. Generic content is unlikely to rank organically on searches. Generic content doesn’t get shared. Generic content doesn’t engage people. Generic content does not talk about a CEO’s specific product or brand.

The companies that have the capacity and understanding to link content and communication into corporate strategy tend to be stronger and better performing than their competition. A CEO needs to get one together. Not soon. Not next week. Now.

Corporate Content Strategy, a CEO responsibility

Every organization of the enterprise – from finance to delivery – has a content element. It makes sense for it to be nurtured at a strategic level. A CEO’s goals could be retention or growth of market-share, or something else, but in all cases, focused communication through the right channels is a core element.

Any long-term activity that has a long-term effect for the company belongs to the CEO’s desk. Any decisions that are not within one organization but thread through many belong to the CEO’s desk. Content projects of all kinds are time-intensive up-front, with little visible output in the short run, if they are going to be effective. A CEO’s understanding and effective representation can make the difference between success and failure. It’s a strategic decision.

Content strategy touches each area of a CEO’s business. All the software programming in the world is pointless if it doesn’t support the goals of a CEO’s users and clients — that’s what makes a CEO involved in the engineering function. The same should hold for content.

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