Always innovating is a tough game. RIM more then anyone has had a tough go of it recently. Jon Evans has a piece in Techcrunch today that I really relate to. If you are from Canada, it's hard not to want to see RIM turn themselves around. There are a tonne of smart people at that company and they simply transformed the technology market place here at home.
But evans isn't optimistic. He talks about the inevitable demise of RIM. He thinks it's one of ability. They don't have the product development prowess of a Google or Apple in his mind and never will.
I just don't buy that.
I have friends who have gone to work for Google - they'd probably come and work for RIM. I know a huge amount of smart product people working in startups all over Canada -- they'd go work for RIM. Facebook bought Parakey -- many people say only to get Blake Ross as part of their team.
Ironically i wrote about RIM in the context of a post back in 2009, reinvent or die. Might be good to read that one again.
But reinvention won't happen by focusing on the competition. There is no light at the end of the "trying to be like Apple or Google tunnel".
Moreover, RIM definitely shouldn't waste its time focussing on why people AREN'T buying their products -- they need to start reframing their challenge by looking towards how to unlock their incredible potential just like Hermes did.
So my advice?
Innovate by focusing in on your amazing strengths and what has made you great.
And if this helps at all, just remember you still have an army of brand advocates sitting here waiting for you to succeed.
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