The Notes from the Book “Black Box Thinking”

 "Black Box Thinking" by Matthew Syed explores the concept of learning from failures to achieve success. The book draws parallels between the aviation industry's "black box" approach to learning from mistakes and how this mindset can be applied in various fields.

Let’s see the Key Concepts in the book.

1. Black Box Thinking: The title concept revolves around the idea of treating failures as valuable learning opportunities. In aviation, black boxes record data from flights, enabling investigators to understand and learn from accidents. Similarly, Syed argues that individuals and organizations should adopt a similar approach, fostering a culture of openness and learning from mistakes.

2. Fixed vs. Growth Mindset: Syed emphasizes the importance of having a growth mindset, where individuals see challenges as opportunities to grow rather than viewing their abilities as fixed. This mindset encourages resilience and continuous improvement.

3. High-Stakes Industries: The book delves into high-stakes fields like aviation and healthcare, showcasing how these industries have embraced a culture of learning from failures. For example, in healthcare, Syed discusses the Bristol Royal Infirmary case, where a surgeon's high mortality rates led to a reevaluation of medical practices, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

4. Fail Fast, Learn Fast: Syed advocates for the concept of failing fast and learning fast. Instead of fearing failure, individuals and organizations should iterate quickly, adapt, and apply lessons learned to achieve better outcomes.

5. Marginal Gains: The author explores the idea of making small, incremental improvements in various aspects of performance. Drawing inspiration from the success of British Cycling, he demonstrates how marginal gains can lead to significant overall improvement.

Below are the Cases mentioned in the book.

1. David Beckham's Penalty Kicks: Syed uses David Beckham's experience with penalty kicks to illustrate the importance of learning from failure. Beckham openly admitted his miss in a crucial match but worked relentlessly to improve, ultimately becoming one of the most successful penalty takers.

2. Air France Flight 447: The book examines the tragic crash of Air France Flight 447 and the subsequent investigation. Syed highlights how the aviation industry learned valuable lessons, leading to improvements in pilot training and communication protocols to prevent similar incidents.

3. Bristol Royal Infirmary: The healthcare industry case discusses the consequences of a surgeon's high mortality rates. The investigation prompted changes in medical practices and encouraged transparency in reporting errors, ultimately improving patient safety.

"Black Box Thinking" encourages a shift in mindset from fearing failure to embracing it as a pathway to success. By drawing parallels between high-stakes industries and everyday situations, Matthew Syed emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes. The book provides insights into cultivating a growth mindset, adopting a culture of continuous improvement, and leveraging small gains to achieve significant success. Through compelling examples, it illustrates how acknowledging and analyzing failures can lead to innovation and better outcomes. Ultimately, "Black Box Thinking" advocates for a proactive approach to learning, iterating, and evolving in the face of challenges.

The Notes and Important Concepts from the Book “E-Myth Revisited”

"The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber is a compelling exploration of the entrepreneurial myth that often leads small business owners to struggle and fail. Within the framework of this book, Gerber introduces and elaborates on several key concepts that are crucial for understanding and implementing successful entrepreneurial practices.

1. The Entrepreneurial Myth: The central theme revolves around dispelling the common misconception that most businesses are started by entrepreneurs. Gerber argues that many small business owners are, in fact, technicians with technical expertise in a particular product or service. However, being skilled in a specific craft doesn't necessarily translate into running a successful business.

2. The Three Roles: Technician, Manager, Entrepreneur: Gerber introduces the three primary roles that an entrepreneur must embody to build a thriving business. These roles are the Technician, who is focused on the technical work; the Manager, responsible for planning and organizing; and the Entrepreneur, who envisions and strategizes for the future. Achieving a balance among these roles is essential for sustained success. Someone who starts his small business should be 10% of his time as entrepreneur, 20% as manager and the remaining 70% as technician.

3. Working On Your Business, Not In It: A key takeaway from the book is the importance of entrepreneurs shifting their focus from working in the day-to-day operations (in the business) to working on the overall strategy and development (on the business). By developing systematic processes and delegating tasks, business owners can free up time to innovate and grow.

4. The Business Development Process: Gerber emphasizes the significance of creating a replicable and scalable business model. He introduces the Business Development Process, a systematic approach to designing a business that can thrive independently of the owner's constant involvement. This involves documenting processes, creating organizational charts, and establishing clear roles and responsibilities.

