Markets of One: The New Frontier in Business Competition

The dilemma: technology has created a scenario in which virtually infinite supply and variety are possible. When supply is infinite, opportunities for profit disappear. How then, can companies make money? This book addresses this fundamental issue, and shows how companies can create and market viable business models in today's business environment. Internet entrepreneurs who feel like they have a great idea but are unsure of the specifics as to how it should be constructed will find this to be a very valuable book. You may not find all of it to be worthwhile, but the ideas you do grab will be immensely useful.

Have read most of the authors in this volume, but still refer back to my yellow hi-liting and post-it tabs. Tempting to read only executive summaries, but these fail to capture the needed depth provided in the chapters. One of the better compilations I've come across in some time. Probably only thing that's missing is "how to." I suspect that requires more than just deep thinking, but a cross-disciplinary team.

Gilmore and Pine co-authored The Experience Economy, a book I consider one of the most important business books written in recent years. In this volume, they anthologize ten essays which -- together -- answer questions such as these:1. What is "the emerging theory of manufacturing"? (Peter Drucker)2. How to market in "the age of diversity"? (Regis McKenna)3. How to manage in "an age of modularity"?4. Do you want to keep your customers forever? (Pine, Don Peppers, and Martha Rogers)5. Is your company ready for one-to-one marketing? (Peppers, Rogers, and Bob Dorf)6. What are the correlations between "breaking compromises" and "breakaway growth"? (George Stalk, Jr., David K. Pecault, and Benjamin Burnett)7. What are the "four faces" of mass customization"? (Gilmore and Pine)8. What is "versioning"? Why is it the smart way to sell information? (Carl Shapiro and Hal R. Varian)9. How to make mass customization work? (Pine, Bart Victor, and Andrew C. Boynton)10. What does "managing by wire" involve? (Stephan H. Haeckel and Richard L. Nolan)At the conclusion of their book, the authors also provide immensely helpful "Executive Summaries" of key points made in each of the various essays, and, brief but informative comments about those who wrote them. If you are looking for the single best source of information and about mass customization, look no further.

This book is a winner! I've relied on mass customization strategies in my consulting practice for the past 5 years. These strategies allow consultants to win the speed-to-market wars while still providing high quality deliverables. Also, the chapter on "versioning" is a mind blower, and is definitely relevant to e-publishers everywhere. You can't go wrong with this contemporary business text.