[...]... surprise to many, who know only a little about Japan But those who have experienced Japan more deeply realize that feelings are central—as central, in fact, as in our seemingly “warmer” Western culture In one of the first American books written about Japanese business, Japan s Managerial System, Harvard Business School professor Michael Yoshino explained that the basic building block of Japanese social structure... research presented here, we believe that a company that understands the power of human passions, and manages those passions in its customers, its employees, and its leaders, will create value faster than its competitors DoCoMo is a fantastic example Here s a company that went from essentially zero to over $30 billion in revenues, without major acquisitions, in only a few years—mainly because in several... Consider the following DoCoMo: Japan s Wireless Tsunami 6 The Tale of Two Sisters “I think you’re talking to the wrong person.” A mutual friend had suggested that Yasuko Sato would be a good example of an Internet phone user: Japan s new wired (well, wireless) generation She obviously didn’t agree To almost any global businessperson, Yasuko is impressive—almost the emblem of modern Japan and easy... working hard to achieve the right goals And she has not shrunk from technology; she was an early adopter of the Internet, by Japanese standards, not to mention her i-mode phone Yet Yasuko knows that, somehow, a lasting change is passing her by She is modern, successful, and wired…yet not part of the new generation And that generation, she fears, may be remaking Japan “Sure, I have an i-mode phone, but... ZAHAYKEVICH BUSINESS CASES aren’t romance novels Things begin, and end, with the numbers If there s a story behind those numbers, it s supposed to be a military epic: brilliant generals, clashing armies, risky maneuvers DoCoMo s story has all that and more But at its core, DoCoMo s success depends on a love story Somewhere, mixed in with the systematic analysis of corporate strategy, the technical innovation... exactly when and where they want it And it gives all kinds of businesses a direct channel to the consumer at the point where a sale is really likely Technically, much of that is possible now on the wireless Web services marketed outside Japan But, as anyone who has tried those services knows, most are not yet ready for prime time DoCoMo s i-mode is not only ready; it is a runaway success, a blockbuster... Although there are extremely capable wireless competitors in Europe and the United States, to say nothing of Asia, none has matched this feat So far, none has even come close We believe that the only way to really understand that success— and find ways to emulate it in your own business—is to explore the passions that DoCoMo has used to lead These include the very personal feelings of the company s: xiv Introduction... in fact, are completely the same: People still work and earn money; no one died on the barricades of this revolution; there haven’t even been riots; government still goes on as it did before And although some visible changes have taken place, they seem transient Millions of Japanese teens carry i-mode phones But, then, aren’t Japanese teens prone to fads and gadgets? Yes…but this is a case where small... obvious aspects of creating value, and a little more attention to passion In our research at DoCoMo, the role of human feelings was obvious Once the key figures began sharing their experience with it, there was no denying the point: Passions are vital This very young company faced the huge challenge of creating a mass market for wireless data (and, before that, the substantial challenge of creating a national... findings force us to propose a radical, almost embarrassing idea: In managing your business, human passions matter A lot More than any of us admit, and certainly more than we act on (And we are Introduction xiii deliberately excluding the obvious place for feelings—the only place many managers think about them—which is marketing and advertising.) Feelings are worth paying attention to, in your daily management, . class="bi x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" DoCoMo JAPAN S WIRELESS TSUNAMI This Page Intentionally Left Blank This Page Intentionally Left Blank DoCoMo JAPAN S WIRELESS TSUNAMI How One Mobile Telecom Created. industry. These findings force us to propose a radical, almost embarrassing idea: In managing your business, human passions matter. A lot. More than any of us admit, and certainly more than we act on. (And. a New Market and Became a Global Force JOHN BECK AND MITCHELL WADE American Management Association New York • Atlanta • Brussels • Buenos Aires • Chicago • London • Mexico City San Francisco