5. Systematizing Your Business: Critical to the book's thesis is the concept of systematizing every aspect of a business. Gerber advocates for developing standardized procedures for all tasks, enabling the business to function efficiently and consistently. This includes everything from customer interactions to day-to-day operations, reducing reliance on the owner's direct involvement. He also claims that building a system around good but ordinary people will eventually create extraordinary results.

6. The Franchise Prototype: Gerber encourages entrepreneurs to think of their businesses as if they were creating a franchise prototype. By structuring the business in a way that is easily replicable, it becomes more scalable and less dependent on the owner's direct participation. This approach can lead to a more sustainable and profitable enterprise.

7. Small Business Owners as Visionaries: The book challenges small business owners to embrace their role as visionaries. Entrepreneurs must not only focus on the current operations but also envision the future of their business. This forward-thinking approach is essential for growth, adaptation to market changes, and staying ahead of the competition.

Summary: In summary, "The E-Myth Revisited" guides entrepreneurs through a transformative journey, challenging them to transcend the technician's mindset and adopt a more strategic and systematic approach to business. Gerber's emphasis on balancing the roles of Technician, Manager, and Entrepreneur, along with the systematic development of the business, provides a roadmap for sustainable success. By working on the business, not just in it, and embracing the idea of creating a replicable franchise prototype, small business owners can overcome the entrepreneurial myth and build businesses that thrive independently. This book serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to transform their small enterprises into efficient, scalable, and enduring ventures.

Spagetti Girişim Adlı Kitaptan Notlar

Merhaba arkadaşlar, bugün sizlere Kılıçhan Kaynak tarafından yazılmış olan Spagetti Girişim adlı kitaptan aldığım notları özetlemeye çalışacağım.

Başarılı girişimcilere baktığımızda lanse edilenin aksine ortalama 40 yaşındalardır ve arkalarında yedi tane başarısız girişimleri vardır.

Peter Senge tarafından yazılmış olan Beşinci Disiplin adlı kitaptan çok etkilendiğini görüyorum. Özellikle orada da geçen “bugünün problemleri dünün çözümlerinden kaynaklanır” sözü kitapta yerini bulmuş.

Girişimlerin başarısız olmasının başlıca sebeplerinden biri şirket büyüdükçe kurucuların diktatöre, aşırı kontrolcü birer baş belâsına dönüşmesidir.

Yazar tarafından ortaya konan lazanya modeli adı altında bir iş modeli vardır. Burada ürün ve hizmet motoru, müşteri motoru, beceriler motoru ve nakit motoru adı altında dört ayrı başlık bulunur. Yazara göre doğru olan bu motorun dördüne birden aynı anda gaz vermektir, tabi aşırı değil, her biri için göreceli olarak en uygun oranda, en uygun seviyeye kadar, tabii bu oranların ve seviyelerin de dinamik olduğunu, yani motorlar arasındaki bağlantıların zamana göre değiştiğini de unutmamak şartıyla…

Buradaki asıl mesele henüz büyümenin dinamiklerini anlamadan işi aceleye getirmemek ve şirketi sürekli itekleyip durmamaktır.

Bazı araştırmalara göre şirketlerin %80’i misyonlarını ifade ederken aynı anlamsız sözcükleri kullanıyor ve bunlar organizasyonun kültürüne ortak vizyon ve değerler kadar katkıda bulunmuyor.

Yazara göre bu iş modelinin bazı kanunları vardır. Bunlar sırasıyla aşağıda gösterilmiştir:

1- Benim sorunum senin verdiğin kararlardan kaynaklanıyor

2- Sen beni itersen ben de seni iterim

3- Daha kötüye gitmeden önce hep daha iyi olurum.

4- Kolay çıkış yolu mu buldunuz? Tekrar düşünün

5- Tedavi hastalığın kendisinden daha kötü olabilir

6- Hız sizi yavaşlatır

7- Küçük değişiklikler büyük sonuçlar doğurabilir

8- Her departman konuya kendi çerçevesinden bakmamalıdır.

Einstein‘ın ünlü bir sözü vardır. Sayılabilen her şey kayda değer değildir, kayda değer şeyler de sayılamayabilir.

Notes from the Book “Start With WHY”

"Start with Why" by Simon Sinek delves into the core concept of inspirational leadership and successful organizational dynamics. Sinek's central premise is the "Golden Circle," a model that consists of three layers: Why, How, and What. This framework challenges the conventional thinking that most organizations and leaders communicate by starting with the "What" and then moving to the "How" and "Why." Instead, Sinek argues that truly influential leaders and organizations begin with the "Why."

