I find a lot of similarities between the Haute-Couture collection of hotshot designers and entrepreneurs having exotic advisory boards. Like the proverbial “Haathi ki Daanth” as one of my friend puts it, they are just meant to showcase rather than offer any practical value.
How else could one describe that? Take for instance, in the first instance, the gorgeously looking dresses (sometimes bordering on grotesque) which are displayed by super thin models on the ramps in Rome, Milan & god knows where. No clothing expert in his right frame of mind will advise you to try one of these at the weekend party or a social get together. For that matter you will rarely if ever find one on the street walk.
Not only because of the price element but also for practicality. Nobody buys the stuff but designers & design houses spend millions on such flamboyant presentations to the Glitterati (& Chatterati) assembled in a tennis court like audience. The couture I believe is an attempt or rather an opportunity to show off the designer’s genius and the design house’s prestige, not to mention the massive ego in both cases, rather than any serious commercial exercise of selling clothes.
Ditto with entrepreneurs, who ornate their showcases with exotic advisory boards, of people who come with big reputations and chequered karmic history written on corporate & academic turfs. Maybe it gives the entrepreneur or a solution evangelist some forlorn conviction that it will create an impression among potential clients that smart people believe in his/her business concept and are therefore willing to lend their reputation & time to help the budding company grow.
In reality a lot of the high profile advisory board members find very little time and inclination to do any meaningful work i.e., bring their wisdom and foresight to help the company find practical solutions to its problems or for its clients. The Business owners have to realize that the difference between success and failure is primarily the result of their team on the ground and their collective endeavors.
Ordinary mortals who bereft of high reputations and devoid of any hang-ups, sweat & toil and build a reputation for the company by their work on the ground. However, rarely do these mortals figure out in the annals of a company showcase (whether it be Company website or product brochures or presentations) or even if they do, their presence is inversely proportional to the value they contribute to their respective businesses
How else could one describe that? Take for instance, in the first instance, the gorgeously looking dresses (sometimes bordering on grotesque) which are displayed by super thin models on the ramps in Rome, Milan & god knows where. No clothing expert in his right frame of mind will advise you to try one of these at the weekend party or a social get together. For that matter you will rarely if ever find one on the street walk.
Not only because of the price element but also for practicality. Nobody buys the stuff but designers & design houses spend millions on such flamboyant presentations to the Glitterati (& Chatterati) assembled in a tennis court like audience. The couture I believe is an attempt or rather an opportunity to show off the designer’s genius and the design house’s prestige, not to mention the massive ego in both cases, rather than any serious commercial exercise of selling clothes.
Ditto with entrepreneurs, who ornate their showcases with exotic advisory boards, of people who come with big reputations and chequered karmic history written on corporate & academic turfs. Maybe it gives the entrepreneur or a solution evangelist some forlorn conviction that it will create an impression among potential clients that smart people believe in his/her business concept and are therefore willing to lend their reputation & time to help the budding company grow.
In reality a lot of the high profile advisory board members find very little time and inclination to do any meaningful work i.e., bring their wisdom and foresight to help the company find practical solutions to its problems or for its clients. The Business owners have to realize that the difference between success and failure is primarily the result of their team on the ground and their collective endeavors.
Ordinary mortals who bereft of high reputations and devoid of any hang-ups, sweat & toil and build a reputation for the company by their work on the ground. However, rarely do these mortals figure out in the annals of a company showcase (whether it be Company website or product brochures or presentations) or even if they do, their presence is inversely proportional to the value they contribute to their respective businesses
1 comment:
a lot of companies today rely enormously on such swank mainly to get new business, but the point that they completely miss out on is that would these illustrious profiles contribute anything meaningful to the company's internal customers..most of the times it turns out that in the longer run these 'haathi ke daant' turn into a 'safed haathi'(white elephant) which is not only expensive to maintain but also very difficult to dispose off.
Vivin
Designewit Consulting Pvt Ltd
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