Publisher Background
DIGITIMES is a leading Taiwanese publication that provides in-depth coverage of the Asian supply chain industry, with a focus on the semiconductor and The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors. It serves professional readers across technology, finance, and policy sectors. While DIGITIMES has long been active in developing its digital offerings, the team saw value in learning from international peers. This programme was their first experience working with a structured external framework, which helped them benchmark progress and uncover new ideas for growth.

Digital Transformation Stage
DIGITIMES has been an early mover in the digital media space, with established subscription products and data services. Their ongoing digital efforts included launching paid subscription models, creating professional YouTube content, and offering downloadable industry reports and databases. They joined the North Star programme seeking a clearer framework for setting a goal for growth and achieving internal alignment.

Challenges Before the Programme
While DIGITIMES had already taken steps in digital transformation,through launching digital subscription products, producing video content, and offering industry data services, the team lacked a shared language and structured tools for setting goals, tracking performance, and aligning editorial and commercial functions.

Expectations for the Programme
DIGITIMES sought to bring more clarity to their strategy, gain a deeper understanding of their audience segments, and enhance internal coordination as their digital efforts expanded.

Programme Achievements

The Executive North Star programme helped DIGITIMES clarify how they define and manage internal projects, by lending structure to strategic planning through tools such as content quality benchmarks, audience segmentation, capability mapping, and small-scale experiments. While not all tools were applied in full, they played a valuable role in improving internal alignment and making project goals more actionable.

From an executive perspective, the programme helped create more consistent thinking across departments and provided greater clarity and confidence when setting and communicating priorities. Executives also played an important role in sharing what they learned—bringing tools and ideas into regular leadership meetings and helping to apply that thinking in day-to-day planning. Having a common language and framework made it easier to align on goals and stay connected to the CEO’s long-term direction.

Executives noted that the programme also helped turn abstract ideas into more concrete planning. Revisiting and refining deliverables during the workshops gave the team greater clarity, while tools like capability mapping and modular planning made it easier to visualise available resources and define practical next steps.

For example, introducing audience segmentation and content quality benchmarks led the team to reassess their YouTube strategy. Similarly, using capability mapping and tracking smaller goals helped clarify next steps and shape more focused project planning.

Organisational Alignment and Motivation

The programme primarily strengthened team alignment and motivation. It encouraged a shared language and way of thinking about strategic priorities, making planning more cohesive and purpose-driven. Executives who participated in the programme expressed greater confidence in leading initiatives and felt more empowered to motivate their teams around common goals.

Current Status and Use of North Star

Digitimes continues to use North Star tools in current projects. Cross-departmental collaboration is still developing, but strategic alignment at the executive level, especially with the CEO, has noticeably improved.

Data Product Integration

Situation
DIGITIMES had an extensive archive of industry data, traditionally offered through static reports. The team saw an opportunity to transform this into a more scalable and client-facing product.

Experiment Design
During the programme, they developed an early concept for an API product that would allow clients to integrate historical industry data directly into their platforms. The idea was inspired by North Star’s emphasis on small experiments and aligning product design with user needs.

Results

Although the product remains in the concept stage, the project marked a shift in how Digitimes approaches product innovation by leveraging internal data assets as well as designing customer-facing solutions.

Key Learnings and Next Steps

The North Star Framework has helped clarify the product vision and exposed internal capability gaps. Moving forward, the team plans to evaluate feasibility and continue shaping the offering as part of a long-term data strategy.

Sharing Strategic Thinking Internally

Situation

Not all senior executives participated in the programme directly. To ensure its value translated beyond the core team, the organisation began exploring ways to cascade the mindset and tools across the wider leadership group.

Experiment Design (Concept)

Learnings were shared through regular meetings and gradually integrated into internal planning practices. Some executives proactively began referencing North Star frameworks when structuring reports or shaping project objectives.

Results
While no new analytics projects have been launched yet, the programme successfully introduced a shared strategic vocabulary and fostered a more structured planning culture within the executive team.

Key Learnings and Next Steps

This experience affirmed that a shared strategic language can gradually shape organisational culture. The team plans to continue embedding North Star tools into everyday planning and decision-making processes, using them as a foundation for future initiatives.