Play Bigger

Starred review from June 1, 2016

Coauthors Ramadan, Dave Peterson, and Christopher Lochhead have a great range of experience in business and run a Silicon Valley consulting company named Play Bigger. They, along with journalist Kevin Maney (coauthor, The Two-Second Advantage), here define "category design" as the creation and monetizing of new markets, and have conducted abundant research of what they call the category design game, which they consider the new best business strategy. "Category Kings" are firms that create entirely original areas of business or ways of accomplishing tasks and develop the idea into a business. Category design along with company design and product design can affect people's thinking and purchasing behavior. Practical suggestions and checklists are used to illustrate the processes. Examples of public and private firms provided throughout include Google, Facebook, Salesforce.com, Uber, Netflix, IKEA, 5-hour Energy, and Pixar. The number of authors of this title might excuse a bit of overlap in the sections, though this reviewer found it helpful for emphasis and not detrimental to the book's message or readability. VERDICT This important work should be available to everyone thinking of pursuing a business career.--Littleton Maxwell, Robins Sch. of Business, Univ. of Richmond

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
This book is a new spin on the something from nothing concept presented by authors from Play Bigger, an admired Silicon Valley advisory firm. The four coauthors unite in one voice to define the new economy king: category design. The approach is to invent a new market, build a brand, and dominate a market. Readers will quickly identify with successes, such as Uber, Netflix, Twitter, and Airbnb, and nontech examples, like the minivan and Elvis Presley. The chapter series dubbed The Category King Playbook offers a soup-to-nuts plan by using from-to's (dubbed FROTOS), thinking in a new way, and conditioning the market to accept your category. The authors do acknowledge that categories change or dissipate over time; they stress the importance of being cutting edge as a plan for keeping enterprise going. For example, the Corning glass company continues to endure changes in technologies, from the lightbulb to dishes and TV screens. There are also helpful tips on applying these techniques as a road map for individual careers. Aimed at entrepreneurs, this book has practical advice for anyone in business.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)