Let's have some fun, and pretend that you are Hok. What would you do with VMW once you complete the acquisition? For the purposes of this exercise, assume for a minute that you don't just want to pillage the company and the customer base in the short term. While you will certainly cut out a ton of fat and dispose of poorly performing business units and product offerings right away, what else would you do to build a much more profitable and sustainable business out of what is currently VMW?
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Ask you to spell my name correctly.
Eat the turtles in the PA campus
Take mdma
Play in a busy road.
Retire
Close VMware India.
replace or remove most all of leadership.
Cut aqquistions not making money, slim ops teams like CS Ops who have a lot of "manager" pay folks with no direct reports. Slim down HR, anyone interested in status quo is out. Invest in innovation that will be profitability vs pet projects.
If you're a manager and you report to a manager you're not a manager
If you're a senior manager and you report to a senior manager you're not a senior manager.
Ditto directors and senior directors etc
I'd start by coming up with a strategy to rename the newly combined company and/or just the software subdivision from Broadcom and VMware to something that would better reflect the stated future vision of the overall company or subdivision from what are essentially legacy sounding names, terms and logos. This would be expensive, but necessary.
assume for a minute that you don't just want to pillage the company and the customer base in the short term.
Are you familiar with the "Fox and the Scorpion" fable?
In Hock's interview with John Chambers, he basically says that he has been running the same playbook for 17 years and will continue to do so.
Learn how to send Morse code by blinking your eyelids so that when they come around for those employee videos, you can try to ask for help.
I asked ChatGPT. Here is the answer below. Treat this as exactly what Hok won't do.
As Hok, if I were to acquire VMW with the intention of building a profitable and sustainable business, here are a few strategies I would consider:
Streamline Product Portfolio: I would thoroughly assess VMW's product offerings and focus on the core strengths and most promising solutions. By eliminating poorly performing business units and products, I would streamline the portfolio to ensure a more focused and efficient operation.
Enhance R&D and Innovation: Investing in research and development would be crucial to drive innovation within VMW. By allocating resources to explore emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, edge computing, and hybrid cloud solutions, I would position VMW as a leading provider of cutting-edge solutions in the industry.
Strengthen Partnerships: Collaborating with strategic partners, such as hardware manufacturers, cloud providers, and software vendors, would be key to expanding VMW's reach and enhancing its product ecosystem. Strong partnerships could result in integrated solutions, increased market access, and improved customer experiences.
Prioritize Customer Success: Placing a strong emphasis on customer success would be a top priority. I would ensure that VMW provides exceptional customer support, maintains high product quality, and promptly addresses any issues or concerns. Building long-term relationships with customers would foster loyalty and drive sustainable growth.
Embrace Cloud and SaaS: Recognizing the growing trend towards cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models, I would strategically position VMW to capitalize on these opportunities. By developing or acquiring cloud-native solutions and offering flexible subscription-based pricing, VMW could attract new customers and adapt to evolving market demands.
Foster a Strong Company Culture: Creating a positive and innovative company culture would be essential. I would encourage collaboration, empower employees, and promote a growth mindset. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, VMW can attract top talent and inspire its workforce to drive the company's success.
Overall, the goal would be to transform VMW into a leaner, more agile, and customer-centric organization, driving profitability through innovation, strategic partnerships, and a relentless focus on delivering value to customers.
Get rid of DEI team.
Demote any manager, senior manager, director and senior directors who have no direct reports.
Simplify our product lines.
My god that sounds like a barrel of laughs. You must be the life and soul of a party.