According to Sinek there are two types of influencing people. First one is manipulation which is done through fear, money, promotions, price cuts, pressure… But the second one is inspiration which is long lasting and can be only continued though understanding the main cause of the company. You can even communicate people through aspirational messages but the effect is not son much. For example, the gyms may tell the people that the summer is approaching so we should enroll to a program.

Let's go deep into the concepts depicted in the book.

1. The Golden Circle:

• Why: This innermost circle represents the core purpose, cause, or belief that inspires an organization to exist. It is the driving force behind everything the organization does.

• How: The second circle encompasses the specific actions and strategies that an organization employs to realize its Why. This answers the question of how the organization fulfills its purpose.

• What: The outermost circle represents the tangible products, services, or activities that an organization produces or engages in. It's what most people are familiar with when thinking about a company's offerings.

2. The Law of Diffusion of Innovation:

Sinek introduces the Law of Diffusion of Innovation to explain how movements or ideas gain momentum. According to this law, there are five types of adopters – Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards. The key to success, Sinek argues, is to focus on influencing the Early Majority and Late Majority, as they make up the majority of the population.

3. The Why-Watch, How-Watch, and What-Watch:

Sinek introduces three levels of communication that align with the Golden Circle:

• The Why-Watch: Leaders who can clearly articulate their "Why" inspire trust and loyalty. People are drawn to leaders who stand for something beyond just making money.

• The How-Watch: Organizations that communicate their unique approaches and values attract those who believe in the same methods. This level addresses the processes and principles that differentiate a company.

• The What-Watch: This is the most basic level of communication. It focuses on the tangible products or services offered by an organization. Sinek argues that leading with "What" doesn't create a lasting connection.

4. The Split of the Brain:

Sinek introduces the idea that the Why, How, and What align with the structure of the human brain. The limbic brain corresponds to the Why and is responsible for our feelings and decision-making, while the neocortex corresponds to the How and What, dealing with language, reasoning, and conscious thought. Connecting with the limbic brain is crucial for inspiring action.

5. The Infinite Game:

Sinek extends his principles to the concept of an "Infinite Game." He argues that businesses should view themselves as players in a game without a defined endpoint. Infinite players focus on long-term success, adapting to change, and playing to keep the game going. This contrasts with the "Finite Game" mentality, where success is measured by winning against competitors.

6. Trust and Empathy:

Sinek emphasizes the importance of trust and empathy in leadership. Leaders who prioritize their team's well-being, communicate openly, and act with integrity foster an environment of trust, which is essential for long-term success.

In summary, "Start with Why" encourages leaders and organizations to shift their focus from the "What" to the "Why" and communicate in a way that resonates with people's emotions and beliefs. By doing so, they can inspire loyalty, build a strong following, and achieve sustained success. The book provides a compelling framework for understanding the dynamics of successful leadership and offers practical insights for implementing these concepts in various aspects of life and business.

Notes from the Book “Good Value”

 Good Value: Reflections on Money, Morality, and an Uncertain World" by Stephen Green explores the complex relationship between finance, ethics, and global challenges. Green, a former chairman of HSBC and an ordained minister in the Church of England, provides insightful reflections on the role of values in the world of finance.

The book delves into the ethical considerations within the financial sector, addressing issues such as responsible investment, sustainable business practices, and the impact of financial decisions on society. Green emphasizes the importance of aligning economic activities with ethical values to create a sustainable and just global economy.

One of the key subjects in the book is the role of banks and financial institutions in promoting social responsibility. Green argues for a more ethical approach to banking, where institutions consider the broader implications of their actions on the well-being of communities and the environment.

The author also explores the concept of trust in financial systems, highlighting its significance in maintaining stability and fostering economic growth. He discusses the erosion of trust in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and offers insights into rebuilding trust through transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct.

Moreover, "Good Value" addresses the challenges posed by globalization and the need for a more inclusive and equitable economic system. Green advocates for a balance between economic progress and social responsibility, emphasizing the interconnectedness of financial, social, and environmental issues.

In summary, Stephen Green's "Good Value" provides a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between money, morality, and the uncertainties of our world. It encourages readers to reflect on the ethical dimensions of financial decisions and calls for a renewed commitment to values that can guide the global economy toward a more sustainable and just future.

