Strategy & Competition Books - Page 11

Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy

Carl Shapiro, Hal R. Varian

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 70 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In a marketplace that depends so thoroughly on cutting-edge information technology, can classic economic principles still offer any real strategic value? Yes! say Carl Shapiro and Hal Varian. In Information Rules, they reveal that many conventional economic concepts can provide the insight and understanding necessary to succeed in the information age. Shapiro and Varian argue that if managers seriously want to develop effective strategies for competing in the new economy, they must understand the fundamental economics of information technology. Whether information takes the form of software code or recorded music, is published in a book or magazine, or even posted on a website, managers must know how to evaluate the consequences of pricing, protecting, and planning new versions of information products, services, and systems. The first book to distill the economics of information and networks into practical business strategies, Information Rules is a guide to the winning moves that can help business leaders-from writers, lawyers, and finance professionals to executives in the entertainment, publishing, and hardware and software industries--navigate successfully through the information economy.

Product Strategy for High Technology Companies

Michael E. McGrath

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

targeted for core products at large companies 5 out of 5 stars.
39 of 42 people found this review helpful.

I love this book: the concept of a "vector" for product
development is a terrific way to think about competition.
IMHO, this book is a must-read for all product managers,
product marketers and people involved in strategic decisions,
i.e. all senior executives.

That said, speaking as a five-time startup engineer, the advice
and examples in this book seem geared towards the core product
lines in larger companies, where you can credibly talk about
"two years from now" as opposed to wondering if you'll even be
in business, which is also the problem for new product lines at
large companies. The experience for the book comes from the
PRTM consulting firm, which was made famous for their work with
parallel product development at Intel. We hired them in the
early days at Inktomi, and found mixed success with their
process because we were terrified of immediate failure, and
they wanted to talk about version 3. Obviously, there's a
successful middle ground because Inktomi was a huge success in
the short term, but ultimately lost its strategic direction.

Editorial Review:

One of the key determinants of success for today’s high-technology companies is product strategy—and this guide continues to be the only book on product strategy written specifically for the 21st century high-tech industry. More than 250 examples from technological leaders including IBM, Compaq, and Apple—plus a new focus on growth strategies and on Internet businesses—define how high-tech companies can use product strategy and product platform strategy for competitiveness, profitability, and growth in the Internet age.

The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes

Margaret Mark, Carol S. Pearson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Disappointing 3 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I was disappointed by the lack of rigorous thinking in this book.

Sure, different companies have different personalities and personality is part of the brand. We could even create our own set of Jungian archetypical brand personalities, and go about attaching them to different brands.

But now for a test. Is Coca Cola a Creator -- helping inspire its users to do great bubbly things? Is it a Caregiver -- showing care for others? Maybe it's a Ruler -- a tough competitor and long the top dog in Cola Wars? How about a Jester -- always at the center of a good time? Or just it's just the drink for Regular Guys and Gals? Look at the ads -- maybe its a Lover or at least a drink for Lovers sharing a soda with two straws? Or, how about an almost Heroic presence, again from ads? Sometimes, it has a sort of Outlaw feel (with folks like Mean Joe Greene playing Robin Hood handing a Coke to a kid). In the old days Coca Cola ads praised it both for giving energy and a calming effect -- though there's no archetype for either of those. So, maybe it is more a Magician -- think of some of those magical ads past and animated present and its ability to give both energy and calm the soul. Given Coca Cola's global ubiquity and appeal, it might well be the drink of Explorers. It might even be (given the caffeine) the energy drink for yuppie Sages? Well, it turns out (according to the authors), that Coke is clearly so successful because it's an "Innocent." The toughest competitor in the Cola Wars, a mixture of caffeine, water, and sugar, almost wizened from a century of success -- yeah, it's clearly an Innocent and that explains everything.

My point is that the book lacks any sense of rigor, proof, or science-like basis in fact. The authors do a clever job of retrofitting achetypes to brands, and several of the cases are interesting, but the whole thing appears to work better in hindsight than proven principles for brand success. One could equally well, in this reviewers opinion, talk about aligning your brand with top-rated TV shows, Tarot cards, signs of the Zodiac, or (with at least a tiny bit of science) Myers-Briggs personality types --- "proving" the case with stories about how GE, Toyota, Google, etc. etc. all fit some stellar or personality pattern.

The kernel of truth in the book is that people like their brands, products, and companies to have a predicatable, attractive, and aspirational subtext. Creating an enduring and attractive personality makes sense, at least as long as the personality remains relevant.

