The story which follows is absolutely true.
The Bright Corporation is essentially a huge and somewhat tongue-in-cheek corporate symbol fronting a sincere, undoubtedly talented, but decidedly non-corporate woman wishing to making a modest living doing quality work in Second Life, with a little help from her friends, but not (as it might at first appear) actually wishing to take over the world.
It was therefore a new experience for us when early in 2010, the charming Pierre Jarmeus got in touch, having chosen the Bright Corporation as the subject for an analysis his team from the Stockholm School of Economics wished to make of a virtual company.
Would CEO Shan Bright allow herself to be interviewed...?
From: office@brightcorporation.net
To: 20967@student.hhs.se
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 7:16 AM
What are the resources and capabilities of the company?
One small woman with an old computer. And a cat.
How has the company performed in relation to other companies in the same strategic group?
We aim to avoid strategic groups.
What have been the reasons for superior or inferior performance specific to your company?
The CEO's refreshingly tenantive grip on reality has been responsible for both.
How sustainable is your company’s competitive advantage?
As sustainable as jelly nailed to the ceiling.
What kind of resource and capability development does it need to perform?
One small woman with one rather newer computer.
How should it do this?
eBay.
What is your strategy to create unique value to customers?
Making things they like which other people don't make as well, then calling them "darling" during sales and customer support.
How is your organization constructed? Who reports to whom and how do you coordinate?
The cat scratches at the back door when it wants to be let out.
What are the daily activities in your business?
Building, scripting, helping tenants, and chasing spiders (this last is largely delegated).
What are the core values of your organization?
Chocolate, red wine, and laughter.
How would you describe your leadership style?
Curvaceous, drunken, and giggling.
Tell us about your employees. How many they are and how are they rewarded?
Black, furry, with a little patch of white at her throat. She's very fond of sardines.
What would you say are the main skills of your employees?
The ability to sleep on incredibly narrow radiators.
Why did you chose to give away your (great) AOs for free?
Because since their release, they have introduced the name of the Bright Corporation to about 50,000 avatars: who have then gone on to buy our products, rent our homes, or even commission custom building and scripting.
Essentially, we wanted the money.
All my love,
Shan
xxx
Despite the interview above, Pierre was undaunted. He prepared the following slides for presentation to his colleagues at the Stockholm School of Economics and sent them to me for my approval.
Reading them, I began to wonder if perhaps I really was the head of a huge multinational, and not simply a woman with a computer, a cat, and an odd sense of humour...
I was a little stunned to see the Bright Corporation was being treated more as, say, a corporation, and less like the hilarious, improbable, and essentially surreal parody of modern capitalism it had always seemed to me.
In my reply, I said that the slides were fine, but I'd be grateful if Pierre could make a statement on my behalf. The presenation went ahead precisely as it appears above, but with the following additional slides...
What Pierre's colleagues made of this, I have no idea, and he was far too polite to tell me. But you heard it here first...
The Bright Corporation... rated for its 'Community service skills', 'Consistent image', and 'Above average returns' by the Stockholm School of Economics.