
Emerging Markets Call For Novel Thinking, Not Just Basic Products - danw
http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2007/05/08/emerging-markets-call-for-novel-thinking-not-just-basic-products/
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felipe
Excellent point about tech products for emerging markets. This is absolutely
true. I just want to point out that people normally think that "emerging
markets" are the same as "developing nations", when in reality it means
"underserved markets" (aka "bottom of the pyramid"):

In developing countries, the middle-class or above has access to the (more or
less) same life style as in developed countries, and thus products can be
launched without much modification -- Localization is normally enough. In the
other hand, undeserved markets do have its own set of challenges, which we
technologists are normally unaware because most of us never experienced life
in those conditions.

Also note that developed nations have underserved markets too: For example, if
you are in Bay Area, just drive around East Palo Alto or East San Jose and
note the diversity and number of products developed specifically for those
communities.

Here are a few excellent resources on the subject of underserved markets

<http://www.amazon.com/Fortune-Bottom-Pyramid-Eradicating-
Paperback/dp/0131877291/>

<http://www.nextbillion.net/>

<http://rdvp.org/>

<http://www.nokia.com/A4126014>

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lupin_sansei
I wonder if discarded phones from the West make it to the Developing Country's
second hand markets?

Also how about our discarded computers?