Notes from “Great by Choice”

 Great by Choice" by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen explores the factors that differentiate successful companies, termed "10Xers," from their counterparts in uncertain and chaotic environments. The authors present several key concepts:

1. The 20 Mile March: Successful companies maintain a consistent pace of progress, akin to a 20-mile march. They set specific performance markers and adhere to them regardless of external conditions. An example is Amundsen's disciplined march to the South Pole, contrasting with Scott's erratic approach, leading to Amundsen's success.

2. Fire Bullets, Then Cannonballs: 10Xers experiment with small, low-risk initiatives (bullets) before committing significant resources (cannonballs) based on proven success. Southwest Airlines serves as an example, initially testing the low-cost airline model on a smaller scale before expanding.

3. Leading above the Death Line: 10Xers maintain a margin of safety, avoiding catastrophic risks. They prepare for the worst-case scenarios. The book explores examples of companies like Intel, which survived the memory chip crisis by diversifying and avoiding excessive risks.

4. Zoom Out, Then Zoom In: Successful leaders have the ability to both zoom out for a big-picture perspective and zoom in for detailed execution. The authors illustrate this concept using the example of Roald Amundsen, who had a clear vision (zoom out) but also meticulously focused on daily details (zoom in).

5. SMaC (Specific, Methodical, and Consistent): Successful companies have a set of durable operating practices that are specific, methodical, and consistent. A notable example is the "20-mile march" itself, representing a specific, methodical, and consistent approach to progress.

6. Return on Luck: 10Xers acknowledge the role of luck but focus on maximizing the return on luck when it occurs. The authors analyze how various companies, such as Microsoft, effectively capitalized on fortuitous events.

In conclusion, "Great by Choice" emphasizes the importance of disciplined decision-making, consistent performance, adaptability, and risk management in achieving long-term success. The book offers valuable insights by contrasting successful and less successful companies in unpredictable markets.

To adapt these principles in your business, consider implementing a disciplined approach like the 20 Mile March, embracing experimentation with a mindset of firing bullets before cannonballs, and maintaining a margin of safety to navigate uncertainties. Regularly evaluate and refine your strategies, balancing a big-picture perspective with meticulous attention to detail. By incorporating these principles, you can enhance your business's resilience and potential for sustained success in dynamic environments.

Notes from “Success Built to Last”

Dear Friends, 

I will be sharing my notes from the book called “Success Built to Last”. 

The successful people choose the way what matters to them. How to reach a meaningful life is their main motto.

This process is the combination of meaning, thought and the action.

The big successes are the result of the ordinary people doing extraordinary things that matter for them. 

A real success in a life and work, brings personal fulfilment and lasting relationships and makes a difference in the world they live in. 

There are three elements of success: 

1- Meaning: This is something you are passionate about.

2- Thougtstyle: Highly developed sense of accountability, audacity, passion and responsible optimism. When you have the right thought style, you will create new ideas even you are not working on the subject. 

3- Actionstyle: Enduringly successful people always on act. They don’t get shy or resistant.

Meaning is the first element.

The only place where you find success before work is in the dictionary. (Mary V.Smith)

Abraham Lincoln said the pessimists find difficulty in every opportunity but optimists find opportunity in every difficulty. 

To find your mission in life is to discover the intersection between your hearth’s deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger. (Frederick Beekner)

If I see something I don’t like, I try to change it. If I can’t change it I change my position to look at it.

If you have the meaning of your business, the reward for the doing is the doing. 

The successful people find solutions to their problems while not dealing the problem directly. They use the peripheral vision where they find the solution by not directly looking at the problem.

Peripheral thinking is useful when you do something different; pray, sport etc. 

Google encourages their people to use their %15-20 of their time by dealing with different jobs. 

The purpose of the life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have difference that you have lived and lived well.

Thought Style is the second element. 

There are silent screams inside our body that tell us what we should abandon the way we do for a meaningful job. These are mainly under the four elements:

1- It is not a good career.

2- Bright objects such as allowances, transportation, accommodations covered packages are all driving us away.

3- There is seduction of competence. The surrounding people might hinder us to do something meaningful.

4- There is the tyranny of OR. There are choices and some of them might have adverse consequences for your loved ones. The enduringly successful people are not in different between two choices. Their commitment to the others are also for their self commitment. Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life. 

Self esteem is highly overrated. There are many criminals have high trust on themselves. 

