Creating the Next Revolution:Launching, Sustaining and Flipping a $500 Million Deal

James H. DavisUniversity of Notre Dame

LOGAN — In the end, Utah State partied like it was 1993.The Aggies ended 17 years of football frustration Friday night, snapping a 10-game losing streak to BYU with a dominating 31-16 victory over the Cougars at Romney Stadium.

Ok, on to the business revolution….

Bill GodfreyChairman and CEO

Integrated Marketing Software

Ohio company to buy Aprimo in $525M deal

December 23, 2010

WHY?

What makes a BIG success?

Why do some company executives or entrepreneurs make it big and others do not?

The Next Revolution begins

with a BIG idea

LESSON 1

More than anything in the world we need vision….We don’t see far enoughWe don’t see clearly enoughWe don’t see soon enough

Few People can look objectively and clearly beyond the boundary of their present circumstances

Revolutions in waiting???• Affordable Healthcare/Medicine/Education• Energy• Waste Disposal• Communication and the digital world• Global Warming• Poverty• Peace through Commerce• Micro-Venturing and Poverty

The Right Motivation…For revolutions it’s

not about the money!

Goldman Invests In Facebook At $50 Billion Valuation

Goldman Invests In Facebook At $50 Billion Valuation

Happy Zuckerberg…But what is his motivation for facebook?

Goldman Invests In Facebook At $50 Billion Valuation

“It's not because of the amount of money. For me and my colleagues, the most important

thing is that we create an open information flow for people. Having media corporations owned by conglomerates is just not an attractive idea to me.”

ZUCKERBERG

There existed in “Utah a need for a school fusing the highest in scientific and academic research with agriculture, the way of life for the vast majority of locals.”

"Provo had received the Insane Asylum, Salt Lake City had the University and Capitol, and the majority of the legislature felt that the new institutions should be given to Weber and Cache Counties."

Anthony H Lund

USU: A Big Idea?

If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths rather than travel the

worn paths of accepted business

John D. Rockefeller

Lesson 2

Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the RESULT is tied to logical structure.

Einstein

A Solid Business Model!

Learned in Business Education:

• Have you used a disciplined approach? • DO you know your product?• DO you know your market/customer?• Do you know your solid financial/revenue model?• Do you have a strong business model?• Does your venture have legs?• Is your timing right?

What do experience and mentoring add? LEARN WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!

Develop the right network:

The Power of the Wolf Pack!

Lesson 3

The Startup Mapdatalysed.com

1502

6745

399

594

249

1521

1393

4847

1137

58

86

133

136

HOW!?!

Look in your own Backyard!

Lesson 4Three Rules for Revolutionaries (Kawasaki)

1. Create like a God2. Command like a King3.WORK LIKE A SLAVE

Innovation by definition will not be accepted at first. It takes repeated attempts, endless demonstrations,

monotonous rehearsals before innovation can be accepted and internalized by an organization. This requires ‘courageous patience’.

WARREN BENNIS

Lesson 5

Risk and Luck…..

“luck plays an important role in determining a firm's strategic advantage or economic rents”

(Priem and Butler, 2001)

“luck plays an important role in determining a firm's strategic advantage or economic rents”

However, even if a firm is lucky, it must still understand how it is lucky in order to take full advantage of its fortunate circumstances.

(Priem and Butler, 2001)

Five lessons for the next revolution--for ANY organization or endeavor--

• THINK BIG• Build a Wolf pack• Ensure you have a strong business model• Work hard• Risk and Luck