Business Lessons from the BlackBerry Movie

It's important to understand the history of your industry. The first clip they show in the movie is from (name), who predicted in (year) that one the technological advances happening in his era would result in wireless communication in the future. The furst BlackBerry prototype (product name) was based on this prediction.

When you identify a flaw or potential weakness, fix it immediately. Don't push it back until tomorrow, because then a whole lot of things will pile up on your to do list that need to be done tomorrow. If you can't fix it immediately, then at least schedule it in your calendar to ensure that it will be handled.

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

So you better come prepared.

Know your product so well that you can immediately identify when it's not operating that way it's supposed to. Handle problems while they're still small and easy to fix, before they become catastrophic.

Don't be afraid to askfor what you want, or what you think you deserve. You may be rejected, that's part of life. But if you don't ask, you're rejecting yourself prematurely.

And what results are helping them achieve? Is there a gap in the market that your product or service aims to solve? Why are you the one to close this gap? Why now? What makes your solution relevant to your customers right now? Why is the competition not jumping on this opportunity that you've identified?

Paint a vivid picture of what the future looks like with your product, versus a future without your product. WIIFM? What's in it for me?

That's the question your customers or investors are always asking themselves. Show them how your product is something they cannot afford to live without.

Embrace feedback.  Sometimes rejection is a nudge in the right direction. Don't give up after the first few rejections. Pick yourself up, and try again. People will not see your vision the way you see it. Some people will think you're delusional. But if you believe in yourself and in what you're doing, then keep going. Don't quit because some morons are too blind to see the bright future you're painting. Gary V frequently talks about how he passed up on the opportunity to invest in Uber's angel round because he just couldn't see the vision (name of Uber founder) was painting.

Sometimes the more you push, the more you mess things up. Give yourself a break. Time off to do other things, like watch a movie, like those Research in Motion folks did when they failed to land their first investment deal.

Give your subconscious mind room to do its magic, let it work in the background to come up with an answer, because sometimes you're just standing too close to the puzzle to see all the pieces. So what you need to do is step back and get a bird's eyeview of the situation, and then come back for round two.

Confidence in telling your story. Learn to tell your story. Understand your value. Sometimes having the product is not enough. Actually, havingthe bestproduct is always not enough. You have to learn to sell. You have to learn to sell with conviction and courage. You have to keep away the prowlers who are always lurking and ready to take your opportunity away from you.

You will face a lot of opposition, whether from your competitors or from traitors within your own organization. You need the visionary insight to see and defend these attacks before they cripple you. You need to develop the leadership skills required for the level at which you want to play. Develop into a leader who can swim with the sharks or partner with a shark to swim on your behalf.

Who's got your back? Who's your mentor or coach? Do they know what they're talking about? Do they have the expertise/experience to lead you successfully  through the jungle and bring you out alive on the other side?

What's your vetting process for your partners and associates?

You can't be too soft in business. You will lose. Everyone is looking out for themselves, and they will eat your lunch if you let them. You need to have your boundaries.  You need to stand your ground. You need to produce results. Everyone around you must produce results to justify their existence in your company.

It's all good and well to be friendly and welcoming to your colleagues.  But what happens when they don't perform? Are you gonna nurse them and burp them and be their mother?

Apple also outsourced their product manufacturing to China.

Why did Apple make it work, while BlackBerry failed?

Is there more to the story than what they're showing us in the movie?

Insubordination.

Jim was fired for insubordination.  How do you know when to tow the line versus when to stand up for your beliefs? Is it wrong to go against the company culture when the company culture is stupid and a hindrance to progress?

The guy in the red band made tons of money, yet he was a pessimist and a slacker. Is hard work overrated? Does luck have a bigger role to play in success than we've been led to believe? (Doug.)

Everyone at BlackBerry was a slacker before the arrival of Jim, and as result the company was failing. If they had been optimal performers, would they have eliminated the need for Jim to use underhanded recruitment techniques to bring top performers to BlackBerry?

Because evidently, according to the movie, that's one of the things that resulted in the demise of BlackBerry. So the question is, if the BlackBerry staff had been more interested in the success of BlackBerry than on movie night, could they have achieved success much earlier, without the intervention of an outsider?