Speaking of personalities, what's the Jungian archetype for the Maytag repair man? Is he a Regular Guy, sidekick to a Hero, or a Jester? Is the Ultimate Driving Machine (BMW) a Hero or an Explorer . . . with maybe the 3 Series for Regular Guys and Gals with higher aspirations than Honda and Toyota owners? No doubt the authors could tell us, though I doubt their hindsight would be of much value in predicting past or future business success.

What might be of value to some readers, especially those who think Jung had the last meaningful words on human decision making, is that some structure (almost any structure, even the Yellow Pages or TV guide) can be useful in brainstorming product and brand alternatives.

Editorial Review:

A brand’s meaning—how it resonates in the public heart and mind—is a company’s most valuable competitive advantage. Yet, few companies really know how brand meaning works, how to manage it, and how to use brand meaning strategically. Written by best-selling author Carol S. Pearson (The Hero Within) and branding guru Margaret Mark, this groundbreaking book provides the illusive and compelling answer. Using studies drawn from the experiences of Nike, Marlboro, Ivory and other powerhouse brands, the authors show that the most successful brands are those that most effectively correspond to fundamental patterns in the unconscious mind known as archetypes. The book provides tools and strategies to:
• Implement a proven system for identifying the most appropriate and leverageable archetypes for any company and/or brand
• Harness the power of the archetype to align corporate strategy to sustain competitive advantage

Strategy: Second Revised Edition (Meridian)

B. H. Liddell Hart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not historically objective 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Liddell-Hart's magnum-opus, "Strategy", purports to demonstrate that "throughout the ages, effective results in war have rarely been attained unless the approach has had such indirectness as to ensure the opponent's unreadiness to meet it." In short, his book is predicated on the notions that an indirect strategy is the only strategy which succeeds, and that history shows this to be the truth.
"Strategy" is impressive in its scope, and it contains much of value for the student of military history; however its content is not objective. Liddell-Hart interprets events to support his thesis regarding the superiority of the indirect approach. One instance of such interpretation is his discussion of the Allied landings at Normandy in June 1944. Liddell Hart correctly describes the theater strategic decision to land in the Normandy region vice landing in the vicinity of Pas de Calais as a variation of the indirect approach, in which allied planners demonstrated "an inclination to avoid the most strongly defended approach" (p 296), but he fails to address the fact that an invasion of Northwest Europe to defeat Nazi German was in itself a strategic direct approach. The Allies' Mediterranean strategy had succeeded against Axis forces and protected British access to the Suez Canal; however it did not strike a decisive blow. Rather, it contracted German forces into a denser defensive posture on the mainland of Europe, requiring a direct assault on the defenses of the Atlantic Wall in preparation for the drive into Germany.
Clausewitz wrote, "if...some historical event is being presented in order to demonstrate a general truth, care must be taken that every aspect bearing on the truth at issue is fully and circumstantially developed." Liddell Hart sought to raise the efficacy of the indirect approach to the status of a general truth, but in the process of doing so failed to consider all aspects of his argument. This failure leaves his work ultimately unconvincing and thereby demonstrates the utility of Clausewitz's admonition to be thorough when using history to illustrate theory.

Editorial Review:

This is the classic book on war as we know it. During his long life, Basil H. Liddell Hart was considered one of the world's foremost military thinkers--a man generally regarded as the "Clausewitz of the 20th century."

Liddell Hart stressed movement, flexibilty, surprise. He saw that in most military campaigns dislocation of the enemy's psychological and physical balance is prelude to victory. This dislocation results from a strategic indirect approach. Reflect for a moment on the results of direct confrontation (trench war in WW I) versus indirect dislocation (Blitzkreig in WW II). Liddell Hart is also tonic for business and political planning: just change the vocabulary and his concepts fit.

"The most important book by one of the outstanding military authorities of our time." (Library Journal)

Inside the Tornado

Geoffrey A. Moore

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

WOW! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Granted I haven't yet read the predecessor to this book, Crossing the Chasm, but this is the best business book I have read focusing on the external aspects of business. Most business books focus internally - what you and/or your company needs to do. This book takes the approach that what one does has a dependency on what's going on with the market.

The market, as defined in Crossing the Chasm, and repeated here, is divided into five sections/phases - Innovators (techies), Early Adopters (visionaries), Early Majority (pragmatists), Late Majority (conservatives), and Laggards (skeptics). Each of these groups has it's own needs that must be addressed. The predecessor deals with the "chasm" between the Early Adopters and the Early Majority. This book focuses on the tornado that occurs when a company/product gains traction with the Early Majority.

