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The inspiration for this topic comes from an Inc magazine article about a study by Appcelerator and the research firm IDC.
“In the near future, developers say car apps will be big and Facebook may be the social network of the past.” Here is an interesting post about Facebook’s challenge to monetize the platform.
According to the study responses 66% of mobile developers believe start ups have a fighting chance against Facebook. While the survey is certainly subject to bias given the audience (app developers) there is plenty of fodder for a good discussion on the future of mobile and business.
The article goes on to say that mobile has the power to reshape entire industries and changes will be swift. It’s not enough to port elements of an existing business model over to mobile.
Staying competitive requires re-envisioning traditional business models through a mobile-first lens.
Alex Johnson’s post does a nice job of explaining the notion of sustaining or disruptive innovation. The link is below and it’s worth reading.
Sustaining innovations are typically innovations in technology, think iPad 2, 3 and now 4, they are usually incremental and improve existing products and processes.
Disruptive innovations are innovations in marketing that disrupt existing markets by radically shifting consumer demand. iTunes reshaped the way we buy and consume music for example.
According to Walgreens the consumer mindset is choice, convenience and control.
There are close to a billion smart devices on the planet and if the US trend is an accurate reflection the growth rate of smart devices is still healthy.
With this background let’s talk about the future of mobile. I am grateful to Autom Tagsa for his input and influence, our exchanges are thought provoking helpful and entertaining. Thanks @autom8.
Q1 What are some ways disruptive mobile innovation could reshape business models?
Q2 How could these innovations displace a platform like Facebook?
Q3 Is the mobile experience more conducive to a particular business model? B2C vs B2B?
Q4 What are the barriers to integrating mobile strategies into existing business models?
Q5 What consumer behaviors are being reshaped by mobile?
Reading resources:
Inc. Survey: How mobile will change business
Can mobile be a disruptive Innovation?
autom
November 6, 2012
Joe, there is no doubt that mobility is a disruptive force, which should be monitored not only in how it affects the way we do business but also in how the prevalence of mobile-based communications is shaping our day-to-day lives and the choices and decisions we make as a result of this ‘intent-to-be-ubiquitous’ type of user experience.
The points and questions raised in this framing post will certainly generate lively discussion surrounding the probable and plausible impacts mobility will have (is having?) on business. To date, our mobility segment has had the luxury of some insightful and diverse input into how professionals and their peers are addressing and managing the mobile experience as it relates to (and at times drive) their business objectives.
For the benefit of a closer examination, I would like to submit additional points of discussion on what I see as a largely unexplored element, which may well underpin the seemingly unabated course of the disruptive mobile force and its potentially successful assimilation into existing business models:
We know tech start ups (as well as tech giants) are squarely on the helm as they forge ahead identifying needs, creating/redefining value propositions and effectively deploying and disseminating demand through largely consumer-driven behaviours.
However, one wonders if clear evidence of mobile innovation in the consumer market is a model that can be readily (and easily?) transposed to business needs. If so, exactly what types of mobile-based activities are we looking at? Is the mobile experience more conducive to a specific business model (B2B v B2C)..and—wait for it—is “innovative” an accurate depiction of the transposed mobile model to business? Does it effectively and efficiently address a business need the way no other model or approach has done before?…
Ah semantics..I know, it always ends up boiling down to this ;-) but you know I would eventually mention this, right?
Looking forward to an awesome session, Joe Cheers A