Oxford Odyssey

Category: Management

  • Branding in the Information Age: Still Relevant?

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    The Erosion of Credibility in an Era of Information Abundance In the pre-internet era, brands were synonymous with trust. A name like Berry Brothers & Rudd symbolised safety in a world where a sip of counterfeit moonshine could lead to blindness. The brand’s reputation was its most valuable asset, built on years of consistent quality.…

  • Sandcone Model: Why I’m suspicious of cost-cutting measure

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    Cost cutting is not ideal as a standalone project. It’s far too easy for a central bureaucrat to say – costs are too high, we need to trim it. It is immensely difficult to parse out which departments are overspending, and which are being responsible stewards of the company budget. I’ve often seen corporate leaders…

  • Global Business History – the GOATed module

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    Have you ever wanted to step into the shoes of a Harvard Business School professor and create a case study that others will learn from? At Oxford, the Global Business History module lets you do just that.  This is perhaps my favourite course in Oxford. In Harvard Business School, students learn through the Case Method.…

  • Why Blitzscaling is overrated

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    I believe that the blitzscaling strategy has lost a large part of its effective and is a convenient way for growth companies to obscure profitability problems. Firstly, switching costs for most applications today are overstated and valuations are hence over-estimated. The notion behind switching costs is best exemplified by Microsoft, which has built a durable…

  • Accounting: The subjectivity of hard numbers

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    When people hear “accounting,” they often picture dull number-crunching or meticulous cash counting. But accounting is far from the boring, mechanical process many assume. Beneath the surface of matching the debits and credits lies a fascinating world of interpretation, judgement, and subjectivity. At its core, accounting is about storytelling — using numbers to convey the…

  • Social Entrepreneurship: A Better Alternative to Charity

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    Charities are often seen as the societal safety net, stepping in where governments and private sectors fail. They aim to provide essential services—like food, shelter, and healthcare—to the most vulnerable, offering hope and a chance at a better future. Charities also play crucial roles in advancing medical research, promoting education, and preserving the environment. Ideally,…

  • Startup ecosystems

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    Oxford has a superb entrepreneurial ecosystem. Casting our eyes out, many exist overseas outside of the UK as well. You want to be in an environment that has people building together – just as peers who pressure-test ideas, suggest new avenues for resources, or just give you that motivation to survive one more day. You…

  • Startups and Intellectual Property

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    Intellectual property (IP) forms the backbone of a startup’s value proposition, often serving as the invisible yet invaluable asset that underpins its potential for success. Whether it’s proprietary technology, distinctive branding, or unique content, IP can provide a formidable competitive edge. Understanding and strategically managing IP is essential for budding entrepreneurs, as it can define…

  • The lean startup

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    Before university, I spent hours meticulously crafting business plans for ideas that excited me: edible insect farms, automated restaurants, and drone delivery networks. These plans were my prized possessions—backed up across multiple storage devices like precious relics of entrepreneurial ambition. Diving into new industries and dissecting the intricacies that made them commercially promising was thrilling.…

  • Debt – good or bad for a company?

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    Financial gurus will tell you to keep debt down. There are some quibbles over good and bad debt, where some will argue that you should take a mortgage because of the historical trend of appreciating property prices. Many would argue that taking a loan out to buy consumer items with little chance of price appreciation…