I recently read an article on Uber in the New York Magazine that got me thinking. Not particularly about how Uber is a glorified taxi company and is headed for a crash soon, but about monopolies and innovation and the desire for change.
Amazon, Alibaba, and others tout staffless stores as the future of retail experience. There are hardly a handful of stores launched worldwide. But I think that before thousands of such stores are rolled out, there could be a wave of another type of store or retail experience that has the potential to disrupt the staffless stores themselves. A bold retailer that wants to pick up the gauntlet and take the fight to Amazon's door would be able to do so if they think it through.
ACES is the new buzzword in the automotive industry. It stands for Autonomous, Connected, Electric, and Shared. It is the vision being laid down by car manufacturers everywhere. OEMs certainly seem intent on delivering the vision, but what do consumers want? Who's asking for ACES? What is driving the run towards this ACES future?
Amazon Echo is apparently already in millions of homes. Other Smart Speaker makers are trying hard to catch up. Smart Speakers may be the next runaway success product category. But why are consumers buying these things? In other words, what is Job-to-be-Done of Smart Speaker Buyers?
Google and other search engines have revolutionized how we find information today. But there is still a long way to go towards getting truly relevant and meaningful results. Conversely, even with the latest SEO techniques and content marketing, it is still very hard for companies to be discovered. Search is ripe for disruption.