Michael was a scientist, not a business person.  Would it have helped if he was a well rounded scientist-cum-business mohul? Which is more profitable, specialization or generalization? Even as a craftsman, how important is it to understand business? How important is it to be clear on your vision and to be clear on exactly what you stand for?
Is it better to be a beast, an animal, to prevent the sharks from taking advantage of you?

Mike's partner seemed to care about Mike and passionate about the business, but he also seemed to have clouded judgment.  So what exactly should you be looking for when picking a partner?

Greed and pride seemed to be Jim's downfall.

Would BlackBerry have fared better if Jim had cared more for the success of the company than his own personal glory?

How important is it to have a clear hierarchy in an organization?
Which is more important, a happy go lucky environment versus a culture of performance? Do we care more about results or baby sitting non-performing employees? Where do you draw the line?

Why did Mike not have the balls to be his own man and make his own decisions? Why did he wait so long to make a proper prototype versus the defective Chinese devices?

Always be prepared for any eventualities. Mishaps can happen at any time in the field, like when Mike forgot the prototype in the cab, and Jim had to improvise his pitch. If you're unprepared, you'll miss your opportunity, and it may never come around for years. So what's the lesson here? Know your business better than you know yourself. Petfect your 90 second pitch and be ready to deliver it at a moments notice. Find innovative ways to arouse interest for your product. How do you stand out from the competition?

Know yourself. Know your competition. Know your clients. And find your USP. WIIFM? What's in it for me? Jim sold convenience, one device that fits in your fist and makes you more productive than your computer.

Packaging is important. The executives at Verizon thought the initial BlackBerry was the world's largest pager, while the BlackBerry team thoght of it as the world's smallest email terminal. So how do you win your clients over to your way of thinking? How do you overcome their limiting beliefs and get them to embrace your abundance mindset, your state of nirvana or paradise?

How important is it for you to embrace new ways of thinking? How important is it for you to constantly innovate? Well, actually, BlackBerry innovated but they failed to create an ecosystem. So how do you refrain from cannibalising your own success? If you let in too many lions into your den, sooner or later one of them will challenge you for your throne? How do you create an ecosystem without losing your advantage?

Sun Tzu said all war is based on deception.  Jim deceived the guy from Palm Pilot into thinking his plan would of a hostile takeover threat would work. meanwhile Jim had a different plan. I think you should read the 48 laws of power if you want to learn these deceptive strategies.

Where do we draw the line between scarcity mindset and prudence?
Sometimes it's wise to know your limitations so that you don't overextended yourself. But sometimes you're just being a coward.

How do you not let your insecurities get in the way of your success?

Guy with the red headband was goofing off half the time, yet he reportedly pocketed billions. Which makes me wonder, is hard work overrated? Does luck play a bigger role in success than we care to admit?

You need sales to succeed in business.

If money is not coming in, you don't have a business.

You need more than technical ability, you need to learn to play the game... it's mind/psychological games... it's political... it's legal... for more on this, read the 48 laws of power. If you can't do it yourself, partner with someone who can. It's a dog eat dog world outhere. If you're too soft you will get run over.

Confidence. Mike didn't speak with confidence.

And that's why people were trying to take advantage of him.

You need a clear hierarchy and clear segregation of duties

so you can hold people accountable for their results.

Doug was a cheerleader to Mike, I guess that's valuable somehow.

But he just continued to act like he was in high school.

Everything was a dick measuring contest.

So the question is, how far do you go to protect your territory?

Sometimes you got to move forward before you're ready. You don't wait until everything is lined up. Forget perfection.  Move forward. Get things done. Get results.

Sell the benefit. Sell a brighter future. Sell the vision.

Stop at nothing. Find a way to outmaneuver your opponents. Find a way to overcome obstacles. Innovate. Find new and creative ways to sell a.d position yourself as the must have product.

Vendor relationships.

How important is it to have cordial relationships with your suppliers, employees and customers.

Did Mike's pride kill BlackBerry?

He was resistant to change. He saw what Apple was doing with their screens, yet he refused to adapt. He insisted on the old way. How important is it to be fluid and nimble in business? How much should you react to competitors actions?

Instead of focusing on blackberry, Jim let his pride get the best of him. He started chasing hockey teams and other unrelated projects.

And this thing with BlackBerry the made in China being defective reminds me of what Tony Hsieh said in delivering happiness. 

He said never outsource your core competencies.

Because if somebody messes up your customers' experience,

your customers will blame you, not the third party who messed things up. You are accountable for your customer experience.