Rex Flostereo's Profile

SVelasco – thanks for sharing! This sounds like a really amazing company that should be on everyone’s radar. I am interested to know if they have been able to monetize any of their environmental modifications through things like government subsidies or carbon credits. It seems like they are taking really big strides at being a market leader, but from a strategic perspective are they making decisions that support the long term health of their business model? Thanks in advance.

What a back to basics approach! It seems like this firm could potentially benefit its business model by utilizing a “pop-up” shop model around the city, providing it a chance to expand brand awareness and potentially gain a new revenue stream. I am curious to know if you ever saw them initiate something like that during your time in Arizona. Thanks in advance!

LL Cool Chea – thanks for taking a look! You bring up some really interesting points. From my experience, a lot of what Corning does is create ideas that they know will have to sit on the shelf for a number of years, so there are definitely issues around the delay between creating and monetizing a product. If that approach is taken too often, you are right that it could pose a risk to the business model. Regarding the problem of cost to consumer, I don’t believe there needs to be too much concern about this. Corning has already established itself as a leader in scale by being able to answer the calls of Samsung and Apple to deliver high-quality glass screens to their mobile phone production process. That is, in my opinion the firm is well positioned to leverage its deep bench of manufacturing scale and talent to deliver to market products that are not priced unnecessarily high because of the variable cost to produce. It has also proven that it can easily partner with other firms without adding too much inefficiency to the mix, so from the perspective of integrating it’s products into other applications (like a fridge, countertop, etc.) it is again, from my perspective, ready to deliver products to market without shifting too much cost to the consumer.

I utilized One Medical while living in Boston last year and can absolutely back up Pia’s comments that the firm’s emphasis on technology provides it competitive advantage. Never before have I been able to so easily refill an Rx or get provider advice on a medical condition. Surprisingly though, there seems to be very little promotion of the firm in the market and this could lead to an erosion of the consumer base to competitors if not addressed. I would be interested to learn what efforts within the operating model look to address this gap.

What a neat brewery! I would be interested to learn more about their distribution strategy because it is certainly a key “make or break” element when trying to enter a new market. Are they going to be able to generate market share in New England through traditional grass-roots efforts or are they going to need to take on more of a “big box” strategy to establish a foothold in the region? Can they expand quickly enough to meet demand while keeping employees happy and not diluting ESOPs? Another great beer to keep an eye out for soon!

Wow – this is great information to know before I head to India for FIELD 2! It seems that OYO is taking aggressive steps to expand their market base and provide consumers with a seamless digital experience. However, I am concerned with how lasting the competitive advantage of a firm like OYO is if at the end of the day it is a relationships-based business (e.g. OYO’s crucial first step is getting hoteliers to share inventory). What steps is it taking to distance itself from competition? Is this a model that could work equally as well in rural areas? Could its share of the market be lost if a new entrant offers hotel owners a different fee structure?

I look forward to seeing OYO first-hand in a few weeks!

Great insight on Fresh Direct! Are they looking to expand to other cities during this time of heightened competition? I would be interested to understand how they plan to ensure long term revenue growth when they are being pushed against a wall by such cash-rich competitors as Amazon.