Richard Wilson: finding the business within the business
Richard's Rome recording pushed back on the idea that a strong business model simply arrives by luck. He described trying models, changing them and discovering which activity deserves more attention.
The first model is a starting point
Richard spoke about iteration across the business model, team and partners. His example was discovering a stronger business inside what the company already did. That discovery requires noticing where the work is actually producing value.
Keep a record of the changes
His explanation treats the current model as the product of decisions made over time. A company history that begins with the final model can conceal the experiments that preceded it. The recording asks listeners to study those changes when learning from successful owners.
In Richard's words
"finding the business model within your business that maybe is a true business that you need to be in" (Richard C. Wilson, recorded library commentary)
How to use this
- Compare the activities customers pay for with the activities consuming the team's time.
- Record which changes in the business model were tested and retained.
Questions and answers
What did Richard say about business models?
They can be tried, refined and discovered inside an existing business.
Was his explanation based on one lucky choice?
He described repeated iteration over time.