17 Popular Business Books between 2015 and 2016

Title: The Membership Economy: Find Your Super Users, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue

This is The Membership Economy. Written by an expert consultant, this groundbreaking book will show you how to turn ordinary customers into members for life. In today’s business world, it takes more than a website to stay competitive. The smartest, most successful companies are using radically new membership models, subscription-based formats, and freemium pricing structures to grow their customer base; and explode their market valuation; in the most disruptive shift in business since the Industrial Revolution. This is The Membership Economy. Written by an expert consultant, this groundbreaking book will show you how to turn ordinary customers into members for life. Learn how to: Turn digital subscriptions into forever sales Build an online community your customers will love Develop new loyalty programs that really pay off Transform freemium users into superusers Create a self-generating revenue stream Keep memberships and profits growing for years to come Whether you’re a small business with limited resources, an established company using a traditional business model, or a hungry start-up who wants a bigger bang for your buck, this comprehensive guide provides a wealth of membership-building options to suit every need. You’ll learn the best-kept secrets of top industry leaders, from global giants like Am Ex and Weight Watchers to smaller dot-com successes like SurveyMonkey and Pandora. You’ll find proven strategies for creating membership programs for everything from vacation timeshares and car rentals to video streaming and Software-as-a-Service. Most importantly, you’ll discover what works, and what doesn’t, from some of the key players in the new membership economy. It’s not about ownership; it’s about access, options, and freedom. When you join forces with your customers, membership has its rewards; for you, your company, and your continued success.

Author(s): Robbie Kellman Baxter

ISBN 13: 9780071839327
Pages: 288

Title: The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything

Newly revised and updated, a 10th-anniversary edition of an iconic, best-selling guide for start-ups provides expert advice on a wealth of topics including writing a business plan, recruiting, raising capital and branding. Fully revised and expanded for the first time in a decade, this is Guy Kawasaki's classic, bestselling guide to launching and making your new product, service, or idea a success. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, small-business owner, intrapreneur, or not-for-profit leader, there's no shortage of advice on topics such as innovating, recruiting, fund raising, and branding. In fact, there are so many books, articles, websites, blogs, webinars, and conferences that many startups get paralyzed, or they focus on the wrong priorities and go broke before they succeed. The Art of the Start 2.0 solves that problem by distilling Guy Kawasaki's decades of experience as one of the most hardworking and irreverent strategists in the business world. Guy has totally overhauled this iconic, essential guide for anyone starting anything. It’s 64 percent longer than version 1.0 and features his latest insights and practical advice about social media, crowdfunding, cloud computing, and many other topics. Guy understands the seismic changes in business over the last decade: Once-invulnerable market leaders are struggling. Many of the basics of getting established have become easier, cheaper, and more democratic. Business plans are no longer necessary. Social media has replaced PR and advertising as the key method of promotion. Crowdfunding is now a viable alternative to investors. The cloud makes basic infrastructure affordable for almost any new venture. The Art of the Start 2.0 will show you how to effectively deploy all these new tools. And it will help you master the fundamental challenges that have not changed: building a strong team, creating an awesome product or service, and facing down your competition. As Guy likes to say, “Entrepreneur is a state of mind, not a job title.” His book will help you make your crazy ideas stick, through an adventure that's more art than science – the art of the start.

Author(s): Guy Kawasaki

ISBN 13: 9781591847847
Pages: 336

This book is in (4) other book lists, learn more.

Title: The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change)

A Wall Street Journal and Businessweek bestseller. Named by Fast Company as one of the most influential leadership books in its Leadership Hall of Fame. An innovation classic. From Steve Jobs to Jeff Bezos, Clay Christensen’s work continues to underpin today’s most innovative leaders and organizations. The bestselling classic on disruptive innovation, by renowned author Clayton M. Christensen. His work is cited by the world’s best-known thought leaders, from Steve Jobs to Malcolm Gladwell. In this classic bestseller—one of the most influential business books of all time—innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right—yet still lose market leadership. Christensen explains why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. No matter the industry, he says, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know how and when to abandon traditional business practices. Offering both successes and failures from leading companies as a guide, The Innovator’s Dilemma gives you a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation. Sharp, cogent, and provocative—and consistently noted as one of the most valuable business ideas of all time—The Innovator’s Dilemma is the book no manager, leader, or entrepreneur should be without.

