Clay Christensen thinks about acquisitions through the lens of what he calls RPP resources, processes and priorities. Resources are like what you'd expect; people that are working there are assets: whether physical or intellectual process is how it solves problems. The priorities are basically the profit model, what it finds attractive and what it doesn't. And when it comes to Apple's new headphone business, I can't imagine they bought it for the priorities for the profit model.
This episode is all about the (alleged) Apple Beats acquisition. While it may make a certain amount of business sense, does it signify a small but significant change in Apple’s priorities, and is it a cause for concern? Topics covered include:
- The rationale for the acquisition
- The difference between making and recognizing market opportunities
- What makes Apple uniquely capable of building revolutionary products
- Apple’s previous responses when threatened in music
- How to think about mergers and acquisitions
- How to best motivate employees
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