Builders insisted self-esteem comes from trying and failing, trying and failing then succeeding with small gains and doing the work a little better each time.

Gain is the edge of loss; loss is the hearth of the gain. Having many difficulties perfects the being. Having no difficulties ruins the being. (Lao Tzu)

Losers call it failure, the builders call it a learning. 

Builders claim that it is your decision whether to be a victim or a beneficiary of what has happened so far. 

Third element of success is the action style.

This is one of the best lessons from human history. You may or may not blame for what happens to you but either way you are responsible for doing something about it. 

Serendipity comes to those who do their homework and have the courage to do reality checks to determine whether or not they are still on course to achieve what actually matters about their goals. 

Naked conversations are important. Disagreement is refreshing when two men lovingly desire to compare their views to find out truth. Controversy is wretched when it is only an attempt to prove another wrong. (Frederick Robertson)

When two people always agree, then one is unnecessary.

The Notes from “Freedom Inc.”

Dear Readers,

I want to share notes from the book called “Freedom Inc.” in which the importance of the freedom of the employees were mentioned. 

The legendary CEO of 3M says, if you put fences around your people, you get sheep. Give the people the room they need. 

People respond to the environment in which they find themselves. 

Taylorism has turned the employees into the automatons and this was appreciated for a long amount of time. 

The successful companies researched, have two things in common:

- They tie their success together with their culture of freedom. 

- They are rare because of the bureaucracy applied. It is like obesity. To gain weight is much more easy than lose it.

The lessons from the liberated companies are:

- Stop telling and start listening from your people.

- Start openly and actively sharing your vision of the company so that your people will own it. 

- Stop trying to motivate your people, let them to motivate themselves. 

- Stay alert about protecting your company. 

The job descriptions freeze the people. 

There are four principles of a good company. 

1- Freedom

2- Fairness

3- Commitment 

4- Waterline

Commitment verses job. A job is something a boss gives you. A commitment is something which is freely entered into. A promise of the individual. Something chosen verses something imposed. 

There are how companies and why companies. In how companies, the managers spend their time to describe the work to be done. How to accomplish a task, when to come, when to leave…

In why companies, the people ask why they are doing that particular task. The answer is always the same. To make the customer happy. 

Management for 3% is the main strategy for the how companies. They put rules and controls in order to keep the unmanaged / disengaged employees. To keep them on track, if the rule is violated more rules are applied to manage those people. But this eventually causes the rest (97%) to be disengaged. 

According to a survey, 27% of the employees were engaged where the 59% were disengaged and 14% were actively disengaged. As an allegory, this means that if 10 people are sailing in a boat, 3 people are rowing to the right direction, 6 people just splashing some water and the rest 1 is rowing on the opposite side.

Many good ideas die in the command control hierarchy. 

Culture eats strategy at the breakfast. You can have the best plan but if your culture doesn’t allow it, there is no chance of it. 

In the how companies, there is big stress on the workers. It is researched that 40% of the worker disability is caused by stress. This also leads to a productivity problem. Eventually the employee has either fight or flee choice. But they start to use alcohol or drugs to overcome the problem.

When a person believes she has a high degree control on the event, she judges it as less stressful. Giving people control over their work; the hidden costs, absenteeism will also go down. 

“How” approached emerged during the Industrial revolution because of two reasons:

- The illiterate work force and

- The artisans were so reluctant to work more which caused underproduction.

There is a banana experiment conducted on the monkeys. In summary the banana is hung on the top and if any monkey wants to grab it, gets cold shower. After a while any monkey tries to grab it punished by the others. This discourage all monkeys to grab it. This shows that a negative culture is not necessarily imposed by the top guy, but also spread by the peers. 

Freedom is neither hierarchy nor an anarchy. The best way of defining it, is the ordered liberty.

People start emotionally owning the company’s vision only when they are free to make their own decisions in pursuing it. A leader can’t force people to emotionally own the company’s vision, he can only seek to create the conditions in which they are convinced of it themselves.

It is crucial for a would be liberator to completely refrain from telling because everybody watches to see whether he will “walk to talk” is it were.

Meaning of the organisation charts will build on the assumption that the person is bad. This recalls the theory of McGregor in which he has stated the X and Y theory. In X theory, you dont depend on the people but in Y you believe in them. 

A CEO’s main task is to protect the culture. Dual standards are the cancer of cultures.

In a liberated company more people have more authority to make their own decisions on behalf of the business. 