Author(s): Clayton M. Christensen

ISBN 13: 9781633691780
Pages: 288

This book is in (2) other book lists, learn more.

Title: YouthNation: Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture

Youth is no longer an age—it's a commodity YouthNation is an indispensable brand roadmap to the youth-driven economy. Exploring the idea that youth is no longer an age—it's a commodity that's available to everyone—this book shows what it takes to stay connected, agile, authentic, and relevant in today's marketplace. Readers will learn the ins and outs of the new consumer, and the tools, methods, and techniques that ensure brand survival in the age of perpetual youth. Coverage includes marketing in a post-demographic world, crafting the story of the brand, building engaged communities, creating experiences that inspire loyalty and evangelism, and the cutting-edge tricks that help businesses large and small harness the enormous power of youth. The old marketing models are over, and the status quo is dead. Businesses today have to embody the ideals of youth culture in order to succeed, by tapping the new and rapidly evolving resources n business and in life. When everything is changing at the pace of a teenager's attention span, how do businesses future-fit for long-term success? This book provides a plan, and the thoughts, strategies, and brass tacks advice for putting it into action. Use New-Gen psychographics to target markets Build stronger evangelism with a compelling brand narrative Create loyal communities with immersive and engaging experiences Navigate the radically-changed landscape of the future marketplace In today's hyper-socialized, Facebook fanatic, selfie-obsessed world, youth is the primary driver of business and culture. Smart companies are looking to tap into the fountain of youth, and the others are sinking fast. YouthNation is a roadmap to brand relevancy in the new economy, giving businesses turn-by-turn direction to their market destination.

Author(s): Matthew Britton

ISBN 13: 9781118981146
Pages: 240

Title: The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry

"If you have a business, or are thinking about starting one, this book will be the best investment you've ever made." (Bo Burlingham, editor-at-large of Inc. and author of Small Giants and Finish Big). The lifeblood of your business is repeat customers. But customers can be fickle, markets shift, and competitors are ruthless. So how do you ensure a steady flow of repeat business? The secret—no matter what industry you’re in—is finding and keeping automatic customers. These days virtually anything you need can be purchased through a subscription, with more convenience than ever before. Far beyond Spotify, Netflix, and New York Times subscriptions, you can sign up for weekly or monthly supplies of everything from groceries (AmazonFresh) to cosmetics (Birchbox) to razor blades (Dollar Shave Club). According to John Warrillow, this emerging subscription economy offers huge opportunities to companies that know how to turn customers into subscribers. Automatic customers are the key to increasing cash flow, igniting growth, and boosting the value of your company. Consider Whatsapp, the internet-based messaging service that was purchased by Facebook for $19 billion. While other services bombarded users with invasive ads in order to fund a free messaging platform, Whatsapp offered a refreshingly private tool on a subscription platform, charging just $1 per year. Their business model enabled the kind of service that customers wanted and ensured automatic customers for years to come. As Warrillow shows, subscriptions aren’t limited to technology or media businesses. Companies in nearly any industry, from start-ups to the Fortune 500, from home contractors to florists, can build subscriptions into their business. Warrillow provides the essential blueprint for winning automatic customers with one of the nine subscription business models, including: The Membership Website Model: Companies like The Wood Whisperer Guild, ContractorSelling.com, and DanceStudioOwner.com offer access to highly specialized, high quality information, recognizing that people will pay for good content. This model can work for any business with a tightly defined niche market and insider information. The Simplifier Model: Companies like Mosquito Squad (pest control) and Hassle Free Homes (home maintenance) take a recurring task off your to-do list. Any business serving busy consumers can adopt this model not only to create a recurring revenue stream, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to cross-sell or bundle their services. The Surprise Box Model: Companies like BarkBox (dog treats) and Standard Cocoa (craft chocolate) send their subscribers curated packages of goodies each month. If you can handle the logistics of shipping, giving customers joy in something new can translate to sales on your larger e-commerce site. This book also shows you how to master the psychology of selling subscriptions and how to reduce churn and provides a road map for the essential statistics you need to measure the health of your subscription business. Whether you want to transform your entire business into a recurring revenue engine or just pick up an extra 5 percent of sales growth, The Automatic Customer will be your secret weapon.

