matlen: strategy & business model innovation | notions

matlen

the gift of letting things go

the gift of letting things go

Well, this is awkward. I’m wondering, is it inappropriate to make a post after abandoning a blog for over a year? Would I be a complete hypocrite if I hid behind “I was too busy’ as an excuse for not delivering on the promise of a new and timely notions? Yes, and yes. In fact, I believe my extended writing-hiatus is living proof that we don’t often do what we say we are going to do — even with the absolute best intentions. This doesn’t make us liars, but it shows how vulnerab

15 realities after the start-up honeymoon

15 realities after the start-up honeymoon

Starting a business is hard. The experience is different for everyone and, for many, the realities of post-start-up honeymoon hit quicker than for others. After a year of preliminary research and development, I launched matlen just over 2 years ago. I am not a raging success (yet). I have not struck it rich (unlikely). I am not featured in a major business publication as one of the great minds of our generation (never). I am, however, the common business owner — the regular,

4 mandatory habits on the road to business BEAST MODE

4 mandatory habits on the road to business BEAST MODE

My knee was killing me. I tried everything: rest, ice, compression, elevation, sports-physio, Google/YouTube research, etc. Despite exhausting all resources, the pain would not subside and I had fallen victim to the double-edged sword of physical activity: health benefits vs. nagging injuries. Orthopedic specialists had suggested the injury had come as a result of my feet: insufficient footwear caused the body to walk off balance, thus, creating tension in my knee and leading

CRYING OVER SPILLED MILK: when to ignore clients and competition

CRYING OVER SPILLED MILK: when to ignore clients and competition

We had spent about 3 full-day sessions trying to map out the competition. In light of a recent loss of one of our most prominent (and profitable) clients, the executive team had decided that it was imperative that we learn as much as we possibly could about the competitor to whom we had just lost our favorite child, so-to-speak. What made the competition’s technology so much better? Why does their customer service render a better reputation than our own? How are they covering

SANTA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BUSINESS MODEL

With the year winding down and our spirits being lifted by the joys of the festive season, there is no better time to reflect on the progress of 2016. As each year passes, it feels as though innovation moves us light years ahead, advancing us to a new era of modern business and ever-changing consumer behavior: this is the age of disruption. It is fair to say that companies often struggle to accommodate such a rapid, relentless pace of changing preferences, technology and supp

MARKETING IS DEAD.

MARKETING IS DEAD.

Marketing, as it was intended, is dead. A bold statement, indeed, but one worth the attention it seeks. What happened to marketing? When did it become solely about likes, shares, views and impressions? When did it become interchangeable with graphic design, fine arts creativity, casual freelancing and anti-corporate philosophical idioms? Yes, the above line of questioning may come across as abrupt, conservative, ‘old-school’ and perhaps even harsh. The truth is, however, that

BEST STRATEGY ADVICE EVER.

BREATHING THROUGH THE MARKETING AVALANCHE

BREATHING THROUGH THE MARKETING AVALANCHE

You certainly don’t have to look far to find advice. With the rapid deployment of content and the ever-present opinions on social media, one would think that developing a winning marketing strategy and architecting the perfect brand would be as easy as downloading a template and filling in the blanks. Therein lays the problem. With such a vast array of e-books, white papers, blogs, articles, how-to videos, websites, etc., now readily available (for free!), it has become next

MORE TALK, LESS ACTION.

MORE TALK, LESS ACTION.

Thinking. Remember that? Things like: “how many tunnels should I build in my snow fort to allow for the quickest getaway?” or “what if I created a way to make vegetables unhealthy and chocolate healthy?” Creativity was easy. It was not contained or restricted, it was not forced and it didn’t care who was in the room before it shared its pearls of wisdom. Somewhere along the way, we stopped thinking. Intelligence became equated with the loudest voice in the room, originality w