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”
In a rapidly evolving technological market, companies thrive not by producing durable, long-lasting products but by continuously innovating new models. If car manufacturers create vehicles so robust that customers drive them for over 30 or 40 years, those companies risk failure. Therefore, product cycles are crucial in manufacturing: if they are too short, trust is lost; if they are too long, bankruptcy follows. Nevertheless, newcomers often aim to make them more robust. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”