Category Archives: Solutions

July 29, 2010 · 9:30 am

The Second Chasm

Prospects Need to Cross a Chasm Too

If you’re in software marketing, you’re aware of Geoffrey Moore’s book, Crossing the Chasm. The premise of the book, born out at companies like Oracle and Documentum (since acquired by EMC) is that companies must evolve and cross the “chasm” as they move from serving the early adopters to serving the larger and more lucrative early majority. That’s the “first chasm.”

The Second Chasm

But there’s actually a second, less-known chasm that relates to the first. The second chasm is crossed not by your company, but by your prospects. To be successful, your software company needs to help prospects to make that leap too. Failure to do so may prevent your company from crossing the first chasm. Continue reading →

Arrogance Is Not a Solution

– By Steve Robins

Arrogance contributed to Apple iPhone antenna woes

Continued from Apple: Honey I Forgot the Customer!

Solutions are driven by user needs. Even innovative new offerings need to be based on the needs and habits of real users. Apple’s iPone 4 debacle, aka “Antennagate”, came about in part because they failed to include actual users in their development cycle.

Continue reading →

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Filed under Case Studies, Innovation, Solution Marketing, Solutions, The Solution Marketing Blog, User feedback, Value

Tagged as Antennagate, Apple, apple iPhone, Arrogance, Customers, iPhone 4, Software Marketing, Solution Marketing, Solutions

July 15, 2010 · 9:00 am

Road Runner, Boats and Manuals

– By Steve Robins

Solution needed: boat operator manuals

Beep Beep!

Solution stories abound – even on boats. My dad has owned a boat for a while. It’s a great boat from Sea Ray, the leading motor boat company in the U.S. Generally the boat runs well and the boat’s features, fittings and accouterments are great.

On July 4 (of course), my dad ran into a problem though. Once the engine was started, it began to emit a mysterious Road Runner beep-beep every 2 or 3 minutes and a mysterious “Check Engine” indicator appeared on the instrument panel. Dad is an experienced boater and he tried everything he could think of, to no avail. Eventually, a neighboring slip-holder came over and generously checked out the engine – and all looked OK – except for the Road Runner beep-beep of course. Eventually, we decided to chance it and took the boat for quick spin. Apparently, the beep-beep did not indicate imminent disaster and the boat returned safely to share at the end of the trip. Continue reading →

Solution-As-A-Suffix?

– By Steve Robins

The 5 Solution Requirements

Let’s face it, the word “solution” is often derided. Why? Because all too often, marketers and tech companies act as if adding the word “solution” to the end of an offering immediately transforms it into a solution. And they’d be wrong.

So what makes a solution a solution? Continue reading →

Invention or Innovation?

– By Steve Robins

Innovation and Solution Marketing

New inventions are attractive. They’re fresh, unique, clever, first — superlatives abound. We admire inventions — and the people and companies that create them.

What’s Wrong?

That’s why many inventors and entrepreneurs are left wondering why their inventions haven’t been more successful. The reason? Too often they invent technologies that solve a problem that no one cares about or one that does not justify its expense. Or perhaps they solve a problem but lack the right business model. Clever and unique as they may be, unsuccessful inventions offer little value to the people who would buy them. Continue reading →

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Filed under Case Studies, Innovation, Solution Marketing, Solutions, Value

Tagged as E1.1, E2.0, Enterprise 2.0, Innovation, Invention, Mass High Tech, MHT, Saul Kaplan, Solution Marketing, Solutions, Steve Robins