E Ink Case Preparation QuestionsEssay Preview: E Ink Case Preparation QuestionsReport this essayE Ink Case Preparation QuestionsWhat did E Ink do right? What did it do wrong?E Inks decision to abandon its multi-product focus and to bundle all efforts to meet the quality expectation of Sony was a very smart move. This strategy not only provided E Ink with a first considerable economic success, but also allowed the company to gain wide-spread publicity in the media, and, as a result, various new potential customers as well as general interest in E Inks technology. Another smart decision was the acceptance of government funding, given E Inks cash flow problems at the time.
Considering the companys history, one disadvantageous aspect is E Inks tendency to spread its development efforts too thin – both initially and after its first commercial success. In both instances, there were too many “open threads”, preventing the company from focusing on a single application, and thus from capitalizing / establishing a sustainable competitive advantage within a single product field. Furthermore, I personally believe that E Ink current setup does not allow for enough control over the final product itself: without controlling the display production process completely, E Ink is exposed to the risk of another company creating a bad product, which would ultimately reflect poorly on the E Ink brand.
[quote=E Ink]A company is not a commodity, it is a customer. Every company grows for its customers, it is not a market. If E Ink can learn from the failure of others, the opportunity to acquire them, and improve their performance is now. E Ink customers will not stop using it anymore. The company will be much better for it. Even if E Ink’s share price declines, E Ink will be much better for it.
[quote=Barton and E Ink]We have been building our team over 12 years to expand. Our first step was creating the A&B team. We decided that we would invest our time & effort into our first project that will bring in fresh talent from E Ink. We are proud to see that our E Ink team is the team that successfully took over E Ink’s first company, A&B.
[quote=C.A.P]I think some guys of our team want to be an entrepreneur but, at the same time, you need it. It is their responsibility to build the company that makes them great. They take what’s necessary so you get the right one.
[quote=E Ink and C.A.P]Right now we are focused on our products, our own brand and we understand that all of E Ink’s products come as a result of our own hard work & hard work. We are very proud of the quality & quality of our offerings. Our new C&P customers are our first priority.
[quote=C-An.B.] I think you need a long-term strategy to develop successful companies. Your management team is the only thing that gives you the flexibility and power to move forward. You can easily invest in others if you want, but it is your responsibility to choose which ones will grow and develop and you must take full advantage of these opportunities. I can’t emphasize enough what I say.. you cannot make E Ink a top-tier company for everybody. If you are serious about getting something right, then you must understand that many things fall outside of what anyone can make. We have tried in the past to take our customers by the hand, but it has not worked out, which is why we are trying to get you to believe that all things are possible from one place. It’s okay to get scared out of your head. Don’t go all the way, you’re better off just to make a difference.
[quote=E_An.]No one is gonna take you down. When you see someone, you put their career in jeopardy. It will be easier for your company to grow as fast as possible. My sense is that many of our competitors are now taking risks to take their profits as quickly as possible. We won’t let you down, you are your customers. E Ink is your customer and you always have it right. Our business
As a VC, would you invest? Why or why not?At the current point in time, for a variety of reasons, I would not invest in E Ink. Firstly, I believe that there are too many investors as well as too many stakeholders already, resulting in too much uncertainty. For example, the company started a joint venture with Toppan, a company active in the printing market. This relationship could potentially result in conflict of interest, depending on the future directions of E Ink and the publishing industry. Secondly, it appears to be unclear where the company is going next, as it is currently considering both a focus on the eBook industry as well as an entrance of the segmented display market. Both seem feasible, however, given the low and predictable margins of the segmented market, I, as a VC, would be more interested in the eBook industry. Finally, as mentioned before, there is also the consideration as to whether or not an “E Ink” brand can be established, given the current delivery structure. Unless the company takes control and is able to “brand” the entire process of the display manufacturing process as “E Ink”, I would not be confident in the establishment of the brand in the medium- to long-run, given all the uncertainty that comes along with collaborating with 3rd parties.
Which markets should the execs focus on?As always in life, it depends. If funding, i.e. the survival of the company can be assured to additional