business– tag –
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Customers Don’t Even Know What They Really Want
【We don't know what we really want】 A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them. This is what Steve Jobs said. As the old saying goes, people don't know themselves as well as they know others. Sometimes, ... -
Good vs. Bad Products: What’s the Difference?
【Talent or hard work】 Do you believe in talent or hard work? This is the topic that has been debated since the beginning of history. I know I'm a little exaggerating, though. Making the topic even more complicated, some people say "Har... -
Reasons Matter: Why We Seek Understanding in Life
【A local amusement park is seeing its last days】 I often go to a hot spring place in a nearby town. On the way, there's a collapsing amusement park "Canadian World." I have a dim memory of seeing its TV commercials when I was a kid, bu... -
When Fast Is Better: The Benefits of a Slapdash Approach
【New Coke, the greatest failure of the century in marketing】 Coke VS Pepsi, this was a very important issue when I was a kid with a limited budget. In the early 1980's PepsiCo launched a big marketing offensive, like aggressive compara... -
Which Is Better, Leather, Suede, or Alcantara?
Alcantara is almost a synonym for luxury artificial leather. Some people may be likely to avoid it just by hearing the word "artificial," but Alcantara looks and feels real suede leather. Most of them have already been produced from renewable biomaterials. Compared with genuine leather of which production (especially in the tanning process) puts a heavy burden on the environment, Alcantara can be said to be much more eco-friendly. -
Why Being the First Penguin Matters in Business
【Beyond the logic】 I repeatedly and knowingly tell my assistants to think logically at work. On the other hand, I must admit the world filled with believers in logical thinking like me must be super boring. In Japan these days, the wor... -
The Anatomy of Japanese Craftspeople of Swordsmith and Furniture
【Something in common between Japanese knives and furniture】 Just before entering the furniture business, I worked in the fishery industry and often took overseas clients to the biggest fish market in Tokyo. It was now-closed Tsukiji ma... -
The Discontinuation of Morgan 4/4: Was It the Right Decision?
【Free-will decisions and market principles】 Are you always confident of your free-will decisions? MISTRA (Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, 1990) has proved our ways of thinking and behaving are NOT genetically affected. The surro... -
What Makes Expensive Goods Look Expensive?
【Are we just tricked by price tags?】 Why do expensive goods look expensive, and vice versa in most cases? Do high price tags or brand names just hypnotize us into believing so? I sometimes even suspect makers intentionally make low-pri... -
The Power of Less: Why Brands Pick Simple Logos
【The simpler the better?】 Did you know that many brands changed their logos lately? A good example is ones in the automovie industry, such as BMW, VW, and Nissan. It seems to be the mainstream to make it simpler. Speaking of logo simpl...