The Power of Unfair Advantage; How to Create It, Build it, and Use It to Maximum Effect

by John L. Nesheim

• ISBN13: 9780743256056
• ISBN10: 0743256050
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-05-31
• Publisher: Free Press

Summary

Author John Nesheim begins with a clear model: outsource everything you are not good at, concentrate on those things that can be differentiated, and strive for a unique, consistent difference that cannot be copied. Integrating these maxims with other essential elements, he demonstrates, with dozens of case studies, how to orchestrate unfair advantage through marketing, sales, engineering and operations. Unfair advantage can take many forms. Pager maker RIM rocketed to the top of the mobile wireless email market with Blackberry by employing an unfair advantage that they alone possessed - pager technology and pager infrastructure. Alternately, an unfair advantage can come from a unique relationship with a strategic alliance partner, as when Flextronics pulled Handspring out of a life-threatening crisis. THE POWER OF UNFAIR ADVANTAGE is an essential handbook for every manager who is responsible for introducing a new product or service and every entrepreneur and would-be who plans to start a company.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Introduction	1	(4)
PART I: WHAT UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IS	5	(64)
What Is an Unfair Advantage?	7	(44)
What Are the Parts of an Unfair Advantage?	51	(18)
PART II CREATING UNFAIR ADVANTAGE	69	(146)
Building Business Plans with Unfair Advantages	71	(12)
How to Assemble an Unfair Advantage	83	(9)
The Beginning: The Executive Summary	92	(3)
Customer Need and Business Opportunity	95	(8)
The New Enterprise Strategic Mind	103	(8)
Focus: Concentration of Resources	111	(3)
Types of Strategies	114	(17)
Marketing	131	(18)
Sales	149	(4)
Business Development	153	(2)
Strategic Partners	155	(5)
Customer Support	160	(3)
Engineering and Technology	163	(14)
Legal and Intellectual Property	177	(4)
Manufacturing, Outsourcing, and Internet Operations	181	(5)
Information Services	186	(3)
Management and Key Personnel	189	(7)
Facilities and Administration	196	(3)
Financial Plan	199	(7)
Valuation and Ownership	206	(9)
PART III APPLYING UNFAIR ADVANTAGE	215	(78)
Surfing Disruptive Technology Waves	217	(15)
Going World-Class	232	(8)
Why Giants Fail to Crush New Enterprises	240	(6)
Venture Capital Firms Apply-Unfair Advantage	246	(9)
Giant Corporations Apply Unfair Advantage	255	(7)
MBA Schools Apply Unfair Advantage	262	(8)
How Countries Apply Unfair Advantage	270	(8)
Spotting Weaknesses and Adding Strengths	278	(8)
Concluding Remarks and Challenges	286	(7)
Appendixes	293	(42)
Endnotes	335	(4)
Bibliography	339	(1)
Examples	340	(3)
Figures	343	(1)
Tables	344	(2)
Acknowledgments	346	(2)
Index	348	(11)
About the Author	359