The best way to navigate a red ocean network is to solve problems in every subsequent downstream network.
This can’t be done by a single market maven and this can’t be done in a single year.
The content strategy should reveal itself in seasons, and it should not only involve seeding 1 network, but also the subsequent network at the front end.
And you can charge for seeding the networks as networks need objects, artefacts as well as common spaces to enact their rituals.
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Blue ocean is often, just the go to market strategy.
Eventually, cheap copies come along and turn it red.
Your job then, is to navigate the red ocean with suave.
Pro tip: Suave commands a premium.
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Appealing to the id gets you remembered. You can only polarize through id.
Some will despise you and some will become your true fans.
There is no point trying to polarize using the ego, everyone is doing that.
But polarizing using the id is dangerous, if the super-ego is strong enough you will be fine. Otherwise, train your super-ego first.
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There are levels of hierarchy in the network marketplace.
The top levels pioneer. The middle, copies. The bottom, jumps.
When the bottom, jumps, it skips the steps the pioneering networks went through to get there.
The technology becomes cheaper or piracy happens and more & more people plug in.
But this thesis suggests that markets become efficient with time. Which is obviously not true yet, because the rules and norms in which they operate don’t evolve fast enough.
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As much as I hate to say this,
But networks that work with time and money will give you more leverage than any other network.
With leverage, you can do collaborations or hostile take overs (if needed).
But don’t forget, that there are rules to the game, one wrong move and you can end up in prison.
Another thing to note is, you will be seduced by networks with not enough leverage, which is fine if thats what you want out of life.
There is nothing wrong in pursuing your calling, but make sure you are reverse engineering the lifestyle you want.
Because it will take 10 years to reach the center of any network (for normal people). And you only get a few shots at starting over. Might as well do it with a lever.
Understand this, that your goals are different than mine. And knowing what not to pursue is as important as knowing what to pursue.
Here is an example of me being seduced by a network with not enough leverage –
Quietly somewhere, with softened steps
Who knows how, at what moment
You now move ahead,
Yet, just a while ago,
You were right here
Nothing was heard, no old complaint
How did you say “elvida”?
To your arms,
To that cool shade
To your eyes,
To your soul,
I now say Elvida
Elvida, Elvida, jahn num, Elvida
What more is left to say
When you have already said “Elvida”
During nights when its dark,
Tossing and turning
Remember us, and then, defeated
Ask yourself, why you said,
Why you said ‘Elvida’
Elvida, Elvida, jahn num, Elvida
What more is left to say
When you had already said “Elvida”
A wounded heart I will carry,
but you don’t have to worry,
Forever these lips are sealed,
Nothing was said,
But everything was felt
When you said, Elvida
Elvida, Elvida, jahn Num, Elvida
What more is left to say
When you have already said “Elvida”
To those arms,
To that cool shade,
To your eyes,
To your soul,
I now say Elvida
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You can have the perfect board,
The perfect weather,
The perfect swell,
As well as the best technique.
However, none of it will matter if the timing ain’t right.
No one can teach you how to time the market,
But you can practice.
Practice will train your gut,
You will fumble and stumble,
But the timing will improve with each attempt.
So when the real opportunity comes,
The pop up becomes second nature.
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If this decision is made,
And later on, this happens,
What will you do?
Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to this problem. But maybe, The Quran does.
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Marketplace actors game the network to create some value.
But, platforms are built when two previously disconnected networks forge a link. Value created then, has the potential to be infinite.
One right link can get the ball rolling.
And then the real work begins.
Three actionable tips –
1. Don’t underestimate the strength of weak ties.
2. Choose the link wisely. Marketplace altruism is rare.
3. Loyalty is a virtue.
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Compete head on with the super market chains. I understand its a Red Ocean. Therefore, the aisles will be divided on the basis of Protein, carbs, fats and cheat meals.
It is understandable that it will limit the number of products we have on the shelves, therefore we will also sell courses on how to farm different products, like avocados, apples as well as how to raise and butcher cattle. Thus creating The Long Tail.
This will be done by building a movement. The goal is to source suppliers as well as customers, before the launch.
The platform will be a game for students who have just finished their A levels and are considering taking a gap year. The game involves finishing 7 quests. The winner gets 100,000 GBP. The entry fee is 100 GBP. This will enable the brand to be profitable from day 1.
Quest 1: Finish a Tough Mudder.
Quest 2: Hiking Pen Y Fan.
Quest 3: Surfing in New Quay.
Quest 4: Farming and digital marketing at Derbyshire.
Quest 5: Daygame in London.
Quest 6: Amateur MMA at a local gym.
Quest 7: Write and submit a business plan.
The platform is an LLM. The quests will be revealed to each team only after the previous quest is completed. The platform will be colour coded in Black & Green because the founder likes that combo.
What the players get?
Quest 1: Players will learn the importance of team work.
Quest 2: Along with team work, they will learn how to leverage the network to organize a trip together with the team.
Quest 3: They will learn about the life beyond the corporate world.
Quest 4: They will learn to respect the people who put food on the table.
Quest 5: They will learn that they have options.
Quest 6: They will overcome the fear of fighting.
Quest 7: They will learn to articulate their ideas into a plan of action they can execute once they finish university.
Implicit: Stories, friendships and connections.
Winner gets 100,000 GBP.
What we get?
1. The game is Pay for Play. We need at least 1000 participants to recover the prize money. 10,000 and we are golden. Even after paying for the platform building charges, net positive cash flow will be achieved at 10,000 user base.
2. The players will be acutely aware of how the food supply chain works. They will understand how the producers get a very tiny % of retail sale price.
3. Farmers will respect the players because they are fighters and ethical citizens because they tried to help them. Farmers will also respect the platform because it made it possible.
4. We get (hopefully) 10,000 ideas (data).
5. Consumer-led story telling.
Kiosk will sell very limited physical items:
Pilot project Location:
Why?
The above mentioned city has a low crime rate and has a high-trust culture. It will be easier to sell expensive but ethically sourced food there. Once a buzz is created online, we can scale towards the masses.
We would also need to crowd source courses. The platform originally created will need a second season to do that.
Platform second season concept –
Quest 1: Find a farmer and build a course in collaboration with him/her.
Quest 2: Source distribution for the course from the TWPS (The White Pack Store).
We might not actually need large scale super markets. A chain of kiosks might work just fine. But just in case, here is a slightly larger version of the Kiosk that sells both physical and digital products-
Locations –
Thus, in the following 4 steps, we would have a circular global business –
Step 1: Creating a platform will create buzz and if we get at least 10,000 paying subscribers, we will source the money for step 2.
Step 2: We will launch Kiosks in high trust countries where consumers can afford expensive grocery items.
Step 3: Crowd sourcing courses and giving distribution to course creators.
Step 4: Scaling a slightly larger version of the kiosks across Europe and Asia.
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