Links for June 27 2010
Competition is overrated by Chris Dixon on cdixon.org
Quote: Startups are primarly competing against indifference, lack of awareness, and lack of understanding — not other startups. For web startups this means you should worry about users simply not coming to your site, or when they do come, hitting the BACK button.
Why Can’t My CIO Be More Like Me? – Susan Cramm – Harvard Business Review
Quote: In the last 15 years, companies have wanted CIOs to act less like CIOs and more like general business leaders. Problem is, when you try to have it all, sometimes you don’t get what you really need. In thinking about what you need out of your CIO, consider the following:
The CIO as an Engineer of Revenue by Kay Lewsi Redditt & Thomas Lodahl on CIO Insight
Quote: In this article, we show how some CIOs have engineered big revenue-improvement efforts. But first, let’s look at how business goals have changed over the past two decades, and how much IT has contributed to their achievement.
When Should Management Push Enterprise 2.0 Adoption? by Hutch Carpenter on I’m Not Actually a Geek
Quote: In considering adoption, we have the push strategy (by management), and the pull strategy (viral, organically spreads). Both are viable approaches. The key factor is to determine when each needs to be employed
Quote: Effective IT hiring isn’t about finding The Right One who promises to Love You Forever. And the key to being a Great Place to Work is as much about the “Work” as it is about the “Place”
The IT failure curve of death by Michael Krigsman on ZDNet
Quote: The importance of proper planning in preventing failed IT projects cannot be overstated. Steps taken early in the project can have a profound impact on downstream success or failure.
What if: Leading an innovation team was a reward? by Jeffrey Phillips on Innovate on Purpose
Quote: Today, when innovation comes up in an executive committee meeting, most managers flinch away, too busy or too occupied with existing projects or business lines to consider running a nascent, risky innovation effort. The risks are too great and the rewards too small.