BlackBerry’s Comeback Play: Company Changes Name, Goes Touch

Before the iPhone and Android, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones were the must-have mobile device, but in the past few years, RIM has struggled to keep up. Is the BlackBerry 10 the device that will bring the company, now renamed BlackBerry, back to the top?

That, and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

BlackBerry’s newest refresh: This morning, Research in Motion announced its latest effort at a comeback  (opens in a new tab)—which includes a new name for the company that matches its signature devices. The company showed off its new wares, including the keyboard-less BlackBerry Z10, the keyboard-focused BlackBerry Q10, and the next-gen BlackBerry 10 operating system. Early  (opens in a new tab) reviews  (opens in a new tab) are good  (opens in a new tab) (if not great), though with the company far behind Google and Microsoft, it has a tough road ahead. Which is likely why BlackBerry is also kicking up the promotional efforts, making pop star Alicia Keys its new global creative director. With all this new hardware and promotion, will Blackberry be able to rise back to the top of the smartphone field?

(The clip below should give BlackBerry users a good laugh.)

Why do you lead? Do you have a clear goal and set priorities that influence how you lead? Scott Mabry, founder of ELUMN8 blog, says answering the ‘why’ will set the stage  (opens in a new tab) for your leadership success. “The answer matters because it will manifest itself in the choices you make about priorities and the ways you interact with the human beings you encounter every day,” he writes. What priorities guide your leadership instincts?

Starting small: Who’s read Chasing the Chasm? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? The book was the textbook for entrepreneurs in the ’90s. It offers the theory that, in order to make your product the standard, you must reach early adopters first, and everyone else will follow. Now, it’s a largely forgotten handbook about adaptability of technology. But is its core argument in need of a revival? Andy Rachleff, the CEO of software-based financial advising company Wealthfront, has noticed many companies moving the other way — starting big before they’re ready. In a recent Inc. column, he argues that Chasing the Chasm might be worth a read  (opens in a new tab) for these budding firms. “Facebook started with students at Ivy League universities. eBay focused first on collectibles,” Rachleff writes. “Each company added functionality and addressed a broader audience—but over time, not from the beginning.” How has your association handled its growth process?

What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in your comments below.

(BlackBerry)