November 25, 2013 · 11:09 am

Vampire Media

Let’s begin the week with another look at the declining state of my former business, television.

iPad 2 - Home Screen

(Photo credit: William Hook)

Now you might find it odd that I feel the business is in decline given that viewing of content created for TV (both network and cable) is pretty solid in the aggregate.  I agree.  I’m not one of those folks that thinks there’s nothing good on TV.  In fact, I think there’s more really excellent programming on than maybe ever before.  The issue is that it’s spread out among hundreds of channels, each of which we consumers are paying for in some way.  Unless, of course, they’re on a pay channel such as HBO in which case only a minority of homes have a chance to see it.

But that’s not our topic.  Instead, I want to talk about vampire media and their role in all of this.  No, it’s not a tome about “True Blood” and its ilk.  Vampire media refers to iPads, other tablets, and other devices which come out at night, generally in the home.  It’s through these devices that much of what was primetime viewing has shifted from the big screen and the major content providers to the small screen and other providers.  You’ll notice I’m not saying “small providers.”  YouTube is bigger than any TV network in terms of viewership and reach.  Most importantly for our discussion today, these devices do not require a cable to deliver video, just an internet connection.  The effect?

In just a year and a half, cable television providers’ share of the video market has declines from around 52% to 47%.  In fact, Nielsen‘s estimate of TV households has declined each of the last two years, the first time I can ever remember it ever declining at all.  Sure, the business remains solid for now, but that’s due to two factors – high ad rates masking the audience declines and the subscriber fees the content distributors take in.  In my opinion, that too will change in the not too distant future.  Higher fees are coming from a smaller user base.  At some point the economics of paying for a lot of content you never consume don’t make sense.  This admittedly long piece does an excellent job of summarizing all the numbers.  You should check it out.

The holidays are here.  More tablets, Roku boxes, Chromecasts, and new video consoles, all of which permit the viewing of most of the same content available via traditional programming services will be sold and received.  The vampires are coming out.  Have they landed at your house?

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November 22, 2013 · 9:53 am

President Kennedy

Fifty years ago today I was sitting in my third grade class when a teacher came in sobbing.

John F. Kennedy

Cover of John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy had been shot and the next few days have been burned into my brain ever since.  Strangely, all of those memories are black and white, since that was the kind of television we had at the time.  In retrospect, the day and his death ended an era of hope in this country as we moved into an era of conflict and chaos.

Smarter people than I have written about JFK’s impact but I thought it might be appropriate to translate a few of his thoughts into business thinking since that’s what we do here on the screed.  As is also our custom, I’m going to avoid the politics of what he had to say as well as what others had to say about him and his administration.  First, the most famous quote from his Inaugural Address:

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

In business terms, this is a recurring theme here.  Flip “country” to customer and I think you’ve got a solid paradigm through which you can view almost any business decision.  Next, the quote that triggered what might be his most enduring legacy:

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.

While we can debate the merits of the space program (and I wrote about that a while back), I don’t think there’s much debate about two things.  One, that program contributed to the rapid advancement of many of the technologies you’re using at this very moment to read this.  Those same technologies are driving a lot of growth in our economy and around the world.  Two, and this is the main business point, the imperative to think big thoughts.

No business can succeed by standing still.  What’s the next frontier?  How can we be better and lead?  Kennedy viewed space as a defense project which is clear when you read the address from which the quote is taken.  Dreaming big is a great defense, because the odds are your competitors are trying to as well.  As the space program has proven, the by-products of big ideas are often more valuable than accomplishing the goal itself.

Finally, Kennedy took office as a 43-year-old, following President Eisenhower who was 71 when he left.  He was the first president born in the 20th Century and projected an image of youth and excitement.  His language was forceful and filled with imagery of destiny and long-term thinking about solving problems.  That’s a great model for anyone who presents ideas which most of us do on a regular basis in business.

What happened 50 years ago today was a tragedy.  I wonder sometimes how different this country – and the world – might be had Kennedy served two terms.  While his presidency wasn’t without controversy and crisis (if you haven’t seen the movie Thirteen Days, find it and watch it!), it’s his legacy of civil rights, social programs, NASA, and the Peace Corps that stand out in my mind.  His approach to leading is a great model despite some of the personal foibles he had, and taking his approach to business issues isn’t bad either.  You agree?

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November 21, 2013 · 11:03 am

Pimento Cheese

We normally do food related posts on Fridays here on the screed but since there is something else that deserves out attention happening tomorrow I’m doing our Foodie Friday Fun post today.

Pimento cheese on Ritz crackers.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week’s topic is a food that is a staple here are Rancho Deluxe and in many homes – most of them a lot further south than here – around the country:  Pimento Cheese.  For those of you unfamiliar with it, pimento cheese is a blend of cheese and pimentos and other ingredients.  About the only thing about which most folks agree is that it has to have cheese and pimentos and that some of the cheese needs to be yellow cheddar.  Things diverge from there.

Mayonnaise?  Pickle juice? Worcestershire sauce?  Other cheeses?  Cream cheese? Cayenne pepper?  Vinegar?  Depending on one’s tastes and, more importantly, family traditions, the answer is a resounding “yes” or unwavering “no”.  Every family has its own recipe and unique prep method.  Basically, if it’s not made the way your mom or grandmother makes it, the spread is just not right.  It’s a simple food that restaurants often dress up (Abbamare infused pimento cheese with heirloom peppers – shoot me!) unnecessarily. It’s also the sort of food that demonstrates a few very basic truths about business.

First, when you’re charging people with a task, be very specific if you’re expecting a specific result.  “Make me pimento cheese” can mean very different things.  “Use this recipe and make me pimento cheese” gets you a better result.  Second, there is usually more than one way to get an excellent solution.   For those of us who didn’t grow up with a family recipe, tasting different variations on the theme got us to the cheese we enjoy today.  Keep an open mind – accept that many roads lead to Rome – and you’ll be better off.  Finally, don’t make the simple overly complex.  The differences between homemade mayo vs. jarred and imported small batch cheese in pimento cheese are silly other than to justify charging some outrageous price.  Simple is generally better, faster, and more cost-effective.

As with many things in the kitchen and in the office, different people hear the same thing in different ways.  Our job is to get everyone on the same page, working towards the same final product.  Then we get to stand back and watch people enjoy!  You with me?

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