Outsmart (Champy, 2008)

Outsmart (Champy, 2008)

How to do what your competitors can't

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncovering Opportunity by Identifying Asymmetry & Complexity, April 22, 2008
By Wm. Caleb McCann

OutSmart! provides clear and useful examples of companies that have successfully uncovered business opportunities by identifying asymmetry and complexity. It also provides a gentle reminder that astute thinking and swift execution are major advantages in our "complex, volatile and demanding" business world. Mr. Champy does this through a series of readable studies of eight exemplary companies. Each study is concluded with actionable thinking exercises and questions that can be applied across industries and business opportunities.

A primary reason why OutSmart! is a worthy business book is its distinct avoidance of prescriptive modeling. Each business success profiled is unique to that company. The book's examples are of companies that thought differently when confronted with unique business circumstances and uncovered monetizable opportunities. Champy reminds us that true competitiveness is uniqueness and this uniqueness is not discovered or established once, but must be continually updated and adapted to meet ever-changing customer needs. There is no way of fixing, modeling or formalizing uniqueness in such a way that will ensure competitiveness. What Mr. Champy demonstrates in OutSmart! is that companies who operate outside tradition, and remain flexible enough to not become tradition, will dominate the future.

Some of the topics covered by Mr. Champy in OutSmart! may seem obvious, especially immediately after reading it. However, it is important to read the book with a healthy skepticism of your own hindsight bias. For example, all of the companies profiled in OutSmart! have a strong relationship with their customers and focus relentlessly on improving customer service. Most companies today habitually tout that staying attuned with customers (customer service) is their strength, a source of competitive advantage. If customer service is so apparent, why do so many companies fail at the obvious? OutSmart! provides an apt reminder that just knowing something intellectually is not enough; we need to successfully execute and continually improve on this knowledge for it to be a source of competitive advantage.

I look forward to the next volume; this book is the first of a four volume series.

p.28 You've got to continuously use information to refine your instincts.

p.31 Opportunities lurk in neglected fields everywhere, especially in places where people take dysfunction as the expected way of life.

p.32 It bears repeating that ideas like [Sonicbids founder Panos] Panay's musician matchmaking service are hiding in plain sight around the world. It doesn't take a business wizard or money to find them - only a sharp eye for an unmet need and a willingness to work hard to figure out how best to fulfill that need.

p.40-41 Why do some people easily spot opportunities where others see only obstacles, if they see anything? The answer begins with the human penchant for living in a bubble - an airtight cocoon of assumptions, beliefs, or worldviews... Admittedly, it's a challenge to peer outside the bubble, see problems waiting to be solved, and find solutions in other companies or industries that no one else has thought to apply to your field. But it's not impossible. The initial prescription is simple: Open yourself to seeing the bigger picture so you can assess what others are doing that will actually work in your industry and your company.

p.55 Are you looking beyond your industry to discern how to deliver more value to your customers?

p.64 Applying experience to solve problems starts with learning everything you can about the problem.

p.76 Find what's truly valuable. When you are making a big change in a company, it is critical to know what assets you can leverage and what assets you need to protect.

p.141 Choose the right chaos to tame. Dysfunctions exist everywhere, with chaotic conditions that can make life miserable. But there's no point in trying to tackle a problem if you bring no special resources to the table.

p.145 Can you find an approach that will enable you to deal with scale and more complexity, while offering more options over time?

p.167-168 the companies in this book follow Peter Drucker's advice to figure out where you are today, where you want to be in the future, and how to get there... They are guided by intuition... These companies continuously test ideas in the market... Focus prevails. Businesses that outsmart their competitors stay focused on what they do best... [and] build on their knowledge, testing variations and enhancements to existing... services.

p.175 Good ideas are rare and precious. When one turns up, grab it and go with it. Make sure it's really in your line of business and meets your customer's needs, but don't dwell too long on what could go wrong. Just do it. If it turns out to be a mistake, learn from it and do something else. The point is to always be inclined to action.

Now go out there and outsmart your competitors.

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