Why Outside Value Accelerators are a good thing.

I operated my own videotape editing studio for 15 years. During that time I would edit with the client right next to me. Discussions between edits varied. When it came to internal company politics, I was informed that whenever a company president selected the direction their company would take, that there were at least 2 to 3 factions within the company that were all were competing with one another's vision vying for the President's blessing.

Inevitably some of the projects would take a back seat to the project the company President felt was the direction the company should go in immediately. Example, the company could promote its products via trade shows all over the country, radio ads, or create some type of live show that would be featured at the trade shows, or do sophisticated in store set-ups.

Once the choice was made those who had been lobbying for a different course of action would have to fall in line and be supportive of the president's decision, while possibly secretly being ready to turn the knife if the winning idea faltered in such a was as to blame the project chosen ahead of their own without faulting the president of the company.

Now add an outsider with an idea that could actually accelerate the brand or product value for the company. How are all of these factions that were already competing with each other supposed to react?

Yet the irony is the outside presence is supportive of the company and its products and services and has been inspired by the company's effort and results. It's all about perspective, is this outsider here because the company insiders didn't do their job, or did the company insiders do their job really well and it has attracted additional outside interest?

Back in the early 90's Panasonic's consumer video division created the MX-12 analog / digital switcher. Before it was to be released the professional division of Panasonic looked the product over and said it was too good for a consumer release. The MX-12 became a "prosumer", professional consumer product instead and this soon led to the MX-50, a remarkable analog / digital switcher for its time in the early mid 90's.

The MX-50 had a clip level control that allowed for amateur shot video to be readjusted by clipping the whites and bringing up other video levels to better control the contrast values. When combined with a videotape playback machine that had proc amp controls for the brightness, contrast, color and hue levels, the two units in combination offered remarkable control over consumer video footage that otherwise was deemed too contrasty.

Being able to analyze an existing product and accelerate its value is a good thing, and people such as myself who occasionally see product and brand value acceleration potential should be seen as the good guys, Intrapreneurs on the Outside looking in.

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