Tuesday 17 July 2012

My 3 points suggestions 4 @MarissaMayer as new Yahoo CEO, hires Google’s Marissa Mayer as its CEO | Firstpost

Yahoo hires Google’s Marissa Mayer as its CEO | Firstpost:

Well, it will be a big challenge, as she will lead 'as an outsider' on a military jet plane with jittery board who might have trigger happy fingers on her seat's eject button... 

plus internal politics and pressure in creating 'new vision' to consolidate now perceived disparate yahoo... turnaround is a different Kattle of fish. 

good thing is that seems like Marissa has a loving family and now as millionaire, she can stay true to her new vision for Yahoo and thus has a bullet proof parachute whether got ejected immaturely or not.. 

my suggestion? she need to be in it to win it, turnaround take time, probably 2-5years if not longer.. she therefore need time, and given the quarterly earnings pressure etc. it would be very difficult to implement and see results (except cost cutting which sadly is not good for long term future of company except cutting dead woods), therefore, my suggestions would be: 

1.) buy time, if it is cheap enough, and she is bold enough, take Yahoo private, (share price at all time low!?), with hopefully a decent war chest for acquisition that supports the medium to long term vision created (next point). 

2.) devise a medium & long term vision that has all the internal stake holders buy-in, and work towards that, and using her strength of products/design, and focus on what customers might not what they wanted in the first place... Yahoo is strong in rated pages (passed sell by date?) and even pictures (flickr) and even groups... thus, need a 'new ground'

3.) find a new ground that not any of the majors have a stake in vs facebook, google, microsoft.. seems to me secure enterprise could be one (google is trying the 'cloud' enterprise from scratch), maybe its time to buy & merge in some best in clase enterprise companies like blackberry?? (I trust Thorsten would not listen to my previous suggestions http://t.co/1K4UnFj . Yes, it would be easy picking if Blackberry is not under strong management! )  

Good luck with new job & new baby, good that Marissa is a lady, otherwise, there will be new mistress soon.. 

Joking aside, glad that most likely all my flickr photos & yahoo groups are now in 'safer hands'. ;-) 

garethwong 

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