Innovation Zen

In 1975 electronics giant Sony Corporation introduced the Betamax, the first consumer video cassette recorder. It packed state-of-the-art technology and represented Sony’s bet to dominate the segment. Late in 1976 Victor Company of Japan, also known as JVC, brought to the market a rival technology called VHS, inferior to Betamax under most technical parameters. Ten years later, 1988, Betamax is out of the market, VHS becomes the winning standard for video recording. Sony Corporation decides to start producing its own VCRs using VHS technology.

Stories like this one have always fascinated me. By better understanding the dynamics of innovation and by using cleverly crafted strategies David JVC was able to knock out Goliath Sony. The information age is changing competition in most industries. Often times more important than being the first to market is to become the dominant design. More important than internal capabilities and financial resources is the ability to manage complex networks of actors. More important than superior technology is the speed at which a company evolves its products.

Innovation Zen explores the paradigm shift from optimization to innovation. Companies know how to get better but they do not know how to get different.

Daniel Scocco

Being born in Brazil I have lived and studied in several places around the world including Sao Paulo, Santiago del Chile and Milan. In 2005 I received a degree in International Economics from the Bocconi University, Italy.

I started blogging almost 2 years ago, and the experience completely changed the way I interact with the Internet. Along the road I realized that there is a revolution going on, and I wanted to be part of it. This led me to quit my job inside a large multinational company. Currently I am working on entrepreneurial projects, most of them related to the Internet and innovative media.