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Startups usually launch their products first in wealthy countries. Launching first in an emerging market is seen as a nonstarter because of commercial, regulatory, and political risks. This is starting to change: Pricewaterhousecoopers recently reported that faster approvals overseas are encouraging startups to enter the U.S. market last in some cases.
Read full post at Harvard Business Review>>
When we ask executives, What is the number one innovation killer at your company?, one of the first words we always hear, always, is "silos!" Recently, one executive even muttered, "fortresses."
Business silos, just like agricultural silos hold something important and make it hard to get at. That's good when you're protecting wheat and corn from rain & snow. But it's bad when you're trying to innovate across departments and divisions.
Read entire post at Harvard Business Review>>
Microfinance has come under fire in the past 18 months, triggered in part by SKS Microfinance's IPO. Critics complain that the institutions supporting microfinance have become too greedy, and many are using this as an argument to deeply regulate or, even more, cut support to microfinance operations.
It's worth taking a step back and remembering how this movement got started, and what it can accomplish.
Read the entire post at Harvard Business Review>>