CHAPTER5

Exploring Blue Oceans

A decade ago, we found ourselves being escorted through Barbizon, the northern French village des peintres that was the home of the nineteenth-century artist Jean-François Millet. Our guides were Professors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne. “This place is a creative hub,” said Kim, smiling broadly as another pack of tourists was disgorged from a bus.

Professors Kim and Mauborgne proceeded to map out their plans to bring together managers from diverse global companies to work on cross-industry and cross-company projects to link innovative ideas to large commercial opportunities. On a wet wintry morning in northern France, it seemed unlikely, but such was the enthusiasm of the duo that we quelled our natural skepticism. ...

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