| "Consumers prefer to be spoon-fed changes
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| | but suffice it to say people said we were
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| with teaspoons."
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| | years ahead of our time.The competition
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| - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONNot too long
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| | wasn't far behind either, as other
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| ago Panasonic's corporate slogan was,
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| | commercial methodologies were introduced
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| "Just slightly ahead of our time." It
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| | as well as structured programming
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| was catchy and it inferred their products
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| | techniques and data dictionary systems.
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| were on the cutting edge of the industry.
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| | I could easily argue how "PRIDE" was
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| There was only one problem with this, as
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| | superior in so many ways, but as I
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| Panasonic found out, people feel
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| | mentioned before, consumers are not
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| uncomfortable using products ahead of
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| | really interested. Instead, they
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| their time. Consequently, their slogan
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| | selected cheaper alternatives which were
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| was changed to, "Ideas for Life." But
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| | implemented badly. Regardless, they
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| this essay is not so much about slogans
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| | thought they had purchased a
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| as it is about marketing products ahead
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| | bargain.Based on legal advice, we
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| of their time. The marketing graveyard
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| | originally sold "PRIDE" as a proprietary
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| is full of fine examples of products that
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| | product requiring the use of a
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| were introduced and considered ahead of
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| | nondisclosure agreement to be made privy
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| their time:
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| | to its contents. This was both good and
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|
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| | bad. It was good in the sense it allowed
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| Sony's Betamax video recorder was
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| | us to protect the product from
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| introduced in the mid-1970's and was well
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| | misappropriation (which was tested in a
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| regarded as a superior and quality
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| | court of law), but it was bad in the
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| product over its competition. The VHS
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| | sense we were handcuffed from
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| format ultimately unseated the Betamax
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| | disseminating information on how it
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| though, not because of superior quality
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| | worked. While MBA was restrained from
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| but primarily due to cheaper costs. In
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| | public disclosure our competition
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| less than ten years Betamax was
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| | propagated their products through the
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| gone.Xerox's Star computer was introduced
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| | media. So much so, that "PRIDE" faded
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| in 1981. It was also a quality product
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| | from public view.As the first in the
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| that was ahead of its time, featuring a
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| | industry, we made our money early on and
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| Graphical User Interface (GUI) that was
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| | invested a lot of it back into the
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| copied by Apple, Microsoft, and just
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| | product in the form of research and
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| about everyone else.The GRiD Compass 1101
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| | development. Consequently, "PRIDE"
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| computer was released in 1982 and is the
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| | evolved into a much larger product that
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| first true laptop as we understand it
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| | now tackles issues such as Enterprise
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| today, with a sleek design that included
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| | Engineering and Data Base Engineering.
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| a screen that closed on top of the
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| | Frankly, it became more robust than the
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| keyboard, a built-in modem, bubble
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| | average person could assimilate which is
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| memory, and it ran on batteries. But the
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| | one reason why, in 2004, we finally put
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| product wasn't cheap and sold for upwards
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| | it in the public domain through the
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| to $10,000 making it prohibitive to
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| | Internet.As I have written in the past,
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| purchase for the average business person.
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| | the market has changed considerably over
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| Even worse, it didn't support the IBM PC
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| | the last 35 years since "PRIDE" was
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| architecture making it incompatible with
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| | introduced. The people have changed, the
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| popular programs of the day.IBM has also
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| | technology has changed, but the problems
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| had its fair share of products that were
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| | haven't, e.g.; the backlog of user
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| ahead of its time and met premature
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| | information requirements has gotten
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| deaths; including their Token Ring LAN
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| | longer, not shorter; systems still lack
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| which was ultimately supplanted by
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| | integration; companies are plagued by
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| Ethernet. IBM's PS/2 line of computers
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| | redundant information resources; lack of
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| was introduced in 1987 as a means to
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| | documentation; fire fighting is still the
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| recapture the PC market. The PS/2
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| | common mode of operating; projects come
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| included a proprietary "Microchannel
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| | in late and over budget, etc.Recently, I
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| Architecture" which, although advanced
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| | was giving a "PRIDE" presentation to a
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| and sophisticated, led to its demise from
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| | startup company with some rather young
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| competitive "open" offerings. And
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| | analysts and programmers who are not as
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| finally, we have IBM's OS/2 operating
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| | well versed in the history of the
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| system which was also introduced in the
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| | industry as I am. All they knew was
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| late 1980's and was the first 32-bit
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| | basically what their college professors
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| operating system for the PC platform. OS
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| | and instructors had taught them. I
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| 2 was miles ahead of everything else (and
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| | didn't do anything fancy, I just
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| arguably still is). Nonetheless, its
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| | explained the basic "PRIDE" concepts such
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| strengths became its weaknesses as it was
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| | as Information Driven Design, Standard
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| deemed too sophisticated for the average
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| | System Structure, Layered Documentation,
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| user; this coupled with aggressive
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| | the System/Data Relationship, IRM, etc.
