The Strategic Pivot for Education Publishing in the Crosscurrents of Declining Birthrates and AI—And Why CSPO Matters
Declining birthrates aren’t new. AI isn’t new either.
What is new is that both are happening at the same time.
Student populations are shrinking year after year, tightening the traditional publishing market. At the same time, AI can generate content in seconds, redefining what “knowledge barriers” even mean. For a 70-year-old company like Nani Publishing, this isn’t a matter of tweaking processes—it’s a question of whether the company’s very role in the ecosystem is about to be rewritten.
If the market looks completely different three years from now, but we’re still making decisions with the mindset of three years ago, that’s not prudence—it’s risk.
Against this backdrop, Nani made a deliberate choice. Chairman Su Wei-Chuan personally led the initiative, joined by two vice presidents and a total of 27 core executives, to complete CSPO training together.
Many people see a certification.
I see a company choosing to confront disruption before it becomes a crisis.
The Cost of Training Was Never the Point
The real expense wasn’t the tuition. It was the opportunity cost of having 27 core executives step away from their day-to-day responsibilities for two full days. That time could have been spent closing deals, meeting partners, refining strategy. Instead, the chairman made a deliberate decision: pause the business, and relearn how to think.
That choice reflects a clear belief—if the leadership team doesn’t share a common language for decision-making, all the hard work in the world can still lead in the wrong direction.
A flawed product positioning strategy is far more dangerous than launching three months late.
Many companies say they want transformation, yet only send mid-level managers to training. That’s wishful thinking—the idea that change can happen without engaging senior leadership. Real transformation doesn’t start in the middle. It starts at the top.
From Waterfall to Agile Iteration: Putting MVP Strategy into Practice in Education Publishing
For decades, Nani built textbooks the traditional way: one product, one to three years in development, and then a single, high-stakes launch. That all-in model works in a stable market. In a fast-moving environment, it’s a high-risk bet.
If the market rejects it, you don’t tweak—you start over.
In the classroom, I witnessed the most honest kind of tension. Editors are trained perfectionists. Nothing goes out until everything is polished. The tech team, many of whom come from the online gaming industry, are used to shipping in small, frequent updates.
The issue wasn’t competence. It was language.
Once the team truly grasped the principle of “release in small increments, validate quickly, adjust continuously,” the energy in the room began to shift. Someone put it perfectly: agile isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about breaking risk into smaller pieces.
Releasing in smaller steps doesn’t lower the bar. It lowers the cost of any single failure.
And that’s a path forward. Build the minimum viable product (MVP), gather real market feedback, and iterate. Each adjustment reduces risk rather than adding cost.
Building a 360° Learning Data Platform: Creating a Long-Term Moat in EdTech
Many people assume Learning 360 is simply a subscription-based question bank. That’s only the surface.
The real long-term value lies in capturing a continuous learning record—from kindergarten through high school. When a company begins asking, “How do we support a child’s growth over 12 or more years?” instead of “How many copies will this edition sell?”, its entire business logic changes.
Anyone can build a question bank.
What creates a moat is the ability to accumulate data—and turn it into insight.
As new competitors enter the market, pricing pressure is inevitable. When that happens, what sustains a company won’t be the sheer volume of content. It will be the depth of its understanding.
This is no longer publishing thinking.
It’s platform thinking.
Scrum Values Accelerate Decision-Making: 27 Executives Build a Shared Product Language
Scrum isn’t just about processes—it’s about values. Courage, commitment, focus, openness, and respect together create a culture of trust.
A culture of trust can’t be imposed by mid-level managers. It must be modeled by top leadership.
When 27 core executives learn CSPO together, any shift in company strategy can be aligned across business units immediately, rather than waiting six months for course corrections.
I often call this “self-propelled artillery.” Each unit operates independently, yet all move in the same direction.
In an era of high uncertainty, the speed of decision-making matters more than making the perfect decision.