This book also borrows the concepts of "value disciplines" from "The Discipline of Market Leaders" and applies it to the various sections. There are three, somewhat mutually exclusive, disciplines - product leadership, operational excellence, and customer intimacy. It shows how initially the keys to success are focusing on product leadership and customer intimacy. Then, in the tornado, product leadership and operational excellence are key. Then, on main street, operational excellence and customer intimacy are critical.

The big challenge for people and for companies is, as with a manual transmission, shifting gears. This book does a fantastic job of explaining the changes needed at the different times, as well as how to determine when one reaches those times.

Editorial Review:

In this, the second of Geoff Moore's classic three-part marketing series, Moore provides highly useful guidelines for moving products beyond early adopters and into the lucrative mainstream market. Updated for the HarperBusiness Essentials series with a new author's note.

Once a product "crosses the chasm" it is faced with the "tornado," a make or break time period where mainstream customers determine whether the product takes off or falls flat. In Inside the Tornado, Moore details various marketing strategies that will teach marketers how reach these customers and how to take advantage of living inside the tornado in order to reap the benefits of mainstream adoption.

Sales Dogs : You Do Not Have to Be an Attack Dog to Be Successful in Sales (Rich Dad's Advisors series)

Blair Singer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good introductory book... with an analogy taken too far. 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

"Sales Dogs" is a part of the "Rich Dad Advisors" series on sales and selling techniques. I was interested to read this book as Robert Kiyosaki encourages sales a whole lot.

"Sales Dogs" is a good introductory book. It breaks people up into different categories or "breeds" based on each person's strengths. I liked this approach because it's tailored towards each person strengths instead of taking the "1 size fits all" approach. I also really liked that it showed how you can be a successful salesperson without being a "pit bull".

"Sales Dogs" is typical "Rich Dad" material meaning it is written for the beginner. This makes the book easy to read but it isn't full of a lot of substance. Also, the dog analogy is just taken WAY too far! Here's an excerpt.... "Don't steal food off the table or counters or out of the refrigerator. Be honest and operate with integrity in all matters. Full disclosure in all cases." WTF??? Going from stealing food from the counter to integrity is quite a jump! I want to read about sales.... not try and interpret every dog analogy ever made!!!

If you are new to sales, then this book is probably for you. If you have any experience whatsoever, you probably won't find much use for this book. 3 out of 5 stars.

Editorial Review:

This text reveals how knowing the characteristics and interactions of the five basic "breeds" of people can help anyone improve their business and selling savvy. If different workers have the personality traits of different breeds of dogs then, says Blair Singer, anyone can learn what their natural strengths and weaknesses are in order to achieve the best possible results. With information on a wide variety of sales topics - from dealing with "big dogs" to protecting one's territory - the book aims to provide a fun new way of looking at the sales game. By knowing the five basic breeds of people - the Pit Bull, the Golden Retriever, the Poodle, the Chihuahua and the Basset Hound - readers should have the necessary insight to improve their business and selling savvy.

Think Big, Act Small: How America's Best Performing Companies Keep the Start-up Spirit Alive

Jason Jennings

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Is it possible for a company to grow its revenues and profits by 10 percent or more for at least ten consecutive years, not counting acquisitions? That’s an incredibly high bar for growth and profitability, one that 99.99 percent of American companies can’t meet— including the famous ones that routinely land on magazine covers.

Management expert Jason Jennings screened 100,000 companies to identify nine little- known firms that have delivered stellar performance for a full decade or more, despite the ups and downs of the economy. And, as he reveals in his new book, these superstars have a lot in common despite their wide range of industries, which includes software, food services, medical supplies, and sporting goods.

It turns out that the best long-term performers all combine the strengths of a big organization with the hunger of a start-up. They build excellent relationships with their customers, suppliers, workers, and shareholders. They groom future leaders at all levels. They balance their short-term goals with their long-term visions. And they teach their managers to get their hands dirty.

Jennings did extensive interviews at his nine featured companies to find out exactly how they consistently increase revenue and profits without using manipulation or gimmickry. He reveals their unique approach to leadership and shows how any company, no matter what size or industry, can benefit from following their examples.

Think Big, Act Small may be the most powerful management book since Good to Great and Execution.

Cultivating Communities of Practice

Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, William M. Snyder

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Today's marketplace is fueled by knowledge. Yet organizing systematically to leverage knowledge remains a challenge. Leading companies have discovered that technology is not enough, and that cultivating communities of practice is the keystone of an effective knowledge strategy.

