Articles by Kaihan Krippendorff
Strategist, former McKinsey consultant, and author of three business strategy books, Kaihan Krippendorff has over a decade studying corporate conflict. Blending Eastern philosophy, military theory, and modern business strategy, Kaihan helps ambitious companies outthink their competition. "Kaihan shows that with a compelling idea anyone can change the world" - Mohammed Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner, founder of Grameen Bank
The Power of Coordination
The ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu once wrote that “power comes from formation.” Fundamentally the way one creates power is by coordinating the pieces in a strategic formation. This is a great chess player setting …
Four Steps to Flustering Your Competition
Walking through airport lounges, surfing channels in my hotel room, I’m struck by how many kung fu fights and ancient grand battles fill the screens. I suppose this is China, after all, native home of …
Ten Rules For Entrepreneurs To Live By
My mind is buzzing with thoughts of a book I just finished reading: The Intelligent Entrepreneur by Bill Murphy Jr. The author follows the inspiring stories of three entrepreneurs who turn their backs on traditional …
Using Customer Mind-Reading and Customized Content to Transform Your Brand
Experts are terrible at predicting the future. At the dawn of the age of air travel, experts shared a compelling vision: a personal airplane in every garage. When the tape recorder was introduced, experts warned …
Change the world with “Old School” social networking
The Milken Institute published a paper earlier this year (http://www.mikemilken.com/Sputnik-2Q11MIR.pdf) that points to some fundamental problems with our healthcare system. Our system has devolved into providing care (it is a healthCARE system) rather than finding …
The Flow of Technology Adoption Reverses.
This week I listened to the CEO of a large technology firm I’ve been working with share his views on the future. One small comment he made struck me. If he is right, this could …
Developing Countries—The New Frontier?
On a recent flight leaving Peru, I peer out of the window, and I think about the famous Nazca Lines, a series of ancient drawings located in southern Peru. Though shaped by indigenous people centuries …
Keep It Simple Stupid
When Thad Eidman decided to jump into a start-up, he did so with both eyes open and a “secret” formula in mind. Probe a successful business leader about their business, and you will usually unlock …
Social Media Does More Than Support Revolutions
News media and the blogosphere have been filled with the argument that the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were made possible by Twitter and Facebook. It’s a compelling argument. Why is it that after 30 …
President Obama and Steve Jobs talk like innovators.
In his State of the Union speech, Obama spoke of “out-innovating” the competition. But to focus on his agenda of clean energy and education is to miss a subtle insight into Obama’s skill as an …
What Cold Batteries Are You Holding Onto?
The Chief Innovation Officer of a large financial services company was interviewing me for an article when she poised an unexpected question: “What do you learn from your children about innovation?”
After stalling with “umm,” it …
Passionately Pursue Customer Captivity
There are three primary sources of long-term sustainable competitive advantage: customer captivity, economies of scale and preferential access to resources. Lock on to one of these early and you can build a potentially insurmountable barrier …
Condense your strategy to its core
Passion, when channeled correctly, can create a powerful strategic advantage. When a company’s people are all focused on one mission, one purpose, they become passionate and engaged about it. However, in order to truly leverage …
Selling Information, Not Diamonds
Blue Nile’s divergence from industry norms begins with its purpose. Most jewelers exist for the jewelry. Tiffany & Co., for example, describes itself as “the world’s premier jeweler and America’s house of design.”
While this positioning …
