Inflection Methods: Motivated by Service

Providing Context

Stay with me on this one, ok?  It is a little wordy and admittedly I’ve written it several times, but my revisions lead me right back to my original idea.  To use a simple example in order to articulate the passion with which I approach the topics addressed here on Inflection Methods.   Enjoy.

I’m a big baseball fan.

I love the sport because I believe that of all professional sports it best mirrors life, is built on the foundation of hope, and it is something with which even the most casual observer can identify.

Consider it for a moment.

The season is long.  It begins in late February as pitchers and catchers report to spring training and doesn’t wind up until nearly November.

Even the most iconic hall of fame players have their bad days and statistically fail more frequently than they succeed.

Heroes are made of men who have traveled the league in virtual obscurity.

Milestones and records are tangible and celebrated.

Beyond the field the business side of the game is easily understood, and solid management of business affairs becomes obvious, begetting competitive teams.

Beyond the team the league itself is well a well orchestrated symphony and ecosystem of commerce, some would say reflective of the very economy to which it contributes.

Culturally?  Well a single flight from coast to coast speaks to the continued pervasiveness of the game as the landscape below, no matter what state you are over, is dotted with diamonds of the baseball variety.

From top to bottom, side to side, and inside and out the sport is so much more than a sport.  It is the very essence of the complex moving parts and emotional realities that we as Americans experience nearly every single day of our lives.

In other words, I’m passionate about baseball.

Now before you read on, try this.  What is your passion?  What is the one thing that, to you, has deep and enjoyable meaning beyond the face value of whatever that ‘thing’ may be, transcending, if you will, itself?

Make your passion the context here, and hopefully it will help me get my point across

Making the Connection

It is difficult for me to express in words the level of excitement I experience over the mere suggestion of solving the puzzle of creating a compelling business model that will successfully capture market share and drive profitable growth.  I know, those words at first glance seem dry perhaps.  But there is so much behind that statement.  In fact, even as I type them my blood pressure ticks a little northward.

I find it completely energizing to simply imagine the possibilities of discovering a marketplace, identifying what products and/or services would be best suited for it, defining the buyers who are most likely to consume because there is some need to be satisfied, building the narrative around the value to be delivered,  prioritizing the most likely prospects interested in satisfying those needs, pushing opportunities with these prospects forward, driving opportunities to close, and earning a new customer, not just for a transactional moment but for a business lifetime!

I yearn to serve in this capacity.   I yearn for it in the way a hitter’s eyes might grow wide when he sees that fastball he’s been sitting on come hurling towards him.   This is the passion and the driving force behind my desire to share perspective on these topics and an explanation of what motivated me to found Inflection methods.    And this is what we will try to do with Inflection Methods – Serve.  Serve those that seek methods that will help them break free of the normal that has gotten them to the current state and create an inflection point that will establish a new trajectory.

Individually the topics of strategy, product management, product marketing, account planning, etc. are well covered, in great detail, across many outlets.  Lacking, however, is an inclusive discussion that focuses on moving the very idea of product through to successful delivery and revenue creation.  In fact integration of this sort is surprisingly absent across most organizations.

It is my hope that you’ll join the conversation here on Inflection Methods and that along the way you’ll find some value.  My good friend and partner Yasser and I, well we’ve both “been there and done that” and we approach this effort altruistically.  I’ll allow Yasser to speak for himself, but as for me?  Well success is no accident.  It can be developed and nurtured or squandered and wasted, I will dedicate my time here on Inflection Methods to help success fall into the former.

photo credit: laffy4k