Communities of practice come together around common interests and expertise- whether they consist of first-line managers or customer service representatives, neurosurgeons or software programmers, city managers or home-improvement amateurs. They create, share, and apply knowledge within and across the boundaries of teams, business units, and even entire companies-providing a concrete path toward creating a true knowledge organization.

In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential-without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable.

Through in-depth cases from firms such as DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey & Company, Shell, and the World Bank, the authors demonstrate how communities of practice can be leveraged to drive overall company strategy, generate new business opportunities, tie personal development to corporate goals, transfer best practices, and recruit and retain top talent. They define the unique features of these communities and outline principles for nurturing their essential elements. They provide guidelines to support communities of practice through their major stages of development, address the potential downsides of communities, and discuss the specific challenges of distributed communities. And they show how to recognize the value created by communities of practice and how to build a corporate knowledge strategy around them.

Essential reading for any leader in today's knowledge economy, this is the definitive guide to developing communities of practice for the benefit-and long-term success-of organizations and the individuals who work in them.

The Basics of Process Mapping

Robert Damelio

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Simple, efficient, effective, right on target! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is rather for beginners in process mapping. It is clear extremely well focused, and effective. I got the information I needed in less than two hours of pleasant lecture. No dumb explanations about obvious real life examples covering more than 60% of the book! Book starts with a crisp and nice presentation of Relationship Map, Cross-functional Process Map and Flowchart. After that Flowcharting, Process Mapping, Relationship Maps, Cross-Functional Process Maps are explained and followed by an easy to understand example. The book ends with Analyzing a Process chapter that I found good to start analyzing and improving my own processes. The book is useful for managers, consultants and students as a start in process mapping and or process improvement projects. I'll keep it as useful reference for my work
Highly appreciate your work Robert, thank you!

Editorial Review:

Practical and easy to read, this book contains a case study of both levels of process mapping and guidelines for when to use each type. It details the importance of process mapping in examining a work flow and customer-supplier relationships as the foundation for appropriate improvements. The author provides step-by-step instructions for creating and interpreting a relationship process map and a cross-functional process map, and reviews the commonly used flowchart. Highlighting the relationship of process mapping to flowcharting, he delineates the differences between a cross-functional process map, a relationship map, and a flowchart, providing detailed examples of why and how each is used in specific situations.

Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want

Curtis R. Carlson, William W. Wilmot

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Nothing is more important to business success than innovation . . . And here’s what you can do about it on Monday morning with the definitive how-to book from the world’s leading authority on innovation


When it comes to innovation, Curt Carlson and Bill Wilmot of SRI International know what they are talking about—literally. SRI has pioneered innovations that day in and day out are part of the fabric of your life, such as:

•The computer mouse and the personal computer interface you use at home and work

•The high-definition television in your living room

•The unusual numbers at the bottom of your checks that enable your bank to maintain your account balance correctly

•The speech-recognition system used by your financial services firm when you call for your account balance or to make a transaction.

Each of these innovations—and literally hundreds of others—created new value for customers. And that’s the central message of this book. Innovation is not about inventing clever gadgets or just “creativity.” It is the successful creation and delivery of a new or improved product or service that provides value for your customer and sustained profit for your organization. The first black-and-white television, for example, was just an interesting, cool invention until David Sarnoff created an innovation—a network—that delivered programming to an audience.

The genius of this book is that it provides the “how” of innovation. It makes innovation practical by getting two groups who are often disconnected—the managers who make decisions and the people on the front lines who create the innovations—onto the same page. Instead of smart people grousing about the executive suite not recognizing a good idea if they tripped over it and the folks on the top floor wondering whether the people doing the complaining have an understanding of market realities, Carlson and Wilmot’s five disciplines of innovation focus attention where it should be: on the creation of valuable new products and services that meet customer needs.

Innovation is not just for the “lone genius in the garage” but for you and everyone in your enterprise. Carlson and Wilmot provide a systematic way to make innovation practical, one intimately tied to the way things get done in your business.


Teamwork isn't enough; Creativity isn't enough; A new product idea isn't enough

True innovation is about delivering value to customers. Innovation reveals the value-creating processes used by SRI International, the organization behind the computer mouse, robotic surgery, and the domain names .com, .org, and .gov. Curt Carlson and Bill Wilmot show you how to use these practical, tested processes to create great customer value for your organization.