Cristian Mitreanu's Blog

TEDxUIUC at the University of Illinois

As some of you know, I am the Producer/Director of TEDxUIUC, a TED-licensed event scheduled for April 10, 2010...

"TEDxUIUC aims to provide a venue for some of the world's top thinkers and most remarkable doers to inspire and create a better world. Scheduled for April 10, the event will take place at the College of Business in the Business Instructional Facility. The first edition of what, we hope, will become an annual tradition for the University of Illinois community, TEDxUIUC 2010 will showcase an array of thought-provoking content under the overarching theme 'Bold – Ideas, Innovations, Performances.' Through over 20 talks, demos, and performances, as well as several interactive experiences, TEDxUIUC will inspire, surprise and delight an estimated 300 select participants. The event is organized by a group of MBA students led by Cristian Mitreanu."

The BizBigPic T-shirt, Version 1.0

BizBigPic is a business venture -- "a knowledge-and-technology platform that supports and empowers individuals in their quest for enduring success in business" -- on which I have been working for the past few years. Its first stage of development has been completed, encompassing the introduction of a new fundamental understanding of how businesses work... Now, the very first incarnation of the BizBigPic t-shirt is here.

Back to School

In August I will be joining the MBA Class of 2011 at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Exciting times ahead!...

Advertising the New Economic Worldview...

Recently, I have been running a banner ad on the popular economics blog "Marginal Revolution." The ad points to my previous post, which showcases a short video-presentation of the economic worldview built upon my theory of needs.

Here's the banner ad...

And here's a screen shot with the ad in action...

By the way, that "red thing" in the ad is Spointra's eye... Just a little play...

Give Your Company an Edge!

A new workshop on my theory of needs is now available. Here is the mailer (without the fancy formatting) that I've been sending out to various companies:

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CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY IS NOT STRATEGY.

...And one should not treat it as such.

Every company must be customer-centric. No matter how loosely we define the term, the heart of any business is about customers and their needs. If a company's product or service wouldn't address a customer's need, then there wouldn't be a transaction. And if there is no transaction, there is no business.

The belief that being customer-centric is a strategy, and thus something that only some companies should do, is not only false, but also dangerous. A sound understanding of the customer's needs enables a company to identify its opportunities and threats. Unfortunately, the fact that it is possible for a company selling commoditized offerings to perform satisfactorily by simply mimicking its competitors continues to fuel this misconception. And that is a direct result of the decades-old stagnation of our general understanding of business, and ultimately our understanding of human nature.

This state of affairs is about to change, however. A new, revolutionary theory of human needs has been recently introduced in Cristian Mitreanu's article "A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature." It is a theory that, compared to others, "provides an even deeper understanding of human nature, showing how human issues, or needs, are interrelated. Furthermore, it allows for identification of the basic forces that shape the dynamic business world." Simply put, the new theory deepens our understanding of innovation and commoditization, and the way they shape the business landscape.

GIVE YOUR COMPANY AN EDGE!

Download and Share, Free of Charge,
"A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature"
(http://www.RedefiningStrategy.com/HumanNature.pdf)

A workshop for small groups can be booked by contacting cmitreanu@redefiningstrategy.com.

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New Blog Name

As of today 10/28/2008, this blog has a new name and URL -- "Cristian Mitreanu's Blog" (http://www.BizBigPic.com/CristianMitreanu).

The blog was launched on 04/05/2007 under the name "Picture001" (http://www.BizBigPic.com/Picture001). There was also a subtitle -- "Cristian Mitreanu's Business Big Picture (A Blog)" ...

My Human Nature Article Gets "Must Read"

My article "A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature" has been recently recommended by Stephan Zimmermann, professor and former department chair for economics, whose blog "No Widgets Here" is part of the online economics magazine Amateur Economists. In the comments section of his post "Dominant Economic Views in Western Society, Part II," Professor Zimmermann says (bold type is mine):

"Cristian - your article should be a "must read" for all of our "Amateur Economists" readers. Obviously I agree with your concept of "successful existence," which really cannot (or should not) be reduced to a pat formula, economic or otherwise. This might even, as you suggest, include maximizing, as long as the inherent dangers of such maximization are considered."

In his article "Turning Bright Lights on the Dismal Science," Prof. Zimmermann explains one of the reasons a deep insight into human nature is important:

"Economics is just another method of trying to solve the age-old question of what, how and to whom to distribute finite resources. [...]

Ever since Adam Smith, the foundations of economics have been presented as scientific fact. The facts presented as economics are really two: an assumption regarding the nature of man as well as a strict belief and usage of logic. Unless someone can show an alternative to thousands of years of developed logic based on fact, we should be able to live with that assumption. More difficult, of course, and subject to endless debate is the assumption regarding the nature of mankind. [...]

Too many would-be economists in graduate school or beyond may never really have had asked themselves about the fundamental nature of man.

Once we understand and accept the essentials of mankind, bolstered with valid facts, we should be able to look at the "dismal science" with a much brighter perspective."

