Competition
When I present an innovation, I trust that it's good. No, I trust that it provides differential advantages over competitive offers. I trust that it'll be accepted at least by those who I want to care. Maybe I entrust even that they remain loyal to me and my innovation. I also trust that my team and I are capable of shipping the required quality and to respond appropriately to future needs. I trust that we will do the right stories to stretch and expand to new buyers. I trust that we have found the right position on the value / price Map. I trust that I know the competitive arena well enough...I trust that we will control our costs and financial obligations and not the other way around...
This is quite a lot of trust. Too much to keep it under competitiveness?
Partnership
When I've developed my innovation atop a partner's products and and consequently, I act as a reseller of their products, I trust that the originators have considered all aspects of above (I'll check all factors through my lens). I trust that they're interested in my market analysis and experience. I've confidence in my own abilities as a reselling partner, but I need to trust that they do not let me develop a market and then change licensing and reselling agreements….to my disadvantage.
This is quite a lot of trust. Too much to keep it under cooperation?
Cooperate to become competitive?
Provided I've been lucky and introduced a bestseller innovation for a specific market and I offer my know-how, my technology and my special marketing knowledge…to other developers? I empower them to become creative copiers. What do I trust? I trust that they help me to stretch and expand to markets that I can't reach alone. I trust that I can continue determining the rules of the game…that I'm bursting with ideas and that the pioneer always keeps an advantage over the creative copier.
Does this describe the paradox that businesses may be competitive and cooperative simultaneously?
It's not an easy game, but an innovator's reputation rises with the reputation of the technology it uses and the reputation of the innovations that are built atop it.
It's important that you understand the game of Open Innovation very well…its options and market risk...