Upgrading to Product Thinking: From Textbook Projects to Educational Mission and Parental Value
At the end of the workshop, one executive shared how anxious she felt about her two-year-old’s future—even arguing with her husband for two hours over it.
When the chairman spoke about the vision for Learning 360, it hit her: this isn’t just a system. It’s a form of guidance and support.
True transformation happens when a product starts addressing parents’ real anxieties—not just completing a project.
That emotional shift is something no process or tool can create.
But if nothing changes, three years from now, children will still be anxious, parents will still be anxious, and the company will have lost its competitive edge. That’s the real crisis.
A Transformation Guide for Traditional and Family-Owned Businesses: Why Senior Leaders Must Master CSPO Thinking
If you’re in a traditional industry.
If you run a family-owned business.
If your company is stuck in conflicts over product positioning.
If your tech and business teams are constantly talking past each other.
If every decision drags on, only to circle back to square one.
The problem might not be a lack of effort—it could be that leadership doesn’t share a common language.
Transformation isn’t about adopting new tools. It’s about helping senior leaders truly understand the product.
At Nani, the choice to have top decision-makers sit in the classroom signals a willingness to invest time now for the future.
The Key to Making Agile Transformation Stick: CST Consultant Support and Continuous Iteration
The course is just the starting point.
The real challenge comes when you return to the organization—conflicts emerge, pressure rises, small releases invite skepticism, and market feedback can shake confidence.
What’s needed then isn’t another class. It’s guidance—someone to help break down problems, recalibrate direction, and maintain momentum.
Release in small steps. Validate quickly. Iterate continuously. It sounds simple, but making it work requires structure and rhythm.
I know Learning 360 won’t be perfect in two months. But once leadership is aligned and the iteration cycle is underway, the likelihood of success rises dramatically.
Transformation isn’t a high-stakes gamble—it’s a series of controlled experiments.
Nani has chosen to take that path.
And I’ll be there to help them walk it steadily.
Key Takeaways from Core Executives’ CSPO Learning
- Team 1 – Chen O-Zhen
“My biggest takeaway from the CSPO course is finally understanding how my daily work connects to theory. It’s no longer just hearing about agile or remembering Scrum terms—I now know how to put product thinking into practice, guiding the team with clearer direction and greater efficiency. That moment of realization gave me confidence to face upcoming challenges.
Another source of reassurance was that on day one, the instructor shared their contact information. Learning isn’t just a two-day course; it’s a supported journey. If I hit roadblocks later, I know I’m not navigating alone—there’s guidance and support. This clarity and sense of security are my greatest gains.” - Team 1 – Chen O-Xing
“Thanks to the chairman, vice presidents, Roger, and my teammates. This has been the most fulfilling training I’ve ever attended. Honestly, it was exhausting, but in a good, energizing way. Even when I struggled yesterday afternoon, the pacing and design of the class pulled me back in—not by forcing attention, but by engaging me.
Before the course, my understanding of agile was limited. Colleagues’ discussions often went over my head—not because I resisted, but because I lacked a foundation. After these two days, I can follow along and understand the logic. While we still have work to do, we now share a common language. When a team shares a language, it can form shared goals. I truly believe this will drive real change. I now understand the vision of Learning 360 and genuinely look forward to its realization.” - Team 1 – Zhu O-Zhang
“First, thanks to the chairman and two vice presidents for attending the full two days with us. It really made me feel the company values its people, and it gives me hope and confidence for the future. Being ‘seen and supported’ is a powerful feeling.
Initially, I wasn’t in the Learning 360 group, but someone reminded me I might join later. That made me realize it’s important to learn the concepts thoroughly now—wherever I end up, the knowledge will be useful. I approach each method with a vision: not just for work, but also for life, even at home. I hope to apply these approaches with patience and method rather than emotion.
What touched me most these two days is the spirit: no need to achieve perfection all at once, but progress step by step, turning change into a sustainable path. Truly worthwhile.” - Team 1 – Lin O-Hui
“I’ve already been involved in the 360 project, but these two days revealed that many communication issues aren’t due to differing positions—they stem from timing and depth of understanding. When the foundation isn’t aligned, alignment is difficult.