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| marketing by Microsoft and incompetent
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| | I kept it simple and to the point and
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| marketing by IBM led to its doom.
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| | this perplexed one of the attendees who
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| LESSONS LEARNEDWhat can be learned from
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| | approached me after the session and said,
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| these experiences? Three things:
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| | "I have been attending a lot of seminars
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| A product doesn't have to be superior in
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| | and conferences lately on these subjects.
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| order to dominate a market; all that is
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| | I learned more in the last three hours
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| required is just a little marketing
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| | than from all of the sessions I attended
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| hustle. You have to remember, the
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| | over the last five months. Where have
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| consumer believes all products of the
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| | you been?" Naturally, I was flattered by
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| same ilk are essentially the same. If it
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| | his comments but explained how the
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| comes down to technologically superior
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| | industry lost its way over the years and
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| features or cost, the consumer will
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| | is only now trying to reinvent systems
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| always take the cheaper product.
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| | theory. I told him there was really
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| Advanced features are nice, but the
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| | nothing new or magical in developing
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| consumer must believe they are warranted
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| | systems, so long as you demand precise
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| and add value to their lives.For broad
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| | terminology and clarity of concepts. I
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| market acceptance, the product must be
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| | said, "Don't look for cryptic solutions,
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| built on open standards. This was the
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| | there is no panacea. The best solutions
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| hard lesson IBM learned in building its
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| | are the simple solutions."As I traveled
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| products.Consumers prefer to be spoon-fed
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| | home I thought about the comments made by
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| changes with teaspoons. It takes real
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| | the class and considered where "PRIDE"
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| visionaries to adopt new ideas and,
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| | stood in relation to the rest of the
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| unfortunately, they are few and far
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| | industry we created. By staying the
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| between. The consumer wants simple
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| | course "PRIDE" may not be the best known
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| solutions they can easily assimilate.
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| | methodology out there, but it is still
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| Remember, most people are afraid of major
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| | light years ahead of the industry. Such
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| changes of any kind.
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| | is the price of being ahead of your
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| Let's also recognize that being first in
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| | time.CONCLUSIONAs mentioned, "PRIDE" has
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| your field is not easy in that you are
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| | evolved into a substantial body of work
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| ultimately inventing and cultivating your
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| | which is one reason why we went public
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| own market place. Inevitably you will
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| | with it. By itself, there is enough
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| make marketing mistakes along the way
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| | material to make a full college
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| which copycat competitors will leap on.
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| | curriculum out of it. And hopefully this
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| Further, they will offer inferior
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| | will happen.But the other reason we put
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| products at a greatly reduced price. We
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| | "PRIDE" in the public domain was to
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| have seen this time and again in the I.T.
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| | establish an open standard thereby
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| industry alone.The only true benefit of
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| | overcoming one of the deficiencies I
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| being the first in your field is that you
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| | mentioned earlier."PRIDE" is still way
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| have the market to yourself, at least for
| |
| | ahead of itself. It will probably always
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| a while. During this period of time you
| |
| | be so. But as we celebrate our 35th year
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| should rake in as much money as possible,
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| | of business I have come to realize that
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| refine your product, and expand the
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| | "PRIDE" is so old, that it is new to
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| market as much as possible. And if
| |
| | those people who were born after it was
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| you're making money, you can be sure
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| | introduced. As Milt liked to say, "The
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| competitors won't be far
| |
| | original and still the best."Tim Bryce is
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| behind."PRIDE"Our company has learned
| |
| | the Managing Director of M. Bryce &
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| these lessons the hard way. The "PRIDE"
| |
| | Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida,
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| Methodologies for IRM were first
| |
| | a management consulting firm specializing
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| introduced in 1971, beginning with our
| |
| | in Information Resource Management (IRM).
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| Information Systems Engineering
| |
| | Mr. Bryce has over 30 years of
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| Methodology (ISEM). And by doing so, MBA
| |
| | experience in the field. He is available
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| created the methodology market. I could
| |
| | for training and consulting on an
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| go on and on as to all of the concepts
| |
| | international basis. His corporate web
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| and innovations we introduced, e.g.,
| |
| | page is at:
|
| first commercial methodology, first to
| |
| | can be contacted at: Copyright 2006
|
| take an engineering/manufacturing
| |
| | MBA. All rights reserved.
|
| approach, first data dictionary, etc.,
| |
| |
|
