Warby Parker, an eyewear brand renowned for its direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model, and Allbirds, an eco-friendly shoe brand that went public on NASDAQ in 2021, exemplify innovation in connecting manufacturers directly with consumers without intermediaries. This model promotes a positive image by endorsing an eco-friendly business approach. However, the disclosure of the companies’ financial statements revealed that both had accumulated losses greater than anticipated. While it would have been ideal for manufacturers to supply products directly to consumers, the burden of inventory increased along with rising administrative and marketing costs. Distributors in the middle shared profits, but they also shouldered the financial burden. Choosing eco-friendly options often incurs higher costs due to the search for alternatives, which can lead to accumulating losses. Pollution negatively impacts both consumers and suppliers, and business deficits further inflict additional damage that c...
Let’s say you have two options. If you press the blue button , you will receive 1 million USD, and if you press the red button , you will receive 10 million USD, but the probability of winning is 50%. Which button would you press? If pressing the blue button is business, pressing the red button is gambling. In other words, depending on your attitude toward the relationship between risk and reward , we can determine whether we are suitable as managers. But if you press the red button with a 50% chance of winning and you don’t win, and you have to pay a fine of 1 million USD, would you still press the red button? The relationship between risk and reward influences people’s behavior. Business is about creating a structure that is advantageous to me, and building a system in which the structure continues to benefit me is called management. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”