This document provides an executive summary of Exicon, a consulting firm specializing in strategy and execution for mobile and internet communication services. Exicon customizes teams to match client project needs, drawing from a network of specialized independent professionals focused on areas like developer programs, applications, APIs, mobile money, and market strategies. Since 2001 Exicon has worked with Fortune 500 and digital startup clients globally. It focuses on underserved, growing, and fragmented markets and helps launch and resource startups in communications and software. Exicon believes innovation results from the profitable implementation of ideas and strives to nurture it through leadership, culture, resources, and collaboration.
Scaling API-first – The story of a global engineering organization
Exicon Innovation Mar 2009
1. INNOVATION ?
STEFAN RUST
www.exicon.mobi
March 2009
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A core team of professionals specializing in Strategy and Execution for mobile and
internet communication services.
For each client we customize our teams to match the requirements of the project by
tapping into our database of trusted specialized independent professionals focusing
on the fields of
› Developer Programs and Communities
› Application Sourcing
› Network and handset services level API’s
› Mobile Money
› Social Media Marketing & Social Commerce
› Digital Media
› Market entry strategies
Since 2001 we have been working on a global basis with clients from the Fortune
500 multinationals (e.g. Morgan Stanley, Sun Microsystems, GSMA, Standard
Chartered, The Economist, Motorola) to innovative digital startups.
3. MORE THAN YOUR STANDARD CONSULTANT
Independent Professionals
Start Ups
Developers
Angel Investors
Publishing Partners
Advertising Networks
4. launch, mentor & resource
startups
in the areas of
Communications and Software
over the Internet on any device
5. THE DISPARITY Venture Capital per University Engineering Graduate
$2.12K/
engineer
Early‐stage Startup activity
$3.68K/
% of adult population involved in early‐stage
20 engineer
entrepreneurial activity
China
15
India
$260K/
Malaysia
10
US
Britain
5
Japan
engineer
China’s patent grants and IP litigation cases, ‘000
0 10 20 30 40 50
GDP per person at PPP*, 2006, $000 Patents granted Lawsuits
*Purchasing-power parity 400 20
Sources: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor High Growth Report 2007
300 15
200 10
100 5
0 0
2003 04 05 06 07
Sources: State Intellectual Property Office; Jones Day
6. GREAT MARKETS
Under Serviced
Growing
Highly Fragmented
14. TWO PRIMARY KINDS OF INNOVATION:
1. Incremental
Use of an existing product in a new way
2. Disruptive
Development of a completely new product
or service rendering others obsolete
16. INNOVATING ON A GLOBAL SCALE
THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN INNOVATION
FUNDING
•Resources need to be made available;
•Collaboration between public and private sector – these are not mutually exclusive.
EDUCATION
•Encourage individuality, creativity, collaboration;
•Explain question framing;
•Teach focus.
POLICY
•Focus education system to mind development;
•Fund research and innovation competitions;
•Extend planning horizons;
•Collaboration between public and private sector, central and local government.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
•Identify areas for innovation;
•Fund ‘clusters’ to address specific challenges.
18. 5 CORE VALUES IN LEADERSHIP
QUESTIONING
curiosity, evaluation, critical self assessment, Non Judgmental freedom
RISK
vulnerability, attitude towards failure, fail early, learn from failures, accept failure
OPENNESS
to imagination fantasy new data sharing, surprise, opinion, change path
PATIENCE
tenacity, patient capital
TRUST
in oneself and others.
19. ENEMIES OF INNOVATION
MANAGEMENT AND MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
Process, Tight Structures, Metrics
BUREAUCRACY
Inflexible Processes
RISK AVERSION
Incentive, Safety net, Lack of Trust
BARRIERS TO OPENESS
Business Units, Insecurity, Secrecy
LACK OF
Resources, Diversity, Incentive
20. INNOVATION NEEDS TO BE NURTURED
“INSPIRATION FROM THE TOP, INNOVATION FROM THE BOTTOM”
Create the environment
» make resources available
» Use instinct to build a team of complimentary skills
Create the Culture
» Support risk and possible failure as means to assess, learn and move on
» Be committed, patient and encourage the right discussions
» Set goals but extend planning horizons
» Encourage trust; ideas and data sharing
Create the Eco‐System
» Demonstrate openness and promote collaboration
» Listen to opinion
» Have the courage to change your path if necessary – but stick to your guns if you need to.