The weak signal is the sort of information that is important but doesn’t rise to the attention of management because it never gets passed up the line or get lost in the noise of larger problems with stronger signals.

Notes from “The Experience Economy”

Dear Friends,

Today I will be sharing my notes from an astonishing book called “The Experience Economy”. This book was written by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in the late 90s. 

“You are what you charge for”

This is the hearth of the book. Competing with price is an old fashion thing. The customers want to experience new feelings that make them ready for pay a premium. If you charge your customers for your great services you become one of the distinguished companies. 

Consider the journey of a coffee bean.

It is first collected from trees, then packaged and sold in the markets, then served in various cafes and finally in some places it becomes a part of a special experience.

In each of these four stages, different businesses operate with different profit margins. Of these, the company that produces the product in the form of commodity operates with the lowest profit margin, and the one that operates with the highest profit margin is the business that makes this part of a special experience.

Even though the product is the same, the emotion it evokes in the customer is not the same so a business that focuses on experience always earns more. It makes us to think how we can improve our offerings for delightful experiences.

Experiences have been all around but consumers, businesses lumped them into the service sector along with such uneventful activities as dry cleaning, telephone access. But with memorable events, the services can be promoted to be experiences which needs a personal engagement. 

Experiences are events that engage the individuals in a personal way.

Ing the thing. The companies try to wrap experiences around a their existing goods and services. Manufacturers should experientialize their products. This will make them more memorable. 

The cake making shows the progression of the economic value. 50 years ago, moms used to bake their cake for the birthday parties. Then they started to order. Then, outsource the entire party to somewhere else. In every progression, the value expected has been also increased. This has made the seller to earn more profits. 

Do not forget. If you are in the middle of an experience, your price sensitivity will drop and you will be open for buying more. 

There are four realms of the experience depending on the participation of the individual and the absorption/immersion of the same. If you are absorbing the experience in a passive way you are at the entertainment realm. If you are absorbing the experience (experience goes into you) in an active way, you are at the education realm. If you are immersing into the experience (going into the experience) and actively participating, you are at the escapist level where you feel that you are at the stage. Finally if you are passively immersing the experience you are at the esthetic level i.e. where you are experiencing the art or viewing the Grand Canyon. The richest experiences encompass all levels of realms. 

How can you increase the effect of the experience?

1- Theme the experience (alter the sense of reality)

2- Harmonize the impressions with positive cues.

3- Eliminate the negative cues.

4- Mix in memorabilia(Soveigners) 

5- Engage five senses. (The more sensory the experience the more memorable it will be)

You are not truly selling an experience if you don't charge for it. 

To enter an experience economy, first customise your goods and services. If you commoditize your experiences you fall into services and goods. 

Two formulas:

Customer satisfaction = what customers expects to get - what customers perceives he gets

Customer sacrifice = what customers want exactly - what customers settles for 

Designing for the average is the root cause of the customer sacrifice. Designing for the customer for many organizations really means designing for the average customer which doesn't exist. The attitude of “They don't mind” approach leads to customer sacrifice. 

To fight against customer sacrifice there are four types of customizations.

1- Collaborative customisers work with their customers to determine what they need and produce it for them. 

2- Adaptive customisers offer one product designed to let users alter it themselves. 

3- Cosmetic customization present standard good or service differently to different customers.

4- Transparent customizers provide a tailored offering without customers knowing that it is customised for them.

To truly differentiate themselves, businesses must focus on increasing customer satisfaction, then on eliminating customer sacrifice and finally creating customer surprise. But, once a company creates a customer surprise, the customers start to expect more surprises. 

The work is a theatre. Therefore, all the processes of a theatre apply here. Please have a look at the following chart to understand how similar the theatre concepts with the business headlines. 

There are four realms of the theatre. You should understand how to act.

Improv theatre involves new to the world performances where creativity and spontaneous activity is highlighted. 

Platform theatre involves little variation. The formal scripts are in use here. 

Matching theatre integrated portions of work into a unified whole. Scripts in matching theatre are always dynamic. 

Street theatre draw people in, amaze them and then ask for money. Such as the illusionists.

The last stage of the progression of the value of the offerings is the transformations. At this level, the customer will eventually be changed and transformed to be different human being. He will be better than his previous stage. If we give an example from the fitness sector, the manufacturers should stop to think about to sell gym products but to think about how they can change the body and the health of the customers. At this stage, the guidance of the company play a great role. 

