Thinking in Zeros and Ones: Embracing Digital Mindset
What does ‘digital thinking’ mean?
Some years ago, I conducted a strategy project for a DIY retail chain in an emerging country.
When we began, the founder and CEO told me he shied away from the threat when the first online DIY stores appeared in his country.
“I didn’t take it too seriously,” he said, “I’d never thought consumers would start buying electric drills or cables online.”
But they did.
The CEO tried out a few Hail Mary strategies. For instance, he tried to copy the interface of his digital rivals’ websites – but failed.
“They think differently than we do,” he said, “We try to apply our conventional thinking to the digital world, but they think digitally.”
“To think digitally” sounds like a bold motto. But what is the real difference between how managers in legacy and digital companies think?
Digital thinking
Imagine a group of executives trying to change a traditional company’s workflow. Most likely, they will make general, high-level decisions and then cascade this ta…