Normally, we do not use the blog for announcements, however we have two good news that we want to share with you. First, a workbook for startups was just released and second, we have teamed up with Orange Hills to form fluidminds Australia.
New Book on “Starting with the Right Business Model”
The book “Das Richtige gründen: Werkzeugkasten für Unternehmer” or “Starting the Right stuff: Toolbox for entrepreneurs” is just being released. It’s a workbook with which entrepreneurs can develop from an idea a business model that works or as we say: “Das Richtige” or “The Right Stuff”.
With the book entrepreneurs can, based on customer & market insights, design the four elements of a business model:
- the value proposition,
- the value architecture,
- the revenue model and
- the team & values.
Besides the building blocks, we give guidance how to start the process to find the right thing. Good business model design starts with customer & market insights and testing early the basic assumption. We believe that not the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) should be tested but the Minimal Viable Business Model (MVBM) where you test the value proposition, your offer and the distribution & communication channels before going full speed ahead.
The book is written in witty, precise and almost humorous language and designed to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone. We want to inspire big thinking, at the same time we force entrepreneurs to be precise in what they want to start with. Any great vision starts with something relevant customers want and buy.
In the book, we unveil the secrets of the business models of German and Swiss companies that are global, but often hidden champions. In my humble opinion we focus too much on American multinationals or Internet companies when writing case studies on interesting business model innovators. We forget that in economically successful countries like Germany or Switzerland, we have many Mittelstand companies or mid-sized family owned businesses that are suppliers of core technology to the world but not known in the world. So if you want to learn about German and Swiss powerhouses, you have to learn German to read the book or find a publisher that is willing to translate the book ;-).
The book was produced together with Thomas Meyer, a well known Swiss author, and Fritz Gottschalk, a doyen of Swiss graphic design (Remember the font Helvetica or Frutiger? All fonts from Swiss designers). Two of our core values, we shared in the team, were beauty and reduction to the essentials. If we succeed is up the judgment of our readers.
Wolfsburg AG, the innovation agency of Volkswagen AG and the city of Wolfsburg, sponsored our team. We are very grateful for their support.
So far, the book is available only in German, but we are open to other languages. You can buy the book in any German bookstore, Amazon.de or Amazon.com. More information on my German Blog Das-Richtige-gruenden.de.
fluidminds Pty Ltd., the business model innovator in Australia
My company, fluidminds Inc., joined forces in Australia with Norbert Haehnel and Orange Hills. The result is our joined company fluidminds Pty Ltd. based in Sydney. Norbert is a seasoned manager in the high-tech industry who wants to bring business model innovation to Australia.
Australia is an interesting turf for business model innovation since the country is still heavily depended on the export of raw material to the rest of the world. Business Model Innovation can and will help Australia to be less depended Continue reading Book on Business Model Innovation