Through group exercises and sharing, I realized others can see angles we miss. That exchange itself is valuable. I see these two days as just the beginning. Learning 360 is a product Nani must succeed in. Returning, we can review each group’s work, refine clearer product goals, and clarify feature priorities and resource allocation. With a shared language, promoting 360 will be much smoother. Thank you all.”
- Team 2 – Zhang O-Xiu
“My starting point with Scrum and Learning 360 was nearly zero, and I came with an open mind. Two deep impressions stand out.
First, the conceptual impact. As an editor, I’m used to planning every detail perfectly before starting. The course taught me I don’t need to wait for everything to be ready—I can act, then adjust; validate, then optimize. This was liberating and redefined what ‘success’ means for me.
Second, the Learning 360 insight. A few days ago, my husband and I discussed our two-year-old’s learning anxieties. Hearing the chairman describe the 360 vision resonated deeply. If it can reduce parents’ anxiety and provide a clear learning path for children, it’s more than a project—it’s genuine support. Thank you all.”
- Team 3 – Hong O-Du
“CSPO isn’t just a two-day course; it’s a way for teams to align on a common language and goal.
A small anecdote—we finally ‘got a pig.’ We joked about needing to ‘Po pon’ the VP before speaking next time, but the point is the engagement and participation after two intense days of learning.
The biggest takeaway is that the course went beyond theory. Through hands-on exercises, we experienced Scrum’s rhythm and logic firsthand. From practice to adjustment, we felt the power of teamwork, not just concepts. I’ve already started thinking about applying these methods to the Learning 360 system. Shared language and frameworks will make goals clearer, communication smoother, and purpose more transparent. Thanks to my teammates for their effort—this alignment gives us direction and strength for future challenges.” - Team 3 – Wu O-Jie
“I deeply appreciate the chairman and vice presidents for arranging this CSPO course. We gained more than knowledge—we gained methods that can be implemented. From exercises to case studies, I now clearly see these tools aren’t just classroom theory; they can be applied directly to Learning 360 and even daily operations and team management.
When the team thinks, plans, and executes with a shared framework, work flows more clearly and collaboration becomes smoother. This isn’t just learning a framework; it’s building a shared working language. Over these two days, we glimpsed how to move forward together and gained confidence to turn ideas into concrete results.” - Team 3 – Huang O-Ling
“Previous corporate training rarely connected to actual work, and certificates alone didn’t translate to practical impact. This course was different. Pre-class reading sessions provided core materials and tool instructions, giving us foundational concepts before entering the classroom.
Classroom explanations paired theory with industry examples, making abstract concepts directly applicable. Group discussions, hands-on exercises, and presentations ensured everyone had a role and participation. Gamified design and guidance helped theory naturally integrate into context, improving learning rhythm.
Tools like Slido and Miro facilitated Q&A and interaction while leaving complete records for review. Simulations and system analyses reinforced concepts and boosted exam confidence. Overall, this course genuinely allows participants to apply what they learn while achieving certification outcomes.”
- Team 4 – Zhang O-Fu
“Good evening, Chairman, Vice Presidents, instructors, and teammates. I’m Zhang Rong-Fu, representing Team 4. Our performance improved round by round. Scores matter, but the process matters more. Every exercise came with challenges, bottlenecks, and mistakes. We reviewed and discussed like a retrospective meeting, even thinking about fixes late at night. That’s when I truly understood—this is agile.
These two days taught us concepts we must embrace. Learning 360 is our most important future product, spanning departments and roles—it needs a shared language and rhythm. The methods we learned are essential for future iterations. When we return, we have no room for hesitation; we must internalize and apply what we learned. After years in print publishing, being part of this transformative core product is both an honor and a responsibility. Performance may vary, but our enthusiasm and determination do not.”