Author(s): John Warrillow

ISBN 13: 9781591847465
Pages: 224

Title: Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

How do successful companies create products people can’t put down? Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us? Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging. Hooked is based on Eyal’s years of research, consulting, and practical experience. He wrote the book he wished had been available to him as a start-up founder—not abstract theory, but a how-to guide for building better products. Hooked is written for product managers, designers, marketers, start-up founders, and anyone who seeks to understand how products influence our behavior. Eyal provides readers with: • Practical insights to create user habits that stick. • Actionable steps for building products people love. • Fascinating examples from the iPhone to Twitter, Pinterest to the Bible App, and many other habit-forming products.

Author(s): Nir Eyal;Ryan Hoover

ISBN 13: 9781591847786
Pages: 256

This book is in (5) other book lists, learn more.

Title: The Start-Up J Curve: The Six Steps to Entrepreneurial Success

A predictable pattern of success Entrepreneurs who have read early drafts ofThe Start-Up J Curveresponded, ''I wish I had this book years ago. Do you wish you could know what to expect as your start-up grows and changes? Discover a clear roadmap that shows you exactly how to advance your business. Does your life as an entrepreneur feel too random and unpredictable? Are you struggling to keep up with the constant changes, challenges and decisions? Howard Love has over 35 years of start-up experience, and he shows you the pattern almost all start-up companies share and it's not the one you expect. As the co-founder of over 15 start-ups and an investor for 50 early stage ventures, Love has learned that start-ups actually unfold in a predictable pattern. In his book, The Start-Up J Curve, Love outlines the six stages of start-up growth, explaining how to avoid pitfalls and the specific steps you can take to ensure success. By anticipating the challenges, founders and investors alike can overcome obstacles and ride the curve to the top. In The Start-Up J Curve, you'll discover: Where you are in the process from start to IPO and what to do next How to focus on what's important to save yourself time and money How to adapt your original idea into a successful product The personal challenges that founders face, and how to handle them. How to increase your odds of success, and much, much more! When you're more aware of the pattern start-ups follow, you're more equipped to capitalize on it. The Start-Up J Curve gives you the tools you need to get through the early challenges and reach the primary value creation that lies beyond. Love has a brilliant way of mixing real world examples with expert practical advice that results in an easy to follow blueprint for entrepreneurial success. The Start-Up J Curve is the book that millions of entrepreneurs have been waiting for.

Author(s): Howard Love

ISBN 13: 9781626342927
Pages: 272

This book is in (2) other book lists, learn more.

Title: Innovation Thinking Methods for the Modern Entrepreneur

In this book, the author, an award-winning tech CEO, introduces a reliable, easy way of finding substantially innovative business solutions called "innovation-thinking. Building "step-function" better things is going to be every innovator's job the next few years. This book introduces the framework that can help you find those solutions simply and reliably Increasingly, product teams inside of startups or larger companies are under pressure to consistently create step-function better products, advanced ideas, and future-proof strategies. Reliably coming up with substantially better ("10x better") solutions is fast becoming the minimum criteria for entry for new products, as those are the only ones that have a hope of getting the attention of users and the press in an increasingly attention-scarce world. It's often thought that those types of "world-changing" ideas and solutions are rare things, found either in the minds of geniuses, or that hit like lightning bolts of inspiration. This book shows that finding those solutions isn't an elusive art form, but rather a simple thinking discipline that is easy to understand and adopt, and can be used by anyone, in any team, to start thinking like a product visionary. In the ground-breaking Innovation Thinking Methods, entrepreneur and tech CEO Osama A. Hashmi introduces the discipline of "innovation-thinking," based on the methods and techniques he's applied over the past 15 years to build strong innovation cultures in his award-winning tech companies, and to help entrepreneurs and enterprise companies refocus their thinking back towards ambitious goals and more meaningful pursuits. Easy to read in 1-2 sittings, written in an accessible and conversational style, and full of thought-experiments, powerful questions and examples, and criticism of the status quo presented through a touch of humor, Innovation Thinking Methods is an indispensable guide to anyone wanting to kickstart a strong orientation towards substantial innovation within their companies or work.

