Comments on: What Will The Emerging Nokia Look Like?

By: NF

NF — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:51:56 +0000

Now that I have been out of Nokia for about six weeks, I am starting to think that Nokia reminds me of DEC. They both got very successful and that success blinded them to move to the next things. DEC was great doing mini-computers and then the VAX. But they never were able to move beyond the VAX to workstations. Nokia was very successful doing digital GSM phones, colors, multiple models, 3G, etc., but has never learned how do really develop software to compete with the likes of Apple and RIM.

Last weeks problems with OVI going live after many years of preparation, isn’t a good sign. The CNET video where they joked about Nokia being surprised how much traffic there was given their almost 40% market share, while amusing, seems to me that they were not really expecting it to be successful. The senior management doesn’t really take this Internet stuff seriously.

By: PhoneBoy

PhoneBoy — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:50:16 +0000

Seems like he’s just repeating the same failed strategy of his predecessors.

By: Texrat

Texrat — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:43:14 +0000

Man, isn’t that the truth! And OPK supports the “strategy”. He defended it at a Dallas visit last year.

By: PhoneBoy

PhoneBoy — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:39:55 +0000

The one observation I’ll add is that while there are many people “in charge” at Nokia, nobody is truly calling the shots and tries to please everybody. As a result, Nokia puts out products that often compete with each other and lack a common, unified vision. Each product is a silo in and of itself, not part of a larger ecosystem.

By: Texrat

Texrat — Sat, 30 May 2009 01:57:54 +0000

I certainly can’t argue with your perception. From the inside we could all see why and where the gears were rusted, and we knew what the oil looked like– there were just too many hurdles in between…

By: Stuart

Stuart — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:55:32 +0000

Texrat, I agree there are many inside that get elements. The leadership can’t or doesn’t. I don’t really make the distinction between execution and knowledge. Knowledge comes from asking better smarter questions faster. Leadership comes when people execute on the answers. Including the answer… we must move faster. Those answers include setting the benchmarks or hurdles for performance and design. Plus those that question and act learn faster. The problem in my view has to trace to the leadership. Naturally, I am only an outsider and Nokia is / has been a highly successful company. I don’t know if Ovi will be a complete failure. It clearly is off to a poor start. A new playbook will only come from new management and coaches. Current management has plenty of excuses for the moment. I would not invest money in Nokia today. Yet the “connecting people” I remain highly passionate about. On execution they lost me about 2 years ago to the day. Within the year I’d equipped my family with iPhones etc. As a futurist and scenario planner I’d even spoken at Nokia HQ years ago. I know they were exposed to what was possible long ago. It’s looking a lot like a collective failure to me right now.

By: Texrat

Texrat — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:41:59 +0000

Stuart, there are many people in Nokia who get all that (I was one, so was Dameon, but so were plenty of others in positions of leadership)– the problem has been one of execution, not raw knowledge or awareness.

Nokia just cannot seem to get out of its own way.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:52:15 +0000

A few years…. won’t be fast enough. There is a technology gap already, there’s an increasing user gap and the core values in “connecting people” need to be reinvented. Apple is about “creative energy”, by contrast Nokia’s passion is much deeper. Their positioning and strategic intent won’t let them go after Apple. However, they are incredibly slow to recognize the shift from telecom to mobile social networks in terms of power. They appear to have even less understanding of the metamediaries that are emerging and the impact of the cloud. Nokia has to think ahead with new people and consider how they change the culture. They should start with a mini team and let them loose on the problem for six months. This is not consultants etc. It is people that understand what “connecting people” really means. So far there is a lot of copycat going on and they will fail at it.

By: Texrat

Texrat — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:02:46 +0000

Thanks for the acknowledgment!

I agree the overhaul is necessary, but I’m not sure it was started correctly. Hopefully that will improve… I just wanted to stay there and be PART OF the transformation. : /