In the economy pyramid, 

- Commodities are discovered and extracted

- Goods are developed and made

- Services are devised and delivered

- Experiences are depicted and staged

- Transformations are determined and guided

Transformation phase has three processes:

- Diagnose the aspirations of the customers 

- Stage the experiences and depict memorable events (four realms of the experiences; entertainment, education, escapist and esthetic)

- Follow through the progress (It will not be a true transformation unless it is sustained)

To understand the level of the value offerings we can glance at the change of CPI for almost a century. The transformation price increases are far more than the other offerings. 

It makes the progress of the value offerings as below. 

The result is depicted as follows. 

To sum up, 

- if you charge for stuff you are in the commodity business,

- if you charge for tangible things you are the goods business,

- if you charge for the activities you execute, you are at service business,

- if you charge for the time customers spent with you, you are at the experience business,

- if you charge for the demonstrated outcome of the customer achieves, you are at the transformation business.

If you promote your offerings to the transformations you will definitely get benefit out of it. 

“Sonsuz Olanak” Adlı Kitaptan Notlar

Merhaba arkadaşlar,

Bugün sizlerle Sonsuz Olanak adlı kitaptan aldığım notları paylaşacağım. Dijital cephede müşteri değeri yaratmak sloganıyla başlayan kitabın yazarı Joseph Pine ile Kim Korn. Kitap, insanların bakış açılarını eleştirerek başlıyor. Buna göre insanlar dünyayı daha çok parçalar ve bütünler, iyi ile kötü, güzel ile çirkin, kısacası bir ve sıfır gibi iki ayrı uçta değerlendirmeyi tercih ediyorlar. Oysa bunun yanında arada kalan büyük bir dünya var. Bugün bunu biz fiziksel ile dijital arasında da yaşıyoruz. Tüm müşterileri dijitale doğru ilerletirken fizikseli neredeyse göz ardı ediyoruz. Oysa müşteri deneyiminde fiziksel ile dijitalin en doğru oranda kullanılmasıyla ortaya güzel sonuçlar çıkabiliyor. 

Bugün insanlar işlemlerini yapmak için genellikle dijitali tercih ederken halen bir kısım insan şubeye gidip insan teması arayabiliyor. Aslında hepimizin hayatı bir şekilde fiziksele dokunabiliyor. Örneğin basılı kitap okumayı halen çok seviyoruz. Birçok insana dijital kitap okumak aynı deneyimi yaşatmıyor.

Tüm şirketler keskin bir tercih ile karşı karşıya bulunuyor. Ya üretken yaşamları giderek kısalırken sürekli daha hızlı mal ve hizmet inovasyonu yapacaklar ya da hayatı değiştiren deneyimler üzerine kurulu dönüşümlere odaklanacaklar. Kısacası ya mal ve hizmette yenilik yapacaklar ya da müşterinin deneyimini iyileştirme yoluna gidecekler. İlkini yapmak uzun ve zor bir süreç gerektirirken ikincisini yapmak zaman zaman oldukça kolay olabiliyor.

Yukarıda anlatılanı birlikte yapan şirketler ise uzun dönem müşteri sadakati sağlayabiliyorlar. Örneğin iPhone’un kendi başına bir inovasyon olduğunu düşünürsek bu ürünü kullandığımız her an bir deneyim yaşadığımızı da söyleyebiliriz. Hatta kutusunu ilk defa açmak bile deneyimin bir parçasıdır. Mutlaka fark etmişsinizdir ki iPhone kutusunu açmak müşteri yolculuğunun başlangıç noktasıdır.

Kitap; zaman, mekan ve madde düzleminde fiziksel ve sanal dünyanın bir karışımının nasıl olabileceğini gözler önüne seriyor. Bunlardan bazıları hayatımızın içerisinde önemli rol oynamaya başlasa da bazıları şu ana kadar yeterince etki göstermiş değildir. Şimdi bunları hep birlikte tanıyalım.

Gerçeklik diye bilinen alem zamanın, mekanın ve maddenin bizim bildiğimiz şekliyle ve içinde yaşadığımız haliyle duyu organlarımızla algıladığımız gerçek yaşamı ifade ediyor. Bu düzlemde de teknoloji kullanılıyor. Burada kullanılan teknolojiler doğuştan sahip olduğumuz insani yetenekleri yükselterek değer oluşturuyor. Örneğin; gözlük, mikroskop, teleskop gibi aletler; kürek, traktör veya testere gibi araçlar bizim mevcut yeteneklerimizin daha gelişkin bir şekilde kullanılmasına imkan tanıyor.

