Comments (1)

By Tai, April 25, 2009 7:14 pm

A quick review of this article on Boingboing.

As search result becomes relevant to users need and free preview is provided, Google Book Search will soon become the destination of many book readers.

Soon, Google can take advantage of this and allow searchers to actually purchase the books online directly from Google search results.

In terms of business, this makes way for Google to enter e-commerce and even distribution.

If they do, Google has not and will not compete with portal sites like Amazon, but will go from their core competency: search.

Respectively, competition against Google will not be by search, but on other territories that Google has yet dominated, such as virality and social recommendations.

Comments (0)

By Tai, April 17, 2009 11:04 am

1. Introduction

This article discusses implications behind the adoption of a “2.0″ approach to corporate management. This article is built on and extends the introductory discussion of an FPT HR representative on their application of 2.0 to internal communications. It seeks an equivalent position of the 2.0 characteristics within an organization. Basing on this finding, recommendations are given to FPT.

Hi TaiTran,
Ko hiểu youtube có lỗi hay do mạng lởm nên tôi ko trả lời bạn trực tiếp được tại video trên youtube. Quản trị 2.0.
Quản trị 2.0 là khái niệm được FPT nhắc tới bắt đầu từ 2008, đơn giản là ứng dụng 2.0 vào công việc quản trị. Các bạn chắc biết rõ hơn tôi về web 1.0 và 2.0 và biết sự khác biệt giữa 1.0 - tiếp nhận thông tin 1 chiều và 2.0 tăng tính tương tác.
Quản trị 2.0 tương tự:
- Đưa ứng dụng web 2.0 vào việc quản trị. Ví dụ mở các kênh tiếp nhận thông tin từ nhân viên qua blog công ty để lãnh đạo lắng nghe ý kiến nhân viên tốt hơn. Các lãnh đạo tự mở blog cá nhân để chia sẻ về suy nghĩ bản thân, truyền tải thông điệp lãnh đạo (ko nhất thiết trong công việc) để gần hơn với nhân viên và tiếp thu thông tin.
Hiện FPT đang có kênh 2.0 đặc trưng là: Chợ Dưa FSoft - chodua.com và FLI Blog: fli.fpt20.com, là kênh internet có thể truy cập. Còn các forum, mạng nội bộ khác chỉ dành cho nhân viên FPT. Đặc điểm ẩn danh cho phép nhiều người được nói thẳng nói thật ý kiến và cả các bức xúc của mình trong công việc hay comment thoải mái về các chính sách công ty mà ko sợ lộ mặt.
Những cái này có thể nhiều công ty đã áp dụng như “học thuật” hóa thì được gọi là quản trị 2.0.
Những thông tin khác bạn có thể đọc tại fli.fpt20.com hoặc chodua.com. Mời bạn vào trao đổi! Tks!

vanbich, FPT HR representative

Ông Trương Gia Bình nói về Visky 2.0

2. The position of the 2.0 characteristics

2a. Web 2.0 is about Communication. Is Enterprise 2.0 about Communication?

Basing on the comment from vanbich, the idea of FPT 2.0 is to provide channels and facilities for their employees to communicate with one another and with leaders.

At first, it seems sensible given light that a Web 2.0 product provides platforms for its users to communicate and share information with one another. And users do this with purposes.

Some examples of Web 2.0 products:

How are “2.0 communication” and FPT’s explanation linked together?

It’s useful to map the idea:

Figure 1 - trying mapping web 2.0 product and enterprise 2.0: incorrect

While we see that the total scale of a Web 2.0 product is allow Communication, the total scale of an Enterprise is much larger than that. We want to revise the ‘conventional’ enterprise:

Figure 2 - simplified model of a conventional enterprise

That is the full scale of an Enterprise. Communication plays an important role, but does not take up entirely its operations.

So how do we map it more precisely?

2b. Here is what I visual it: mapping between two 2.0 entities

Firstly, as we know that communication is the main activity of a Web 2.0 product, it is important to find out what is the main activity of an Enterprise. As from figure 2, the main activity of an enterprise is Production and/or Providing Services.

Secondly, it is important to characterize the style of communication in Web 2.0 products so that we can do the same on the style of production of an enterprise.

What best describes “multi-directional” and “decentralized”? It is autonomous. People in the 2.0 sphere communicate autonomously and are responsible for their behaviors.

Combining these two findings, here is what I propose the mapping between a Web 2.0 product and an Enterprise:

Figure 3 - mapping web 2.0 product and enterprise 2.0

At full scale, the applied 2.0 characteristics does not only involve open and partially anonymous communication, but reach the level of autonomy in production.

3. Some considerations

1. It’s easier for startups than for an established company.
   Think about Google. It had been famous for its anti-corporate culture at the first days. As the company becomes mature, corporate issues start to emerge.
2. Does the structure of the company make it reasonable to build autonomous teams/divisions?
3. Does the culture of the company and the culture of the society make it reasonable to build autonomous teams/divisions?
4. How ready are the employees, in terms of capability and mentality, to be autonomous?
5. Autonomous, together with self-directed communication is not new. It traces back to 1970s and Motorola, Xerox, AT&T and so on. However, it might be new to Vietnam.