» Capacity for change in balance
21. INNOVATION AND MONETIZATION?
Leadership
Focus, Direction, Questions, Needs
resources resources
Research Development
Creativity Goal Applying sciences
in new ways.
Courage
Tenacity Practicality
Producing Products and
services
Application
Income
22. BUT REALLY ONLY 4 KEY ELEMENTS
“Rather than a swift series of eureka moments, progress took shape in setting goals, testing, tweaking and then setting more goals”
– Jon Gertner
The Technologist The Creative
Technology Design
The Optimist
Program All working toward the
Management same, clearly
Business
Leadership identified goal, which
The Pragmatist
is grounded in
The Strategist
common core
values.
23. EXAMPLES …..
Manage Abundance, Not Scarcity. Scarcity has been obliterated by the internet.
The more content Google has to organize and the more sites to place ads on, the better. Google‐owned YouTube already has
more search queries than Yahoo. Amazon’s approach is to offer customers more books and CD’s that could ever fit in one physical
store.
Make Mistakes Well. Mistakes can be valuable, if you learn from them.
A recent trend involves releasing products that are not properly finished, i.e. in ‘beta’ version, allowing customer feedback to
identify bugs and comment on the user experience. This feedback is then incorporated into the finished product. Proctor &
Gamble endeavors to keep the company’s rate of failure with new product launches at about 40‐50%. It encourages employees to
think ambitiously and take risks.
Open the Dialogue. This openness leads to a sharp decline in the negative buzz.
Dell launched a Web site to get customers’ ideas after a flood of criticism over poor service. Starbucks launched
mystarbucksidea.com and got 70,000 ideas in the first year. A study by the London School of Economics highlighted that a 1%
decline in negative buzz leads to a 2% increase in Sales [link]
Price as low as you can go (Free is Better) The more users, the stronger
your competitive position.
The fastest‐growing Net companies ‐Google, Skype, TenCent, Kaixin001, Amazon and eBay charge as little as they possibly can.
Execution and Speed. An idea is only as good as its execution.
Cumbersome processes and official launch days are of the past; permanent beta, alpha or even pre‐alpha. Get out there get the
feedback and then incorporate that feedback. Do less than your competitors to beat them. Solve the simple problems and leave
the hairy, difficult, nasty problems to everyone else.
24. STRATEGY AND EXECUTION
Mobile and Internet specialists
Totally focused on Mobile and Internet Team
Proven track record
Repeat global clients since 2001
Immersed in the Industry
In the flow and in the know
CORE team
Innovative thought leaders
Highly experienced recognized experts with
backgrounds in Multinationals and start ups
CORE+ team
Scalable, qualified value based resources
Global reach with specialist network
25. OVERVIEW OF RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
• Represents 100% of EXICON’s worldwide
consulting activity
• Projects across all major markets
• Specialization
• Globe Telecom
Technology • SingTel Group
• Wide network
&Telecom & • Betavine
within global Internet
Mobile • Orange Partners
mobile and Web 2.0 Known • Java
Application
developer in the • Litmus O2
&
Community Mobile • Sony Ericsson
Web
Content • Android
Ecosystem
• Asia Pacific, World • MEF
Europe, and
Track
• GSMA
Record
North America • MMA
• RIM
• Nokia
• Breakthrough Strategy
• Delivering results
• Execution support and commitment
• Working Global 1000 companies
26. SERVING CLIENTS WORLD WIDE SINCE 2001
From the World’s Largest Multinationals
to the Most Innovative Digital Startups and Associations
27. OTHER SOURCES
Judy Estrin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uToaWrvSVB4
http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php