Artırılan gerçeklik ise insanın bazı dijital araçlarla çevresindeki fiziksel dünyayı daha iyi anlaması için ona imkanlar sunuyor. Örneğin hepimizin bildiği gibi cep telefonumuzun kamerası ile gerçek dünyaya baktığımızda trafik, navigasyon veya bilgilendirmeler gibi birçok konuda yardım alabiliyoruz.

Alternatif gerçeklik yukarıdakilerden farklı olarak gerçek olmayan bir zamanda ve dijital ortamda ama gerçek dünyanın mekanları kullanılarak bir deneyim oluşturabiliyor. Örneğin bir zamanlar birçok insanı peşinden koşturan PokemonGo oyunu gibi. Bu oyunda insanlar gerçek dünyada fakat tamamen sanal bir gerçeklikle Pokemon karakterlerini yakalamaya çalışıyorlardı.

Çarpıtılan gerçeklik ise gerçek dünyada fakat tamamen farklı bir zamanda yaşanan deneyimi ifade ediyor. Örneğin bir ören yerine gittiniz. İnsanların, mekanların ve kullanılan tüm dekorların bundan iki bin yıl öncesini yansıttığını düşünün. Siz de buna göre giyindiniz ve buna göre bir zaman geçirmek için ortamın içine dahil oldunuz. Tamamen farklı bir zamanda fakat tamamen gerçek olan bir his ile tüm duyu organlarınız ile bu deneyimi yaşayabilirsiniz.

Sanallık ise zaman, madde ve mekan anlamında tamamen gerçek olmayan bir dünyayı ifade etmektedir. Aslında bunu hepimiz eminim çok iyi biliyoruz. Oynadığımız oyunlar büyük ölçüde bu kapsam içine dahil olabilir. Örneğin bir macera oyunu oynadığınızı düşünün. İçinde bulunulan zaman, oyunun geçtiği mekan ve elbette dijital ortam sizin tamamen farklı bir deneyim yaşamanızı neden olacaktır. 

Karşımıza çok fazla çıkmasa da artırılan sanallık diye bir kavramdan daha bahsetmek lazım. Çeşitli çocuk oyunları, yılbaşı kartları ve bunun gibi fiziksel ortamda bulunan bazı tasarımların cep telefonu kamerası ile okutulduklarında telefonun içinde canlanıp çeşitli hareketler yaptığını görmüşsünüzdür. Örneğin size bir yılbaşı kartı geldiğinde ve üzerinde de bir kare kod olduğunda bunu okuttuğunuzda, yılbaşı ile ilgili bir müzik çalıyorsa bu tarz bir deneyim yaşıyorsunuz demektir. 

Fiziksel sanallık ise sanalı maddi olanda cisimleştirmek anlamına gelmektedir. Örneğin son on yılda hızlı bir yükseliş gösteren 3D yazıcılar buna bir örnek olarak gösterilebilir.

Yansıtılan sanallık gerçek dünyayı sanal içerisinde özümsemek anlamına geliyor. Bunu da hayatımızda oldukça fazla kullanıyoruz. Uygulamalar aracılığı ile gerçek yaşamdaki olayları takip etmek bu konuya güzel bir örnektir. Navigasyon uygulamaları ile yol bilgisi almak, kendi yaşamsal değerlerimizi uygulamalardan öğrenmek, devam eden etkinlikler ile ilgili canlı bilgiler almak bu kapsama dahil olabilir.

İnsanlar yukarıdaki farklı alemleri yaşarken en başta belirttiğimiz gibi temelde zaman, mekan ve maddi düzleminde konuyu algılıyorlar. Bu kapsamda deneyim değişim gösterebiliyor. Örneğin gerçek zaman güncel olayları şimdinin katıksız gerçekliğini, olayların ardışık bir süreyle gelişmesini bekleme öngörüsünü kısacası gerçek bir zamanı yaşamanın deneyimini yansıtırken gerçek olmayan zaman ise başka bir zamanı yaşamanın verdiği heyecanı, şimdiki zamandan kaçmanın hissettirdiği özgürlüğü insanlara yaşatmaktadır.

Kitaptan aldığım notlar bundan ibaret. Yazımı okuduğunuz için teşekkür ederim.