Last time, we talked about how the information explosion would result in Internet ecosystems growing in both quantity and complexity -- thus creating demand for individuals who were specialists in leveraging certain ecosystems. The rise in the demand of specialists who are knowledgeable and...

To understand how the information explosion that the Internet facilitates will result in a need for specialization in terms of web site creation and promotion, think of the image below. http://www.actonetwork.com/images/specialization.gif This situtation brings about two key management...

In this mini-series, we'll explore how the ongoing growth of the web for both informational and social purposes will drastically change how web sites are manufactured and marketed. We'll do that in three steps: 1. Information Explosion and the Need for Specialization. As the web grows --...

In this mini-series, we'll study vBulletin -- an open source, commercial content management system -- to understand key strategic concepts in web 2.0 (web 2.0 = sharing/social/open source economy). As vBulletin is an open-source content management system with a rich ecosystem of design and...

Ecosystems in Web 2.0 and the Assassination of JFK Thus far in this mini-series, we've seen how the CIA used the edge to assassinate John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. When we study the assassination and how it was executed, one thing should be clear: it pays to invest...

Plausible Deniabilty in Web 2.0 Last time, we talked about how a successful assassination would require multiple capabilities, and how the CIA used the edge -- the world outside of its self -- to develop the capabilities needed to execute the assassination. As we've noted previously, the...

Make no mistake: psychological warfare is branding; both terms refer to controlling perception. Brand building is essential for any entity looking to establish long-term success. Below are some additional resources for exploring psychological warfare: Alex Jones. Renegade journalist...

Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. -- Hermann Goering,...

Controlling media outlets to control perception is a concept that many will find intuitive. To be certain, though, let's dissect the logic: 1. Controlling perception of others really boils down to controlling media; media is a symbol of reality, and perception is really just the...

Does reality matter? Let me to put it to you another way. What matters more: reality or the perception of reality? Consider a concrete example. What matters more: what happened on 9/11, or the way people perceive what happened on 9/11? Take a look at the video below. It's a clip of...

In this mini-series, we're going to talk about the events of November 22, 1963 -- the day John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated. We're going to talk about how the CIA used edge competencies -- the ability to create new value by leveraging value created outside...

Here are some recommended resources for learning more about the Hero's Journey, and how it relates to superhero marketing. A Hero With A Thousand Faces. This book by Joseph Campbell is the quintessential resource on the Monomyth, illustrating how it has been a part of cultures across the...

Success in business is ultimately rooted in proper execution of simple ideas: get in front of prospective customers, sell them your product, and build relationships with them so that they trust you and feel comfortable buying from you again and recommending you to others. In fact it is that...

In the myth of web 2.0, we discussed how the future of the web is in communities. And in our mini-series on the publishing 2.0 revolution, we discussed how decreasing returns on content require changes in how we invest in content; namely we need to use content to allocate attention, and we need...

In our mini-series on the publishing 2.0 revolution, we talked about media reconstruction emerging as one of the factors that would disrupt the value chain. What does that mean for duplicate content? For those who may be unaware, duplicate content poses somewhat of a problem because...