How Much Technology Does One Need?

[drydem]

Originally Posted by MarshalStealth

The marketable and relevant technology usually evolve. The rest just disappear.

Technology evolves because there is a competitive environment.
Technology does not evolve when the environment is not competitive.

For example, during the renaissance in europe, technologies evolve as each state tries to get the upper hand on the other, while during that same time period-- years of stability in Asia leads to basically no technological growth.


When a competitive environment exist ....

Technology tends to speed up the notion of time
Technology tends to make information and communication more accessible
Technology tends to make more efficient use of power or tends to increase the amount of power that is available.
Technology tend to introduces new materials with unique properties

[drydem]

Every human should have access to and know how to use a First Aid Kit.

[MarshalStealth]

Lets presume that the technological settings of three business challengers are near-even.

Do you know what are the other essential factors that would offer the slight competitive advantage to any of the three challengers?

If you were that one challenger who has the competitive advantage, how would you utilize it?

Originally Posted by drydem

Technology evolves because there is a competitive environment.
Technology does not evolve when the environment is not competitive.

For example, during the renaissance in europe, technologies evolve as each state tries to get the upper hand on the other, while during that same time period-- years of stability in Asia leads to basically no technological growth.

When a competitive environment exist ....

Technology tends to speed up the notion of time
Technology tends to make information and communication more accessible
Technology tends to make more efficient use of power or tends to increase the amount of power that is available.
Technology tend to introduces new materials with unique properties

[sageb1]

Everyone should have in that kit 24 tablets of cetirizine as generic for the flu when it turns bad.
This stuff can reverse the cytokine storm that leads to similar symptoms to allergies: runny nose, mucus in the lungs and shortness of breath.

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by sageb1

Everyone should have in that kit 24 tablets of cetirizine as generic for the flu when it turns bad.
This stuff can reverse the cytokine storm that leads to similar symptoms to allergies: runny nose, mucus in the lungs and shortness of breath.

So what other interesting items are in your "special" kit?

[drydem]

Originally Posted by MarshalStealth

Lets presume that the technological settings of three business challengers are near-even.

Do you know what are the other essential factors that would offer the slight competitive advantage to any of the three challengers?

If you were that one challenger who has the competitive advantage, how would you utilize it?

there many ways to spin this..


business/commercial competitive advantages
===================================

1. Monopoly or restricted markets
a. import bans or quotas
b. intellectual property rights/trade secrets
c. export bans or quotas
d. cartel, e.g. diamond mines
e. oligopoly, e.g. car manufacturers, handgun manufacturer
f. protected labor/industrial markets, e.g. CPA, law, Medicine, Unions
g. nationalized industry, e.g. india's oil-gas industry
h. sole source/monopoly

2. Government support
a. grant/subsidies
b. tax breaks/incentives
c. government loan/bond program
d. preferential treatment, e.g. extension of IP rights

3. access to venture capital.

4. Established distribution channels
a. contractual exclusive or near exclusive retail access
b. electronic(email/twitter/web-base) distribution, e.g. e-bay, amazon

5. Commodization/Outsourcing/Economic globalization
a. cheaper regional manufacturing cost
b. cheaper regional labor pools

6. market recognition and acceptance
a. branding - advertisement/mass media
e.g. Coke cola vs Pepsi vs RoyalCrown Cola
b. localization - adapting products and services to regional taste/customs
e.g. KFC in the USA vs KFC in Japan
c. product differentiation/expansion

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by drydem

there many ways to spin this..

business/commercial competitive advantages
===================================
1. Monopoly or restricted markets
a. import bans or quotas
b. intellectual property rights/trade secrets
c. export bans or quotas
d. cartel, e.g. diamond mines
e. oligopoly, e.g. car manufacturers, handgun manufacturer
f. protected labor/industrial markets, e.g. CPA, law, Medicine, Unions
g. nationalized industry, e.g. india's oil-gas industry
h. sole source/monopoly

2. Government support
a. grant/subsidies
b. tax breaks/incentives
c. government loan/bond program
d. preferential treatment, e.g. extension of IP rights

3. access to venture capital.

