The Football Analogy – How a kid with a ball shows telcos what to do next

Back when I was a little kid, not many of my classmates had footballs. The kid with the ball decided what game was played and who could play. They owned the key asset. The right to play. The other kids were drawn to the game because the asset was unique.

These days, the balls are ubiquitous. Almost every kid has more than one. Our kids have a barrel full of them. The control over the game has shifted. It’s now the kid who designs the game and mobilises the players that has the control. The definition of rules is more collaborative. The leverage of the asset is diminished.

There’s still value in the ball as an asset. It’s still essential for the game, but it’s diminished because it’s now a commodity. The control and esteem has instead shifted to who organises the game, the rules, the people.

When I was a kid, we played the game according to the rules we saw played by the elite players on TV. For our kids, the ball is just a starting point. It’s interesting watching their mashup of legacy and innovative rules.

There used to be only one game in town. Now, there are many.

I’m no longer a kid (just a kid at heart), and my focus has shifted to the game of telco. Can you see where this story is going next?

This analogy has me wondering where the telcos play? Their asset (the network) is no longer the method of control that it once was. Their game has changed. The skills are different. The telcos don’t organise the game, set all the rules or lead the innovation. In fact, there’s now a long tail of choices for how the game is played. Telcos don’t, and can’t, own all the games, all the rules, all the innovations or all the players like they did in the past.

So this poses the question – how can the kid with the ball maximise their benefit from the modern game?

For starters, acknowledging that their diminished, but still important role as a participant in the game, will necessitate a different approach. They can provide a ball that can be used flexibly across many games. They can closely observe changing trends / needs and be ready to supply the right ball for the games as they evolve. They can provide a service (supply of ball) that’s fast, efficient, high in quality, friendly and be easy to deal with. They can strengthen their partnerships and play nicely with all the other players (not just the big / influential kids).

I’ve lost track. Am I talking about school sports, telco or OSS… or all of the above???