Category Archives: Directing Business

Directing Business, In Spotlight

Melinda Gates goes public

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Today, at 43, Melinda Gates is ready to reveal her full self – to go public, so to speak. “I had always thought that when my youngest child started full-day school I’d step up,” she says, sitting down with Fortune for her first-ever profile. Although she admits she would prefer to stay out of public view forever, her older daughter got her thinking. “I really want her to have a voice, whatever she chooses to do,” she says. “I need to role-model that for her.” She is spending more time on foundation work, up to 30 hours a week. “As I thought about strong women of history, I realized that they stepped out in some way.”

….Buffett also believes that Melinda makes Bill a better decision-maker. “He’s smart as hell, obviously,” Buffett says. “But in terms of seeing the whole picture, she’s smarter.” Would Buffett have given the Gates Foundation his fortune if Melinda were not in the picture? “That’s a great question,” he replies. “And the answer is, I’m not sure.”

More at Fortune

Etc., Leadership

Kumble speaks

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We had decided that in the case of a disputed catch, we would take the word of the fielder concerned, if he was certain. But that agreement was based on the premise that come what may, whatever the situation, the fielder concerned would be completely straight on what happened. Now, there will obviously be a big question mark moving forward on that.

More at Hindustan Times

Etc., Strategy

Who’s the Winner in the Tug-of-War between ‘Walled Garden’ and ‘Open Plain’ Strategies?

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In August, less than three months after the introduction of Apple’s iPhone, a New Jersey teen announced that he had “hacked” into the mobile-communications device. The hacker was clearly expressing the frustration that many consumers feel towards Apple for adopting a “walled garden” — as opposed to an “open architecture” or “open plain” — corporate strategy. While the walled garden approach often restricts consumers’ ability to modify devices or marry them with other firms’ products and services, the open architecture approach has its drawbacks as well. Wharton faculty and others look at the advantages and disadvantages — for both consumers and companies — of these two strategies.

More at Knowledge@Wharton