Waking Up the Business Nation

What if the world of business has been stuck in the wrong mindset for the past half century? Here's a quote from my new initiative "A Wake-Up Call for the Business Nation:"

“Keynes's impact on the business world was even more profound. His view that an economy, as a whole, does not necessarily abide by the same laws as do individual transactions has created a lasting rift between business thought and economic thought. While the field of economics has continued to search for a more insightful economic worldview, generally focusing on a macro perspective, the business world has remained trapped in the post-war mindset. The apparent perfect fit of the discipline of corporate strategy, backed by Keynes's macro-micro divide, has gradually diminished the importance of an historical perspective, ultimately leading to a business world in which few question the discipline's very existence, and even fewer see the Keynesian underpinnings.”

Make sure you join the discussion.

UPDATE 7/24/2009: The essay/manifesto quoted above was part of a proposal sent to several potential investors for the first time on March 9, 2008 in an attempt to raise capital for one of my business ventures. For the public at large, it was first published on September 11, 2008 as part of the initiative announced here. And later, it was published as a RedefiningStrategy.com article on June 19, 2009.

My Diesel Wall 2008 Submission (for Zurich)

"Diesel Wall was born out of a need to salvage what precious public space is left. We will take your art, your powers of dissuasion; your ability to disrupt; incite; excite; inspire and intrigue; to make comment; to make beautiful; to make real; to make people think again. And we will give you walls in 4 major cities around the world: New York, Barcelona, Manchester, and Zurich." (Diesel.com)

I submitted an artwork for the Diesel Wall Zurich.

"Diesel Wall Zurich is one of the most prominent walls in the city. From its humble preside on the border of a residential area, this wall rises from the edge of a parking lot, above the busy streets below, to be clearly visible from the 50,000 capacity Zurich Letzigrund football arena. Letzigrund is one of the key stadia to play host to Euro 2008 as well as open air concerts, athletic championships and many other cultural events." (Diesel.com)

The shortlist for the Diesel Wall Zurich has been announced today. Congratulations to the 12 finalists!

(more at www.diesel.com/cult/wall/zurich/shortlist.)

My artwork did not make the shortlist. Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity and share my submission with you here:

 

Title:
Everyone has a tree of needs

Description:
The artwork "Everyone has a tree of needs" is primarily a call for celebration.

I. From the distance, there are two adjacent elements that stand out. One is the caption "everyone," and the other is a human silhouette, which depicts a soccer player in the moment immediately following the scoring of a goal. It is a moment characterized by a unique, utterly-human burst of energy/celebration/happiness/ecstasy that occurs in many, if not all, sports. Nonetheless, this particular image captures the moment as it commonly occurs in soccer -- with the player running toward his/her teammates and/or fans while gesturing "Number 1."

The intended message for this "view from the distance" is: "EVERYONE, CELEBRATE! BE HAPPY!" And it is a message aimed at all viewers, regardless of their activity (i.e., attending a concert), as the image focuses on celebration, not on the game of soccer itself (there is no ball depicted).

II. Upon closer look, the artwork reveals the entire caption, "everyone has a tree of needs," as well as the fact that the human silhouette is actually a tree structure of round objects. Together, the caption and the tree structure are a simplified presentation of an innovative theory of human nature that I recently developed as an independent researcher. It is a new theory that states that at any moment, every individual possesses a tree of needs. This structure of needs begins with a dominant need labeled "successful existence," which has a different meaning from one person to another, and from one time to another (typically it is understood as the long-term goal that would translate in happiness). Resulting from the effort to address the dominant need, the rest of the structure is generated through a process of disaggregation (i.e., Need AB = Need A + Need B). In short, this hierarchical structure of needs is the driver of one's existence.

But why would this theory be important to the general population, you might ask? It is important because it lays the foundation for a new economic and business worldview that better reflects reality. (The current mainstream economic view of the world is largely based on concepts developed at least half-century ago.) And that is further important because there is a causal relationship between a society's economic health and democracy. So, ultimately, this theory can help us all better understand what must be done to achieve and/or preserve PERSONAL FREEDOM. (A complete account of this new theory of human nature is available for free at: www.redefiningstrategy.com/HumanNature.pdf)

The intended message for the artwork's detailed view is: "WE ARE ALL UNIQUE, HAVING UNIQUE NEEDS. NONETHELESS, HERE AND NOW, WE ARE ALL EQUAL -- A SHARED MEANING OF 'CELEBRATE! BE HAPPY!' BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER."

Sure, it is rather impossible to predict how people will interpret the artwork. The aim is not to have everyone read the theory of human nature, but rather to have everyone think. The more interpretations, the better. And hopefully, at the end of the day, some will begin asking the right questions; questions that concern our success as a global society.

Also important to mention is the fact that the artwork pays tribute to a local symbol and a National symbol, respectively:
- the blue used for the background is the same blue used in Zürich's coat of arms (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ch_zh_wappen_stadt.gif)
- the font used in the artwork is Helvetica, a popular font developed by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica)

UPDATE 5/22/2008: And the winning artwork is "Bag Bellows Break" by Andreas Marti. Congratulations!

