Business Game Time

How leveraged buy-outs work, why some many people hate private equity investors and why every opportunity needs a risk.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: bank • bankrupt • baseball • borrowing • bud selig • business model • cash • control • debt • dodgers • financial engineering • franchsie • frank mccourt • greece • homeowners • investment fund • l.a. dodgers • lbo • leverage • leveraged buy-out • leveraged deal • loan • los angeles • major league baseball • management buy-out • mlb • news corp. • opportunity • portugal • private equity investment • private equity investor • return • risk • squeeze • venture capital

While legendary soccer coach Otto Rehhagel believes that “money doesn’t score goals, a study by Deloitte U.K. shows a strong correlation between player wages and the team’s performance. Who is right and what is the impact on our companies?

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: as roma • atlético de madrid • bmw • correlation • deloitte • development • dingolfing • euro 2004 • fc schalke 04 • football money league • greece • momentum • money • otto rehhagel • over 50 factroy • performance • risk • salary • soccer (football) • sports business group • tactics • talent • wages • zonal marking

Would you jump out of an airplane without a parachute? Here’s why your company needs people that would and how you can get them in.

Filed under: misc, motor sports by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: advance things • airplane • car jumping • challenges • competitors • differentiation • double back flip • extreme • freestyle motocross • hierarchies • monster trucks • motorcycle • nascar • opportunities • parachute • polarization • politics • project • puerto rico • pushing boundaries • rally • ramp-to-ramp • risk • security • sky dive • structur • tandem • travis pastrana • work environment

“Never change a winning team!” or: “Never change a winning business!”. Why is it so hard to innovate in successful companies, what can be done against it and what is Andy Grove’s approach?

Filed under: misc by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: adapt • andrew grove • andy grove • change • change management • dedication • failure • fear • improve • improvement • inflection point • innovation • innovation management • intel • leadership • lose • momentum • only the paranoid survive • paranoia • risk • support • team • trust • win • winning • winning streak

Why are teams waiting until their down in the very last seconds of a match before they consider playing riskier? Here’s why risk is not bad, why it always comes with an opportunity and how to manage the trade off.

Filed under: (american) football, soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: (american) football • 3rd down conversion • automotive industry • avoid risk • business model • first down • flexibility • gambler • hail mary pass • incentive • insurance companies • investment theory • investors • just-in-time • lean production • logistics • minimize • opportunity • opportunity potential • play • preference • profit drivers • risk • risk averse • risk bottleneck • risk drivers • risk neutral • risk seeking • risk-taking • risk/opportunity trade off • soccer (football) • supply chain • tactical boundaries • value drivers

Fans of German Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund will boycott their team’s match against arch-rivals Schalke 04 because they do not support the rising ticket prices anymore. Like soccer clubs, you may choose your customers. Here’s how going for the short-term profit can put your business at risk.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
6 Comments » Tagged with: attractiveness • borussia dortmund • boycott • broadcast income • bundesliga • cheap • choice • christian seifert • colorful • core value • customer groups • customers • derby • english premier league • existing customer base • fan clubs • fan orientation • fans • fascination • fc schalke 04 • germany • kpi's • management positions • match-day revenues • nfl • product • reporting periods • residence times • risk • rivalry • rivals • short term profits • silent • soccer (football) • sponsorship receipts • support • supporters • ticket prices • tickets • veltins arena

Most people cannot accept the view of the job being a game. A job is too serious! Is it? Playing in a way is a serious approach, too, it just means trying out new approaches and, yes, taking some risks. Playing means pushing the boundaries a little further all the time and playing means improving. Are you ready for the game?

Filed under: baseball, soccer (football) by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: africa • art • asking questions • baseball • batter • broing • defeat • depression • drama • duel • embarrassment • emotional roller coaster ride • euphoria • europe • excitement • fifa world cup • fun • games • ghana • global • goal • hall of fame • heroism • improving • india • interesting • losing in style • money • new approaches • new zealand • nfl • pitcher • play • playful • playing • poker • pushing the boundaries • remuneration • risk • serious • seriousness • soccer (football) • south america • taste • tim leberecht • tragedy • trying new things • uruguay • us • usa • victory • viewers • wikipedia

The new Major League Baseball (MLB) season has just started. Aren’t you excited? No? You wait until October before you tune in? Ah, okay, fair enough. The MLB regular season has 162 games. Not in total, per team. That’s close to 5000 (!) games before the Playoffs begin. What’s the point in having so many [...]

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: advertising • ball park • baseball • dilution • extension • games • hotdog • ideas • importance • innovation • major league baseball • mlb • nfl • playing it safe • playoffs • regular season • risk • shortening of supply • soccer (football) • ticket sales • unimportant

One week ago,  Wladimir Klitschko fought a heavy weight title fight sanctioned by three boxing federations against Eddie Chambers. It ended with a knock out 5 seconds from the final bell in round twelve. The only reason why it took so long was the ability of Chambers to take hard hits without falling down. Klitschko [...]

Filed under: boxing by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: challenger • competition • competitor • eddie chambers • fight • heavy weight • heavy weight boxing • heavyweight • investment • k.o. • knock out • market size • monopoly • new technology • precursor • profit share • risk • title fight • vitali klitschko • wladimir klitschko

In my last post, I wrote about Evgeni Plushenko and his comeback. When his wife Yana Rudkovskaya was asked about his comeback plans, she gave a clear answer: “I understood that he really missed the life of a competitor”. That’s something I read a lot in interviews with some of the biggest stars in sports. [...]

Filed under: basketball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: a whole new mind • angel investor • basketball • blog maverick • chutzpa • competition • competitor • creativity • dallas mavericks • dan pink • daniel h. pink • evgeni plushenko • learn • lose • mark cuban • mavs • nba • play • processes • risk • win • yana rudkovskaya • yevgeni plushenko