Immanuel Kant and Business Strategy: why you need to be a critical thinker in business

Of recent I took up an interest in a German philosopher of the late 18th century: Immanuel Kant. His much acclaimed paper; "what is enligthenment?" is a beautiful piece encouraging readers to think for themselves. I found this particular excerpt beautiful and pertinent:

"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity
is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another.
This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but
lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The
motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own
understanding!"

I had a lively discussion with an acquaintance on critique yesterday. It was actually about whether we need critique at all? And I believe "yes" and a big one at that. We need critique everywhere. Critique is what makes the world a better place. Critique makes new and better products and critique is definitely a key component of business success. Critique provides you with great questions and makes you:

• A better business thinker: what if?
• A better innovator: how about?
• And a better designer: why not?

I think as I explain below you need those question to build great companies, products and services.

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Customer-centricity: How understanding and solving the specific problems of your customers will gradually turn you into a market leader

By Patrick Mayoh

You should stop thinking about your company in terms of the product or service you sell. Rather your company serves specific customers' needs or problems. I think company that are customer centric rather than product-centric have more competitive edge. You don't want to be perceived as an organization that tries to get people to buy your stuffs but as a problem solver or a place where people's problems are truly understood and solved. 

I have thought about a matrix that you can use as a starting point to develop, improve or bring new products to your market. It is applicable to all business settings and all types of customers. It helps you:

• Define a problem (what are your customers facing: how, when, where)
• Identify current solutions to the problem (who is helping them or what are they doing themselves already)
• And bring in your solutions (what is not right with what they are doing and how are you helping them)

 I have been working as a chief strategy officer for Auracameroon a water-solutions company in Cameroon. Developping and using this framework has been very instrumental for the job I have to do.

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