4. Established distribution channels
a. contractual exclusive or near exclusive retail access
b. electronic(email/twitter/web-base) distribution, e.g. e-bay, amazon

5. Commodization/Outsourcing/Economic globalization
a. cheaper regional manufacturing cost
b. cheaper regional labor pools

6. market recognition and acceptance
a. branding - advertisement/mass media
e.g. Coke cola vs Pepsi vs RoyalCrown Cola
b. localization - adapting products and services to regional taste/customs
e.g. KFC in the USA vs KFC in Japan
c. product differentiation/expansion

Good response.
My err.

Correct question: If you were that challenger who has the competitive disadvantage, what unique set of means would you use?

[drydem]

Competitive advantages and disadvantage are based on market parameters - changing a market parameter can make a product or service competitive or uncompetitive.

If you are going to survive in a competitive market you have to able to think out of the box to avoid getting stuck in a no-win scenario mindset. You always have a chance of survival(and of winning) if you stay focused on HOW to win but once your mind gets fixed into believing that you cannot win - you have lost. In short - to win/survive a no-win scenario a player/person must first NOT believe in the "no win scenario" (btw: Star Trek's Captain James T. Kirk said this in reference to a Starfleet Korbayashi maru Simulation Test). In Game Theory - to "win" in any no-win game theory scenarios requires a new solution which breaks the rules/assumptions/framework of the initial no-win scenario game options inorder to "win" (escape a no-win scenario).

That being said: most challengers in pre-existing markets that are dominated by strong established firms normally work to establish a niche market where they can be competitive and be market worthy. All businesses are about relationships - ask yourself what is your competitor's market relationship(s) built on and what can your relationship(s) provide that they donot or what makes your relationship(s) that much better? Focus on finding the answer those questions and you will have found your answer and you have your niche market(s).

[MarshalStealth]

Originally Posted by drydem

Competitive advantages and disadvantage are based on market parameters - changing a market parameter can make a product or service competitive or uncompetitive.

If you are going to survive in a competitive market you have to able to think out of the box to avoid getting stuck in a no-win scenario mindset. You always have a chance of survival(and of winning) if you stay focused on HOW to win but once your mind gets fixed into believing that you cannot win - you have lost. In short - to win/survive a no-win scenario a player/person must first NOT believe in the "no win scenario" (btw: Star Trek's Captain James T. Kirk said this in reference to a Starfleet Korbayashi maru Simulation Test). In Game Theory - to "win" in any no-win game theory scenarios requires a new solution which breaks the rules/assumptions/framework of the initial no-win scenario game options inorder to "win" (escape a no-win scenario).

That being said: most challengers in pre-existing markets that are dominated by strong established firms normally work to establish a niche market where they can be competitive and be market worthy. All businesses are about relationships - ask yourself what is your competitor's market relationship(s) built on and what can your relationship(s) provide that they donot or what makes your relationship(s) that much better? Focus on finding the answer those questions and you will have found your answer and you have your niche market(s).

Beside auctions and various legal-economic scenarios, Do you know what other situations favored the use of game theory?

When studying the big picture, what influencing factors do you usually look at?

[drydem]

Originally Posted by MarshalStealth

Beside auctions and various legal-economic scenarios, Do you know what other situations favored the use of game theory?

When studying the big picture, what influencing factors do you usually look at?

Game Theory is useful is determining the retail pricing strategy between competing oligiopolies/market forces. Game Theory is also often use to predict consumer behavior among competing brands. Game Theory has been used to analyze the biblical conundrum of Abramham when God's request the sacrifice of his son. Also, Game Theory is used in military science to analyze and predict military logistics/planning, e.g. USA vs Japan - WWII Battle of Midway.


Game Theory solutions are pretty direct for simple one time response scenarios. Often one time response scenarios are zero sum game - with clear winners and losers. More often than not zero sum game have big one time incentives. For example, should a small town approve rezoning to allow for Big-Box retail operations or block the Big Box retail operations and limit the town's commerical zone to smaller and medium size retail operations.

Game Theory can become infinitely more complex in multiple response (repeatable games) scenario. Often repeatable games require that each player *get* or *win* something inorder to maintain the incentive to keep playing the game - which in turn more often than not leads to a so called win-win gaming scenario where each game provides only small incremental gains/incentives. When player skills are evenly matched the continual incentives to *play* creates tends to create a gaming relationship..