There are some interesting conversations on the podcast "The Critical Path". The podcast looks at the causality, success, and failure in mobile computing, using Apple as a lens.
Episode 2 is title "Synchronized Failure" and it looks into why big companies (RIM, Nokia, etc.) are failing. The conversation at the end of the episode sums it up for me:
"Execution is about running a tight ship ... but where is the ship going? Some companies, if they think they can execute very well, then they can always say 'well, we'll just follow another ship'. But sometimes that ships starts to fly, and then you are in trouble. I think Apple is good at both. At the following, and they only fold things in when they are ready. And then sometimes they just completely say that being on a ship is the wrong thing altogether, and say 'let's make an airplane'.If you want, you can download the podcast here.