Referenced in Upcoming Book "Strategy and the Fat Smoker"

My MIT Sloan Management Review article "Is Strategy a Bad Word?" will be referenced in David Maister's upcoming book "Strategy and the Fat Smoker." To be released in January 2008, the book brings together articles that David, a renowned consultant and former Harvard Business School professor, wrote over the past few years. Nevertheless, the bound galley shows that the articles have been slightly reworked and formatted to serve the main purpose of the book -- to offer practical advice on how to overcome short-term temptations and go after enduring corporate health. Simply put, the book shows you how to "get the fat smoker on the diet."

David previously referenced "Is Strategy a Bad Word?" in his article "What's Our Deal?" (also a chapter in the book), and in his blog entry "What IF There's No Final Whistle?" Although its release was fittingly timed to coincide with the New-Year-resolutions season, the book can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.com.

Looking for a Game Developer

Just posted this announcement at GameDev.net. Please feel free to forward the information if you know someone that might be interested -- thanks!

HELP WANTED:
Are you a Game Developer? Or a Programmer with passion for video games? If so, keep reading.

PROJECT:
My name is Cristian Mitreanu, and I am the founder of the research initiative RedefiningStrategy.com. I am looking for a Game Developer/Programmer/Collaborator to help me develop the prototype for a 2-D casual game (a coffee-break game in the same category as Tetris and Pac-Man), inspired by the business theory that I published at BizBigPic.com (August 2006) and in my book, "Spointra and the Secret of Business Success" (April 2007). In brief, the game will mimic what a top executive that employs this theory would do in order to achieve enduring success for his or her business. A 10-slide presentation of the theory can be downloaded at www.RedefiningStrategy.com/TheoryOfBusiness.pdf. More related information is available at BizBigPic.com, BizBigPic.com/CristianMitreanu (this blog), RedefiningStrategy.com, and Spointra.com.

TECHNOLOGY
The prototype can be developed in C++, Flash, or any other programming language that you are proficient in. If you are already working with a game engine, you can use that as well. However, the prototype should run on most personal computers -- Windows XP compatibility is a must, and additional Apple OS X compatibility (additional file) is preferred.

TIME FRAME
Since the prototype will focus solely on the game mechanics, I estimate that the project could be finished in a matter of days, maybe weeks (part-time days or weeks, of course).

COMPENSATION
The prototype will be used to raise money for the completion of the game and its further developments, which have the potential to revolutionize not only business education, but how businesses are run. So, long story short, by working on this project, you can become part of an exciting startup with a lot of potential. Nonetheless, I might be able to cover some of your expenses.

LEGAL MATTERS
This project is a "work for hire" engagement, which means that I will own the copyright for the prototype (code and executable/s). In addition, there will be a Service Contract and a Non-Disclosure Agreement to sign. And on a broader note, there is a patent pending for a business method and system based on my theory.

APPLY NOW
If you are interested, please send me your resume, references, samples of work, and anything else that would show your skill and fit for this project. Of course, previous experience in game development is important, but I will consider other programming experiences as well. Email me at info@redefiningstrategy.com, using "Game Project" in the subject line. Also, please include your financial requirements/expectations. Cheers!

"Spointra" Available at 800-CEO-READ

Great news! "Spointra and the Secret of Business Success" is now available at 800-CEO-READ. Not a bestseller yet, but on the way there ;-) Check it out!

Online Presence Humanizing

Putting a human face on a web-based initiative is a relatively new trend. And I am talking about the abundance of casual photos of the individual or team behind the initiative. Sure, lawyers and real estate agents have been using photos as part of business for decades. But to call those photos casual would be quite a stretch.

As it is often the case, technology is to blame. The proliferation of broadband and the emergence of the so-called web 2.0 technologies have been the main drivers behind this trend. However, there is a more subtle, yet better, story behind all this -- the personal business is rising (see more on this here).

This being said, I too decided to humanize my three-year-old online presence (RedefiningStrategy.com went live in May 2004). So, a new, artsier website, CristianMitreanu.com, went live today. Check it out!

How to Innovate Your Online Venture

Earlier today, MarketingProfs.com published my new article, "How to Innovate Your Online Venture," based on an earlier post on this blog. The publication is timely. Recent announcements from Google and Amazon.com, highlighting new improvements (read "innovations") of their services, support the model presented in the article.

Google: Universal Search
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/universalsearch_20070516.html

Amazon.com: Digital Music Store
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1003003&highlight=

Hello...

…and welcome! As you already know, my book "Spointra and the Secret of Business Success" is now available at Spointra.com. It is based on the fundamental theory of business launched at BizBigPic.com in August 2006. However, the book presents the theory in a highly simplified and entertaining manner -- you should check it out.

In addition to the book, I wanted to launch a blog that will provide additional value to the BizBigPic community. So, here’s Picture001. Guided by the fundamental theory of business (we are still open for name suggestions), which can be discussed on the main site at BizBigPic.com, Picture001 will provide a more detailed take on the business big picture. Some of the topics that will be covered include concepts, semantics, and trends. I hope you will enjoy it.

Note: This blog is a reincarnation of the section called "Bits of Thought" that appeared on RedefiningStrategy.com in 2004-2005. Unfortunately, at the time, there were other priorities topping our agenda. So, after months of "under construction" status, the section was finally taken down.