Toasterization? WTF?
Capital Thinking • Issue #16 • View online
“To me it’s simple.
Value has shifted from the PC itself to what the PC can access, meaning social media outlets like Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter, and content distribution services like Netflix and Spotify.
There are equivalents in the corporate world.
Many companies now use cloud-based offerings like Google Apps and Salesforce.com to run their businesses, which again, place value on the end service and not the computer that actually enables access to the service.
There are negatives to a cloud-based world.
The primary one is that you’re reliant upon major corporations safeguarding your stuff for long periods of time (or even forever). How many priceless baby pictures exist only on Facebook or Instagram? Probably quite a few.
However, this technological revolution is very convenient. It removes the burden of critical but annoying tasks like backups and library organization, and gets computers to act more like simple appliances – like toasters. It also opens up technology to consumers with no interest in managing their devices.
Unfortunately, this trend, which I call "Toasterization”(see: The ’Toasterization’ of the PC, and Why Things Really Are Different This Time) is a monumental disaster for those trying to make money by selling computers.“
- Michael Comeau
Well, OK then.
Seems this is definitely a trend you want to be on the right side of. And it has nothing at all to do with Battlestar Galactica or Cylons - other than the "WTF” and “toaster” references in the title.
How much of your business can you transfer to the cloud? And by business, I’m not talking about your personal or business bookkeeping. I mean things like product development, support, and delivery for your customers, clients, whatever. Like, SaaS and such.
Yeah, yeah - I know, more buzz words.
Think of it like this: SalesForce - among many others - has moved most, if not all of it’s digital tools to the cloud and made them available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. At least if you’re a customer, that is.
Many of the customized tools you know and love can and should be converted to work the same way. I mean, these are things you use everyday in your business, right?
Keep it simple.
You don’t have to move them all at once, you know. Instead, you can start with the simple, basic templates (I would rename them “tools”) that would let people put in the basic information from their browser or smartphone.
Most business folks I know are already keeping digital records - at least security camera footage for a short time - but what else can be moved in the direction of the cloud?
Believe me, your people are ready for this. And your wallet will thank you in a year or two when you have a nice SaaS platform going that needs very little care and feeding to make it grow.
Something like this also fits in to your philosophy of less work, more money, better clients, better deals, and more free time. If not, why not? C'mon, what are you thinking?
What’s not to like?
More importantly, what does your ideal customer want you to move and what will they pay you for?
I think a great deal.
One more thing - structured properly, this could very easily become a highly effective means to screen deals, clients, and potential partners. And by effective, I mean cheap and profitable.
Think about it.