Welcome to the class!
The approach for this class is steady, consistent progress, which is not unlike climbing a mountain. When you are looking up at a mountain, it can seem daunting. But it always begins with a couple of steps to get moving. That is the goal for today. To take the first steps.
There is now a Content Library, where you can see my overall digital strategy framework. And you can search by every concept I mention. There is also a Company Library, where you can search by company for articles and podcasts.
Start a Journal
As I said in the podcast, if you can’t write it, you don’t know it.
Forcing yourself to write down an idea (or an answer to a question) makes you be more active. And it forces you to really understand something. So you really want to keep a journal and write down your own explanations. It is also a good way to build out and record your thinking over time.
My own process is:
- Take notes on my phone and on paper (while reading and listening to podcasts).
- Screenshot these and put them in an online folder. I use Dropbox, which syncs to my laptop.
- Over time, I re-write my notes into PowerPoint pages, which becomes my master list.
There are lots of ways to do this. But the important thing is to record what you are learning by writing it down. And to have an easy way to edit and add to this thinking over time.
***
For First Steps, there are just a few Learning Goals.
Learning Goal 31: Introduction to Pinduoduo
- Pinduoduo has rocked upwards since 2015 to become the #3 ecommerce company of China, disproving the idea that the market is settled by Alibaba and JD. In this learning goal, we look at this company and it’s clever strategy for interactive ecommerce focused (initially) on lower tier Chinese cities.
- The key learning goals are:
- Pinduoduo Basics
- Value for Money. The Power of Cheap and Free. Example of Digital Superpower #1: Dramatically improving the user experience.
- Interactive / Engagement-Driven Ecommerce
- Virality and Word of Mouth
- Listen and read:
Learning Goal 28: Network Effects
- Everyone talks about network effects. And it is a powerful mechanism for a network-based business model. But it has limitations and can create problems.
- The key learning goals are:
- Networks Effects
- NE: Critical Mass and Chicken-and-Egg
- NE: Interaction Failure at Scale
- NE: Leaky Bucket and Multihoming
- Listen and read:
- 3 Ways Network Effects Suck (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 41)
- Ant Financial and the Sustained Innovation Trap of Network Effects (3 of 3) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 49)
- Ant Financial and the Sustained Innovation Trap of Network Effects (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Daily Lesson / Update)
- Write 3 paragraphs on why Ant Financial is so focused on innovating and creating value for its user groups. It refers to this as a strategic necessity.
- Can TikTok Be Copied? Innovators vs. Imitators. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Daily Lesson / Update)
-
- Write 3 paragraphs on the network effect of TikTok. And whether it can be copied.
-
Learning Goal 30: Ecosystems vs. Platforms
- Digital platforms are a network-based business model. You can view them as a simplified version of an ecosystem. Building and competing in ecosystems is a more complicated topic and is common in technology industries.
- The key learning goals are:
- Ecosystems vs. Digital Platforms
- SMILE Marathon: Ecosystem Orchestration and Management
- Intro to Epic Games
- Intro to Cocos
- Listen and read:
- Xiaomi, Meitu and Why Platforms Fail (1 of 2) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 43)
- Can Xiaomi or Meitu Win as Platforms / Ecosystems? (2 of 2) (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 44)
- Cocos, Gaming and an Introduction to Ecosystem Competition (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Daily Lesson / Update)
- What is Alibaba’s Best Growth Strategy? (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 50)
- Forget the “Alibaba Ecosystem”. It’s About Collaboration-Based Industries and Business Models. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 56)
- Alibaba, Android and The Emerging Art of Ecosystem Management. (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Podcast 57)
You should try to complete these in 2 weeks. But there is no hurry. Then go on to Level 2.