Business Quote by Scott D. Anthony
“People will try to copy what they can see, which is the final product or service, but it's much harder to see (and copy) all the intricacies of the business model that allows you to create, capture, and deliver value. And that's what you need to get right to really jam something down people's throats!”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Innovator's Solution by Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor, 2003
Success comes from mastering the hidden mechanisms of a business, not just its visible output.
In simple terms: Copying visible products is easy; copying the underlying model is hard.
Key Takeaway
Focus on the whole value chain.
Themes
innovation
strategy
value creation
Mood
strategic
analytical
Type
advice
insight
When to use this quote
- startup planning
- product launch
- market entry
- investment pitch
Key Concepts
Business model
value capture
competitive advantage
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you map the hidden parts of your model?
- What aspects of your value chain are most defensible?
A Different Perspective
Visible products are easier to imitate than the underlying system.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)