Digital Business Models: Course-Outro
This article is part of a content series on the topic of "Digital Business Models" that I created for a course at the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences.
“Even the best things have to come to an end” as the saying goes, and our journey through this digital business models course is no exception. The journey has come to an end, sadly…
Haha, just kidding, of course there are better things in life than digital business models (am I really just joking?). Now it’s time to celebrate your achievements. You've made fantastic contributions to this course!
Therefore, in this final article of our blended learning course on digital business models, I want to take a moment to shine a spotlight on some of your incredible contributions in the forum. Your thoughts and reflections have not only made me think but have also been a great source of inspiration.
Below, I would like to showcase selected contributions and comment on what inspired me about them. These screenshots are only a small representation of the many great contributions. Each of your insights brought unique perspectives and valuable discussions to our course.
In one of the course tasks, you should reflect on technological developments and their impact. The following two contributions caught my attention.
What I liked about this post is that it recognized how different technologies do NOT exist in isolation. The combination of technologies, such as the metaverse and blockchain in this example, opens up exciting new opportunities and business models. Additionally, the historical and movie references added an interesting dimension to the discussion 🫵🔥 Specially liked the Orson Welles example from the last paragraph… for interested readers, below you find the Original 1938 radio broadcast. People who thought it was real must have been really terrified 🥶🙈
What impressed me most about the post above is the recognition of the multi-layered impact of streaming services, for example on culture. The discussion about the social and cultural impact of global streaming services highlights an important (and so far less acknowledged) aspect: the potential of streaming services to either dilute cultural differences or foster a more unifying global community. This reflection on how media shapes society and culture is a discussion I would like to continue and I like the way the student has dared to think outside the box of digital business models here.
In another task as part of the course, you were asked to brainstorm new business models. This also resulted in very interesting contributions and discussions.
As I travel the world quite a lot myself, I know the problem of finding a good workplace in a new location. Working in the hotel is boring, Starbucks has good cookies and expensive coffee, but the workplaces aren't ideal and there isn't a WeWork everywhere. So the idea of a platform for temporary workplaces immediately appealed to me: For travellers, such a temporary workplace could provide access to new networks and potentially interesting (local) conversation partners (like Airbnb did in its early days). For companies, that maybe nowadays have a lot of empty workspaces because of the home office trend, it could be an additional income source and also a way to connect to people outside of their company. A win-win? Possibly. In any case, I think this idea would be worth pursuing further 🚀🌝
I have read about applications and research in this area and find it extremely exciting. For bedridden individuals whose physical world has shrunk to a few square meters, their realm of possibilities could be massively expanded. If I ever end up in an elderly home, I definitely want the option of VR travel 👴🤝
As part of my contribution to lifelong learning, you should listen to podcasts or other content on the topic of digital business models (and beyond) and reflect on them. Here you have produced some worthwhile reflection reports on interesting content.
The reflections from the interview with Tobi Lütke on the importance of niche markets really made me think. I've addressed this topic in another article, and it's crucial for founders to consider it.
When I suggested content sources, I wondered if anyone would watch a 2-3 hour interview with Lex Fridman. I was very pleased to see that this actually happened 😎🙌
Well, well, well… this is it… the course is over… I asked ChatGPT for some funny last sentences and here we go (my favorite is marked in bold 😅):
You survived digital business models, now go conquer the world (or at least your next Zoom meeting).
Time to apply what you’ve learned… or just impress people at parties with your knowledge.
If digital business models were a game, consider yourselves at the final boss level. Go win!
Thanks for sticking with me through this course. Now go out there and digitize everything!
You’ve earned your digital business model black belt. Wear it with pride!
This was my first run of the blended learning course on “Digital Business Models” at FHV. It was a pleasure. Thank you for your openness and commitment! Let's stay in touch and all the best for the rest of your studies 🫵🙌
Disclaimer: The thoughts published in this publication are my personal opinion and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation for any type of action. I am not a financial expert. The startups, organizations or corporates highlighted in this publication have caught my interest. This mention is not an endorsement or recommendation to engage with them. Readers should always do their own research.