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Thanks for sharing! The pivot to services is an interesting one, and I’m worried about how Apple will fair against Amazon and Google. Amazon and Google have such a head start in the voice / speaker space. As a result, their learning algorithms are smarter. Do the vast customer data and smarter algorithms end up enticing users and then developers off of Apple’s platform? As long as the smartphone is so sticky, probably not, but if computing moves to other interfaces (e.g., AR), I would be worried if I were Apple.

Thanks for the post! Interesting to see the multiple transformations. My question with Wayfair is always “how are they so Amazon-proof?”. I wonder if Wayfair’s advantage is purely in the operational processes (e.g., warehouses designed for big furniture items), or if there are other digital tools they could utilize to build and maintain an advantage over Amazon?

Great post! After having worked with BCG DV, I’m skeptical that the old consulting model can coexist alongside newer models like DV. My experience was that the two cultures did not mesh and the result was a project that did not deliver expectations. I wonder what other steps BCG can take to ensure tools such as BCG DV are more successful. Keeping the organizations separate is one approach, but then you miss out on synergy opportunities such as shared learning. Maybe, to your point, training is the answer!

Per Brittany’s point, I wonder how long-term the benefits from these CPG campaigns are. Lego’s Ideas platform is a similar initiative that has been around for a while, but I have not been able to find any data that shows sustained sales growth. Maybe the only benefits from these campaigns are enhanced brand image and buzz? Will be interesting to see how CPG organizations continue to try to create and capture value.

Thanks Raina! Any word on technological solutions to solve the fake user information? It seems to me like LinkedIn has done a good job creating accurate, verified user profiles, and they built these profiles from the ground up (i.e., didn’t just use Facebook’s social graph). Wonder if Glassdoor could use anything from the LinkedIn playbook?

Thanks Brittany! Interesting that Pepsi is facing issues with the long-term success of winning flavors. To your point, maybe these new flavors don’t solve the same job that the original Lays chips solve, and the customer job for a more unique flavor is fleeting in nature (i.e., “I just want to try something new for a few times then move on”). If this is the case, I wonder if this product development engine could serve a marketing purpose. I’m thinking of fast food franchises that often promote special, expiring deals or new products to drive more customer traffic. Maybe in the future, limited release flavors serve as a way for us to reengage with the brand, and Pepsi offers us some sort of incentive to stick with the brand (e.g., coupons for original Lays when we buy chicken and waffle Lays). Any examples of this that you’ve seen?

Thanks for sharing! I was an owner of a Fitbit and quickly stopped using it, and so I can relate to this story. I thought I might push back on the value creation piece for Fitbit. The Fitbit product creates value for customers by providing them data that will actually change their activity patterns and behavior. Unfortunately, in my and many other’s experience, this behavior change is temporary. I quickly became accustomed to my activity data and patterns, and learned how to change my behavior to be more active. I extracted all of the value from the product within the first month, and did not feel compelled to stay with Fitbit. To your point, if Fitbit can figure out how to create more value for customers (e.g., via a strong social network) and improve retention, this business will look more like a winner.

Thanks for the post Brittany! This space is very interesting to me, as I have a few family members who make a living via active investing. To your point, it is very impressive to see how successful robo advisers have been at drawing new customers in to investment management. To LIza’s point, though, I do worry about robo adviser’s ability to capture the value they have created by attracting new customers. If we use profit as a proxy for value capture, an “active manager” such as Blackstone or a hedge fund is far more successful than a robo adviser at capturing value. It will be interesting to see if these robo advisers layer on value added services to attempt to capture more value, like a traditional investment adviser would. One interesting concept is that of a “robo analyst”, that automates many of the activities performed by an active manager – https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2017/07/19/why-robo-analysts-not-robo-advisors-will-transform-investing/2/#1289e375a39b.

Thanks for sharing, Saurav! Given our discussion today regarding GE’s business model for capturing value via the Industrial Internet, I’m wondering if you have an opinion on how Benevolent.AI is monetizing its drug discovery algorithms. Clearly, value is being created, as evidenced by the $800M deal Benevolent.AI signed. I’m wondering whether or not the company is capturing this value in an optimal way. $800M for two drugs seems like a lot of money up front, potentially increasing the sales and marketing effort required to close deals. If Beneveolent.AI were to reduce the upfront price and increase the portion of income they receive from revenue sharing, it could reduce sales / marketing friction and project confidence in their own algorithms. I could not find news of any new deals closed that would indicate Benevolent.AI is experimenting with its business model, but it will be interesting to see how the model changes as the company grows.