I first read about the "blue ocean" strategy in a story (probably in Edge magazine) about the Nintendo Wii. While its competitors were fighting for supremacy in the game-console market by producing ever-more-powerful hardware capable of high-definition visuals, Nintendo chose not to join this fight. The pursuit of graphics power was a "red ocean" that was already teeming with sharks, fighting over the available fish and filling the water with blood.
This red ocean vs blue ocean strategy is really interesting. I'm assuming it's something you'd learn in business school.
I have something else in mind. It’s actually related to one of Apple’s earlier "blue ocean" changes: the elimination of removable batteries. In the beginning, Apple’s laptops all used removable battery packs. Some even let the user pull out the floppy-drive module and replace it with a second battery.
When thinking about Apple’s next blue ocean, it’s tempting to ignore past innovations. Technological progress seems like an arrow pointing in only one direction, never turning back. But I just can’t shake the idea that a return to removable, user-accessible batteries has now become a blue-ocean opportunity just waiting for Apple to seize it.
A battery removable Apple device would be incredibly cool and such a win for the longevity of its products. And no other big player is doing this now!
One can hope 🤞.