COVID-19: Radical Generosity and WFH Revolution

Each month, “Lochhead on Different” episodes will explore the need to differentiate people, products, and services in a world that encourages a lot of imitation. A best-selling author, top podcaster, and former tech-industry CMO, Christopher Lochhead is a student of not only business and technology and marketing but also human nature, human folly, human genius, and very human joy.

Episode 11

In this episode: Chris says if you turn on your TV or fire up your browser, you’ll see don’t go to anything with more than 250 people…don’t go to anything with more than 100 people…and now we’re down to 10.

Chris says we’re on Zoom right now, and Zoom was started by Eric Yuan. Zoom has given their technology to all the schools in America – K through 12. Google, too, has stepped up to build a website, and Microsoft as well.

He says there was a deep connection with people after 9/11 – and it didn’t matter what political, racial, or whatever differences – we all seemed to melt away, and stood as one. He says that’s what’s beginning to happen here.

Chris says that megacompanies like Target, Walmart, or CVC – and of course Amazon – are delivering essential services. Chris says if you think about all the major food retailers now, America would be in a very difficult place.

I tell Chris that there are people immigrating to the US from Russia – mostly for religious reasons – and they would stand in the aisles dumbfounded, “How is this possible?” The essential services these supply chains deliver are remarkable.

Chris says it’s likely corporations are going to miss their next quarter’s numbers by 100%. Pipelines, revenues, and guidance on earnings are all going down.

He says a panel of experts at UCSF says 40% to 70% of us are going to get it. That’s 150 million Americans. If one percent of us die, that’s 1.5 million people.

Chris says what can we do to drive revenue for our business – if our business is still functioning. He says in the tech industry, there is something called “whitespace analysis.” Chris says this is where companies sell to an existing consumer, rather than selling to a brand-new customer.

He says the average commute in America is roughly 45 minutes. That’s an hour and a half a day. And he says that’s an hour and a half a day back. You can transform their lives, because in that hour they can workout, invest time with their family, and keep healthy.

Chris says he’s working on a book with Eddie Yoon, and it’s about “radical generosity.” Walmart and Target, etc. are giving away their parking lots for drive-thru testing. Tech companies are giving away their technology. He says as a company what can we do that’s radically generous?

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