Leadership2 min read
… to the Death…
the sum of the parts at Sears (brands plus real estate) is worth less than recent market valuations – as much as 30% less!
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
CEO / Managing Partner - Spark Partners
Adam Hartung
I currently serve as the CEO of three companies: Content Laboratory (a content services company,) Spark Partners (a growth strategy firm offering assessments, strategy consulting and on-line self-administered revenue growth tools,) and Soparfilm Energy (an oil & gas exploration & production investment company.) Over the last thirty years, I have served on multiple boards, including Audit Chair for a NASDAQ traded company, and advised boards of directors on managing for disruptions and promoting innovation into corporate management.
My passion is public speaking on the importance of growth, innovation and strategy to succeed. As a keynote speaker I have been invited to over 1,000 leadership events, both multi-company and single company. My portfolio includes speeches, presentations, workshops and executive coaching on how to achieve faster growth from higher levels of innovation driven by trends.
1,099 articles · Page 1 of 46
Leadership6 min read
“i Don’t Get It” is No Excuse – Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, Myspace, Plaxo
the next time you hear yourself saying "I don't get it" it's time to stop, Disrupt yourself, and find some time to get it.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Technology3 min read
“enterprise Customer” Risk – Rim Blackberry and Apple Iphone
RIM's focus on its "core customer" the "enterprise customer" has been intended to make sure the Blackberry Defends & Extends its leadership position.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership4 min read
“cash Cows” Are Like Unicorns, a Myth – Gm, Chrysler
The idea was simple. Growth markets are easier to compete in because people throw money at the companies – either via sales or investment.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership3 min read
“another One Bites the Dust” (or 2) – Blockbuster, Nokia, Movie Gallery/hollywood Video
The market is shifting from physical items – video cassettes then DVDs – to downloads. And both Blockbuster and Hollywood Video missed the shift.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership5 min read
‘the Founder’s Mentality’ Recommended for Your Summer Reading
The Founder’s Mentality – How To Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation6 min read
‘pokémon Go’ – How Nintendo Beat Microsoft and Sony With an End Run
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation5 min read
‘mythbusters’: Six Steps to Greater Diversity and Superior Results
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
utsourcing – Right or Wrong? 9 Key Questions
Outsourcing has been extremely popular – ever since the early 1990s
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Future5 min read
netflix-redefines-the-pivot
Last week Netflix announced it was going to enter gaming . Interestingly, the analyst reaction was, at best, mixed. Most didn’t think it was a great idea.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership6 min read
buy Facebook Now – Catch a Lucky Break!
The values of publicly traded companies change, often dramatically, based upon changes in performance and investor expectations about the future.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Culture1 min read
apan demographics- a “trend bomb”
the demographics of its primary viewers was the big problem.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership5 min read
a looming recession – and you’re preparing how?
According to Merrill Lynch today the S&P 500 was down 8.7% in June, down 18.3% from the October, 2007 peak
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Strategy1 min read
You Win or You Lose
White Hen is a microcosm of what we see in far too many companies today
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership2 min read
You Want to Be Optimistic
The company lost about 1/3 of its value in a day – and over about 6 months the company lost half its value.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation6 min read
You Should Love, and Buy, Netflix – the Next Apple or Google
Leaders who focus solely on optimizing their core business often miss market shifts, as shown by Motorola’s decline and Netflix’s success in transitioning from DVD rentals to digital streaming.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership4 min read
You Really Wouldn’t Consider Buying That, Would You? Ford New Stock Offering
Ford is a company in the Whirlpool. It's odds of surviving are low. It's odds of making high rates of return and being globally competitive are almost nonexistent.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership5 min read
You Have to Change to Grow – Including Starbucks
The government doesn't create growth. It can stimulate growth with low interest rates and money that will stimulate business investment.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership2 min read
You Gotta Worry When… – Google, Microsoft
Microsoft has 2 product lines that make up almost all its sales and profits. Operating systems for PCs (Windows 7) and office automation software for businesses (Office 2010).
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership5 min read
You Gotta Move Beyond Your “base” – Expand Beyond Your “brand”
"The trouble with brands," brand value isn't what it was cracked up to be. Using a boatload of data, this academic tome says that brand
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership5 min read
You Gotta Have a Target
businesses no longer have some extended lifetime where they can sit back and "clip the coupons" as they rake in the cash.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation2 min read
You Gotta Do It Right
WalMart desperately needs to change. But to do that the company needs to implement White Space. It needs to first own up to its Challenges.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Leadership2 min read
You Can See It Coming
The leadership did everything possible to goose up cash flow at the end of the last year in order to maximize bonuses and attract a buyer for the company.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
Innovation4 min read
Yes, You Should Buy Apple
Apple's skill in identifying unmet needs, expanding markets, and launching products quickly makes it a high-potential, low-risk investment.
Adam Hartung · 29 April 2025
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