4. Some recommendations for FPT toward 2.0

1. Select mature teams to build autonomy
2. Delayer these teams
3. Allow (sometimes dramatic) changes in structure, culture and mentality
4. Allow (sometimes dramatic) changes in personnel management and resource allocation
5. Treat this as on-going experiment

Benefits:

1. Bring the “2.0 spirit” to the company as leaders desire
2. Increase innovation
3. Reduce cost, especially management overhead
4. Reduce absenteeism
5. Identify unofficial leaders of the teams in addition to the existing leadership training program

5. Summary

Changes in production characteristics, rather than sheerly in communication, reflect the full-scale shift within an Enterprise. Analyzing Web 2.0 characteristics leads us to autonomy. Whether and how FPT will implement it is interesting to observe. The implications of recommendations in this article go beyond social media, product management and technology companies to leadership generally.

6. Reflection

It has been challenging and exciting to write this. The excitement was how I can link seemingly scattered parts of my knowledge to form a cohesion piece of consultation - something I love doing. The great challenge lies in the idea of evaluating a big, established, known and loved company. Nevertheless, if I want to learn, first thing first, I must dare the keyboard discussion.

Comments (1)

By Tai, February 7, 2009 3:13 pm

A Power User on the social media sphere is different from the term PowerUser in enterprise systems.

Power User or Influencer is one with high reputation in a community or in using a product.

There are some reasons why one would want to be a Power User

1. It’s easier to get your messages/ideas across

Your reputation makes people listen/react to your messages.

2. A Power User helps improve the product

A Power User really understands how the systems work and how to improve them. Most of the time, the product teams reaches out to power users to get their feedbacks. Being a Power User makes you closer to the product itself.

3. Business opportunities

Getting your name “out there” brings you lots of business opportunities from people from different industries.

4. Monetize your contents

Obviously, you can make money from your contents, mostly from blogging. The reputation drives traffic to your sites and so do income.

***

Some resources to the points I made above

Blogging Professionally: Darren Rowse’s problogger

10 Habits of Highly Efficient Social Media Power Users

Comments (5)

By Tai, January 13, 2009 11:26 am

AnhHung made his point in his article Start-ups 2.0: one, or no one?

Seeing that his point is interesting, I want to bring this on a larger scale.

Take half step back and see

First thing first, not all efforts pay off.

• Facebook used to focus heavily on network and they dropped the Networks page.
• BlogRush does did one single thing with full focus and a good idea, but they didn’t make it.

Why? Because you never know till you try.

Experiments make way for innovation, and pave the path to success

“Innovation lesson: experiment a lot, fail often, and fail early.”

Some spread efforts too thin

Hung argues that some Vietnamese start-ups spread their efforts too thin by make and maintaining so many products: VCCorp, VON, Tinhvan

Just a quick note, while it’s true that VCCorp does have many products, they also have their focus: dantri the cashcow.

Here, from a business perspective, I think I can give some justifications why this approach might make sense.

Why it’s sensible

1. You never know till you try

Simple enough to understand from a Product Manager’s perspective.

2. Market segment

Take one example, VCCorp has 3 e-commerce products running simultaneously: muare, rongbay, enbac. A valid question can be raised: do they overlap one another?

My impression by looking at these 3 products is: muare might map to a market, rongbay might map to a store, enbac might map to a small plaza (ebay might map to a hypermarket by the way). What’s more, enbac differentiates itself from the rest as it’s B2C.

For one area, different customers from different market segments require different features and it’s sensible to satisfy this need.

3. Vietnam market is hard to predict

And while it’s hard to predict, why don’t shouldn’t we try?

In other words, it’s venture by nature.

How to tackle challenges

Obviously, while I point out that spreading the efforts might be sensible, it faces challenges.

Where there are challenges, they are solutions.

Technical

Development efforts can be cut off by using open-source systems. Quick and painlessful.

Resource management

If the company decides to maintain different products, they have to get best at shifting and cross-training their resources through multiple products.

Another thing is to reduce mid-level management overhead where appropriate.

Business model

Managing efforts for career planning

The lessons from managing efforts for several products can also be used for one’s career planning.

Whether to focus, or to experiment?

Most importantly, it is omnipresently advised that focus works best. Pick one thing, be good at it.

However, as one starts his/her career, experimenting through different fields is not a bad idea since it’s hard to know enough about the industry while at college.

Additionally, having different skill sets is becoming crucial in difficult times. If the sector one is most proficient with goes slow, s/he can choose to utilize other skills to go for other industries.

But all in all, eventually one has to needs to determine what to invest most efforts on.

Conclusion

Simply put, it might to be the best way to spread the efforts, but there are reasons why it’s sensible to do so at certain stages.

What do you think?