Globalizer

   Nanotech has been a buzz word for long time. although some nanotech products have been adopted by markets like sport and cosmetics successfully, nanotech still faces huge commercialization problem. for investors and consumers, nanotech is more like moon in the mirror and flower in the water.

   however, Pink Tentacle's post inspired me. Ah-ha, we can use nanotech like that! don't think how nanotech is advanced, how nanotech will bring revolution to each current industry and what big return nanotech will bring in! forget every detail about technology itself. start from consumers themselves, from markets. nanotech company should learn design thinking from those leading design companies like IDEO, P&G etc. 

   looking back on the product mentioned in that post, actually that is a very normal and simple product–pencil lead! if we ask a nanotechnologist how to apply nanotech in traditional pencil lead product, I believe the expert firstly will think how to use nanoteched new material to improve performance, not use nanotech to improve consumers' emotional experience. but this Japanese company Pentel choose such innovative way. they put their feet in consumers' shoes. firstly, they find out what can strengthen consumers' using experience; then they began to choose suitable technology to realize their discovering. finally, fitting nanocapsule into pencil lead becomes the reasonable solution. perfect! such a good example to apply design thinking strategy!

   I believe design thinking can be a good tool to effectively speed up nanotech commercialization. I hope more and more nanotech companies will take Pentel for example. the value of a technology is to bring value to consumer!

   Perhaps someone will ask why I put two totally different startups together. Veoh is a video website, and BlogHer is a blog service provider for women. but they have one obvious common place: recently they raised funding from famous investors. Veoh is in a intense battlefield. youtube, joost and Babelgum have attracted huge money and eyeball. however, Veoh still got huge money from Goldman Sachs and other VCs. BlogHer is a special case too. as a blog media company, there are very few can get VC investment. but BlogHer made it!

   I think they should have more common places on many aspects so that they can stand out and get investment. here, I just point out one: positioning in the market.

   for video websites, I think only one area is left to differentiate self with other competitors. that is content! P2P technology, flash format and even high quality video etc., all of these technical strategies will not be the secret weapon any more. only special content can bring in special viewers and then create a very loyal niche market. Veoh let me see its potential because I found LionsGate and my favorite cartoon movie "Naruto". but I don't know whether Veoh can continue its characters. I don't want to see Veoh tries to include as many contents as possible.

   just like facebook is originally for college students and myspace for people liking music, BlogHer is a community for female bloggers. but only this can't prevent others fast copying. so BlogHer adds a function: hosting annual conference. a successful conference is not easily copied. therefore, BlogHer has made its unique positioning.

   I know I am replicating many successful entrepreneurs' suggestion. but Veoh and BlogHer vividly strengthen one rule: good positioning is half of success.