Safe is Risky. Risky is Safe.

From the words of the original Purple Cow himself, it's risky to be safe. It seems Ross Levinsohn, former Fox Interactive Media president, agrees:

Safe is a mistake. You cannot grow without taking some risks. We all were bold risk-takers two years ago, and now we're getting safe again ... and in the Internet business, getting safe spells disaster.

He elaborates,

In the Internet, more than any other media business, it's all about risk-taking. And when you kill that spirit, you lose your strategic focus, and that can lead to product degradation and the inability to attract the best minds.

I do believe, and wholeheartedly agree, that the biggest risk to big media companies is a lot of talk and little action. Or, "opting to do too little to reinvent themselves and their business for a future that has already arrived."

Comments

[Seb Bourcheix]

It makes me think about a japanese quote I always keep in mind :
" in every second of your life, be ready to sacrifice who you are for who you could be "

.. the only way to move forward.

[T Demop, Blogging for Business]

Every business decision involves risk. Not making a decision IS a decision!

I have a lot of trouble (and fun) with C-level people with this. Usually they either get it or they don't. If they don't, I sometimes can convince them -- but it takes many many months!