An important aspect of understanding your business ecosystem is knowing your position within it (positioning), whether you hold a higher or lower (subordinate) role, and whether your offerings are substitutes or complements. Netflix started as a DVD rental service. With the rise of online streaming, Netflix saw it as a replacement for DVD rentals. Kimbap and Ramen are complementary goods, but Ramen and Udon are substitutes. This is why, even when setting up a snack bar, paying attention to the menu is crucial. Complementary goods increase sales, while substitutes are more likely to lead to no change or even a decline in sales. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Let’s say I’m a potato farmer. Assuming that I can survive by eating only potatoes, I become wealthy when I work hard to increase potato production. However, to survive, we also need shelter and clothing. No matter how much money we have, we cannot eat the money itself as food. In other words, exchange is vital for survival. This means that if we have to rely on one job, we can only survive by trading needs, apart from potatoes, with other producers, using the output we gain from that job. In an agricultural society, production determined wealth, but in a modern society where industrial products have taken the place of other needs, the greater the potential for exchange between ourselves and others, the more advantageous it is for survival and the greater the potential for wealth. This is known as the power of distribution. The more sales channels you have, the stronger your business competitiveness and market influence. The ability to sell a lot is paramount. - Joseph’s “just my thoug...