S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L

The World Wide Web (www) is a jungle. If the law of the jungle is to be applied for the Internet, there is a ruthless and unrestrained competition. It is the lean and mean websites that survives.

Gone are the glory days of the dotcom boom, when CON-men (people working for Companies-On-Net) thought that this was the future and everything and anything can be done online. Well, that chapter is closed. The-dot-com-guy has changed his name, and many guys disappeared and are now nameless. Many organizations have lost millions, and have burned their fingers, hands and body...

For the hundreds of thousands flop stories, there are some blockbusters. by and far they are few. Obituaries are written about why some of the new business did not take off... Broadly speaking, most of them are dead because they had a silly business plan, and sillier model.

Like in a jungle... most of them got lost, because they did not stick to basics... I was reading an article on the net.. on how to survive in a jungle... and I can relate the same to the companies for surviving in the jungle of www.

The first and foremost thing of any business SURVIVAL

S - Size up the situation
U - Use all your sense (undue haste makes waste)
R - Remember where you are
V - Vanquish fear and panic
I - Improvise
V - Value Living
A - Act like the natives
L - Learn and live by the basics



S- Size up the situation:

Sun Tzu, in his masterpiece - "The Art of War", says - every battle is won or lost, before it is fought. Similarly, in the jungle, your security is the paramount concern. Before you start of on a jungle trip, there are some basic items that you need to carry. A chart/map of the region, compass, the route you propose to take, and some more basic survival kit. Same too with the business unit, you need to plan your strategy, prepare the roadmap, meet people who (in case you know anyone) traveled that trail before, etc.

Size up your surroundings - keep a track and know more about your competition - online and offline

Size up your physical condition - is your organization 'fit' to enter this jungle of www.

Size up your equipment - do you have enough resources to meet the challenges you would face on the net?



U - Use your sense

You would be DEAD - if you make a wrong move, or react quickly without thinking or planning. Don't move just for the sake of taking action. Consider all the aspects of the first "S" before you make a decision and a move. Also, when i mean by use your sense; it means also using the five basic sense qualities - see, and hear for any changes that is taking place, be in constant touch with the technological developments - there are improvements happening in IT. Taste the online reaction and act accordingly

Eye - for detail
Ear - for competition
Touch - with technological developments
Nose - for business opportunities
Taste - for success!!


R - Remember where you are

Constantly orient yourself. Always try to determine

How close is your competition - ahead and behind
Any friendly sites that can help your business
Your positions/ placements in the popular search engines



V - Vanquish fear and panic


If there was anything that majorly affected the closure of many dotcoms.. it was fear and panic. Maybe it was the stock market, maybe the venture capitalists, maybe the promoters themselves, or maybe the users. Fear and panic If uncontrolled, they can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. They can drain your energy and thereby cause other negative emotions.

I - Improvise

The best part of internet business is the ability to Improvise, and improvise quickly. Improvise, does not mean in terms of technology, it means with your total business outlook. The market is dynamic and so are the variables involved in it. It is imperative that you need to be like a liquid, willing to change shape as per the ground available.
V - Value Living

The experience and knowledge you have gained through life will have a bearing on your will to live. Any new business venture starts with a budget limit. Like going on a jungle trip, you only carry limited resources. It depends on the optimal usage of your limited budget that will decide on the survival chances of your online venture. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure.

A - Act like the natives

The internet business can survive only if you think global and act local. Any of the best internet companies like Yahoo! or google, or msn, eBay are going local. In this effort they are coming up with region specific sites, or buying out regional sites that are similar to their business model... few examples i know are

google - coming up with Indian languages based search
eBay - buying baazee.com
Monster - buying jobsahead.com, etc

L - Learn and live by the basics

Remember, that one of the key factors for online success is how best you can replicate the offline model online.. people even today are comfortable with offline, and that is the benchmark they have for judging any online model.

As they say in the survival book.. the best chances of survival are if you can stay close to the river...

And keep in mind, when in a jungle.. first and foremost, take care of your food, water, and shelter.... sex can come later:))

(The source material for this article is U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Best Indian websites - 2007

10 Reasons Marketing Strategy should include the Internet

Teach Marketing, Yoda Can