Finding the Trillion Dollar Strategy
There has been something I’ve been studying for the last few months. Something that spawned when Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet (Google) were all nearing $1 Trillion in market valuation - something that had never been done before. I wanted to see what makes them more successful than other companies to determine what a Trillion Dollar Strategy could look like.
As I continue to explore the commonalities that make these companies tick and mashing them against the commonalities of disruptive startups, I wanted to provide what I’ve found so far. I want to uncover the mindsets, strategies, frameworks and systems these companies employ then deliver that in a holistic playbook for us all to learn from.
Anyway, here’s what I’ve uncovered so far:
“At Microsoft we have this very bad habit of not being able to push ourselves because we just feel very self-satisfied with the success we’ve had. We’re learning how not to look at the past.”
The first thing I’ve found is the mindsets and perceptions the leaders of these organizations have in common.
People Obsessed
They have an obsession with people - whether it’s their customers or employees, they strive to not only fully understand their needs, desires and expectations, but they build their products, services and experiences to exceed each of these expectations. Just looking at Jeff Bezos’ annual letter you can see the obsession he has with the customer - he says the word customer more than any other word. Building a business around an obsession of people creates stronger products and relationships with their customers and employees.
Holistic Relationship
They understand that acquiring a customer is not the end of a relationship, only the beginning. They build a combination of brands, products and services that expand on their core value proposition with their consumer, then find ways to connect the relationship together. Recently, Apple has moved beyond products and services and into experience, creating Apple News, Apple Gaming and Apple Credit Card, finding new ways to build and deliver a holistic experience with their customers - continuously finding new value within the relationship.
Strategy + Technology
What’s common across all four of the Trillion Dollar Race companies, is that they are enabled by technology. Their core value proposition goes beyond mere technology boundaries and into physical products and services. This creates a situation where strategy and technology are one in the same - staying ahead of the shifting behaviors of their connected consumer’s lives. Being enabled by technology has allowed each of these companies to stay connected to their customers in a way that gives them insight and understanding to provide more valuable experiences in return.
Continuous Beta
Building off the Strategy + Technology element, the Trillion Dollar companies all practice the mindset of continuous beta. Whether it’s Amazon implementing and evolving Prime, to Google testing new products like Glass, to Microsoft continuously iterating and connecting their products based on consumer usage and feedback, each company is continuously evolving and working towards creating a new future.
As we continue to explore the strategic commonalities across these companies, and others, we’ll post them here. So stay tuned.
Want to chat more - feel free to reach out.