Earlier today I ended up reading how many industries basically rely on very few manufacturers and aside of design differences, many are just the almost same product slapped a different badge.
Yeah Cal it was about Carbon bikes. If the day is slow here's the link:
http://inrng.com/2012/02/who-made-your-bike/
Some comment talks about how Giant was just a supplier and they realised that by making their own brand they'd capture much more. I think it was the same for a Chinese fashion brand that became huge, MLA fashion or something like that.
And given some loose IP setting, they could grab on the western designs and even improve it themselves.
Seemingly some luxury products are about the same. I recall seeing a short documentary of a sunglasses factory that basically made most of the famous brand products.
I find it particularly ironical how in outsourcing the western production was dismantled and so, good luck setting it now in a competitive manner.
On business I try to be diplomatic, but haven't had the case of needing to unleash the dogs.
Jorde,
Being diplomatic only goes so far. In my early 20's I once bought a used car. Back then they started using titles to transfer ownership, and I foolishly trusted this seller of a Datsun B210.
The car had been sitting in a yard for a while; it needed tires; but I learned the hard way that without the title I could not register the car. I was diplomatic, but got no positive response from the seller. Weeks passed...
Back then I felt that the seller was not earnest, so I went to the Nassau County D.A. and asked if he could assist in any way. I would later learn this seller sold me a car he did not have the title for. Evidently the D.A. had a detective knock on his door. Pretty much I belive the detective explained how that selling a car without a title could be construed as fraud and that there might be criminal charges.
Pronto this seller contacted me wanting to give me a full refund. When I mentioned the cost of the new tires he said he would reimburse me for that expense also.
On a different event I walked home from work to see my Volvo 122s pushed up over the curb. It had snowed slightly and someone evidently could not negociate the bend in the road and had rammed into the rear of my parked car. No note, so I knocked on my neighbors house to see if there were any witnesses.
The tenant of my neighbor saw what happened. He knew the person and also the driver and gave me the address of where the guy lived because at one time he also rented and lived there. I was just 19 or 20 at the time, so again I was a bit naive. I wondered if I should just call the police and report a hit and run, but instead I decided to be a "nice guy" and knocked on the door.
I looked at the Chevy Nova that had hit my car and saw no damage. The woman I knew as a customer at the grocery store where I was a produce clerk. They called down the son who I accused of hitting my car. It was a pretty emotional scene with everyone in the room upset. The guy in his early twenties was crying.
When I asked the parents what do they want to do to make this right, they said they did not have the money in the bank and that they would have to go through insurance. I had a $700.00 written estimate to repair the damage, but in the end I only collected $450.00 from their insurance company. The way insurance works that I was partially at fault for parking my car on the street. Also my insurance rate went up for three years because I was in an "accident."
So by knocking on that door, not only was I being a "nice guy" I ended up being a looser. I basically cashed the insurance check and lived with a creased bumper and dented trunk. The guy who committed a crime basically got away with it. He did not really get punished.
The driver of the Nova was the older brother of the other Produce Clerk I worked with who was my age. If I had to do it all over again I should have called the Police, and even though it would be extortion I think I would have gotten the $700.00 damages recovered fully, with the consulation of dropping the charges.
Moral of the stories are: nice guys often can be loosers; and when you have a nuclear weapon and your opponent does not, vaporize them.
Just keep in mind when I asked about doing harm to people or destroying them that Iron Mike's father inlaw said, "Its just business." and that at night, "I sleep good,"he said.
Cal