Author(s): Osama A. Hashmi

ISBN 13: 9780997358728
Pages: 154

Title: Evergreen: Cultivate the Enduring Customer Loyalty That Keeps Your Business Thriving

Loyal customers are the beating heart of every great business. So why do so many companies act like adrenalin junkies, chasing after new customers at the expense of creating deeper, more profitable relationships with the ones they already have? Evergreen exposes the mad pursuit for what it is: a brief spike in metrics and an ongoing revenue drain, as one-time customers fail to return. A better solution is to shift resources from attracting new customers to engaging the base--the path to stable growth, season after season. The book's entertaining stories and action steps reveal how anyone can: Cultivate the 3Cs of evergreen companies: character, community, and content Build loyalty programs that turn satisfied customers into enthusiastic advocates Nurture profitable customers while pruning those who sap time and money Inject authenticity into social media communications (and decipher once and for all what that actually really means!) Invert the expectations gap that can drive customers away From Internet startups and mom-and-pop businesses to multinational giants, strong companies are rooted in customer retention. Evergreen helps anyone merge high-tech tools with the personal touch to forge lasting bonds and steady profits.

Author(s): Noah Fleming

ISBN 13: 9780814434437
Pages: 288

Title: Predictable Revenue: Turn Your Business Into a Sales Machine with the $100 Million Best Practices of Salesforce.com

Discover the outbound sales process that, in just a few years, helped add $100 million in recurring revenue to Salesforce.com, almost doubling their enterprise growth... with zero cold calls. This is NOT another book about how to cold call or close deals. This is an entirely new kind of sales bible for CEOs, entrepreneurs and sales VPs to help you build a sales machine. What does it take for your sales team to generate as many highly-qualified new leads as you want, create predictable revenue, and meet your financial goals without your constant focus and attention?

Author(s): Aaron Ross

ISBN 13: 9780984380213

Title: Didn't See It Coming

Marc Stoiber, a 25-year veteran of the marketing trenches, has stewarded the reputation of brands ranging from global multi-nationals to local pizza shops. He’s witnessed tectonic shifts in the marketing landscape - from rapidly changing values and beliefs, to consumer hyper-engagement and the messy implosion of sacred marketing cows. In Didn’t See It Coming, Stoiber describes a brave new world. He gets into the head and heart of skeptical consumers as they decide who they want to believe in – against the backdrop of economic meltdown, cultural chaos, climate change, and technological overload. Didn’t See It Coming is honest, fun to read and packed with great thinking. There are ideas to mull, wisdom to consider, and practices to rip off and claim as your own. Best of all, there isn’t a word of marketing bafflegab to be found. Join Marc as he pulls back the curtain, rolls up his sleeves and redefines how marketers can get their groove back.

Author(s): Marc Stoiber

ISBN 13: 9781505389005
Pages: 146

Title: Hyper Sales Growth: Street-Proven Systems & Processes. How to Grow Quickly & Profitably

IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW SALES...YOU DON’T KNOW JACK! “Jack Daly stands above all others. His energy is matched only by his genius and understanding about what makesthe best sales organizations. It’s not commission strategies, it’s not about glossy sales materials; it is about people. Jack understands better than most that if you look out for your people and insist that they look out for your customers, the result is unprecedented growth (and a lot of very happy and inspired employees and customers).“ ; Simon Sinek, Optimist and Author of Leaders Eat Last and Start With Why “Winning teams result from strong cultures and leadership driven systems and processes. In the world of sales, as detailed in Hyper Sales Growth, Jack Daly knows how to lead and win.”; Pat Williams, Co-Founder, Orlando Magic, Author of Vince Lombardi on Leadership “If you want to play the piano, you hire a teacher. If you want to run a fast marathon, you hire a coach. Jack Daly is the best Professional Sales Coach in America. He teaches you what you need to know, how to remember it, and how to practice it every single day. This book will change your life as a leader and a salesperson, and you will thank Jack Daly every day you make a new sale.”; Willy Walker, Chairman and CEO, Walker & Dunlop “It’s finally here!! The book all the million fans (that’s literal) of Jack Daly have been wanting – a book that shares the same time-tested sales management techniques that work to drive growth he’s been teaching in his powerful and packed workshops. It’s all about getting the sales management piece right; this is the book that shows you the way.”; Verne Harnish ,CEO of Gazelles Author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time “If you want to get predictable revenue and profitable growth, Jack Daly is your source for the state of the art in sales. Read this book, buy it for your team, follow his advice and you’ll be unstoppable.”; Christine Comaford , Executive Coach & Presidential Advisor NY Times Best Selling Author of SmartTribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together “Jack Daly is a rare gem in the business world. I have seen him transform several companies, by growing revenue, by upgrading corporate cultures, and by growing employees’ capacity to produce results. His vast knowledge and experience gives him a perspective unmatched by anyone I’ve experienced. This book is a must read if you are interested in taking your company to the next level in the most direct way possible.”; Rick Sapio ,CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance, Inc

Author(s): Jack Daly

ISBN 13: 9781599324388
Pages: 199

Title: Growth Hacker Marketing

Whether you work for a tiny start-up or a Fortune 500 giant, if you’re responsible for building awareness and buzz for a product or service, this is your road map. A new generation of megabrands like Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb, and Twitter haven’t spent a dime on traditional marketing. No press releases, no TV commercials, no billboards. Instead, they rely on a new strategy—growth hacking—to reach many more people despite modest marketing budgets. Growth hackers have thrown out the old playbook and replaced it with tools that are testable, trackable, and scalable. They believe that products and businesses should be modified repeatedly until they’re primed to generate explosive reactions.

Author(s): Ryan Holiday

ISBN 13: 9781591847380
Pages: 111

This book is in (6) other book lists, learn more.

Title: Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships

What if you stopped renting time or space ("advertising") and started investing in valuable content--content that you'll own? What if you tapped a trend or created a movement? What if you authentically embraced your most loyal fans? What if...you became a brandscaper? Brandscaping is a big, infectious idea--a new marketing methodology that begins with one simple observation: a rising tide lifts all ships. In this groundbreaking book, media and marketing visionary Andrew Davis shows you how to partner with other brands and undiscovered talent to create content that drives demand for the products and services you sell. Davis dishes up dozens of case studies showing how all types of individuals, companies, and brands have tapped into the power of brandscaping to achieve unparalleled success, often using resources already at their disposal. Successful brandscapers think more like television producers and less like marketers. In the new media world, everyone has an audience. No one needs the traditional media monarchies to access their audience anymore. Davis encourages you to reconsider your spend on advertising, forget about trying to obtain PR one-hit wonders, and start seeking out valuable replacements for inauthentic celebrity "endorsements." Reinvest that money, he says, on creating valuable content and watch your marketing expenses turn into powerful content assets. Brandscaping trains you to unearth authentic, talented "spokespeople" in a world where everyone is a publisher, podcaster, YouTuber, or digital photographer; people whose existing audiences, no matter how small, will become your future customers. Davis demonstrates how electronics manufacturers, retailers, home builders, associations, non-profits, individuals, and many others have benefited from the ability to tap into the power of niche markets. Davis also shows you how to identify and appeal to the passion points that inspire digital influencers, prosumers, and consumers to take action. Your marketing will be more effective and you'll fill your pipeline with higher-quality leads. Brandscaping will transform the way you market. Brandscaping is symbiotic marketing that can fund start-ups, aid non-profits, even change entire industries. Once you begin thinking like a brandscaper, you'll be able to easily see the benefits of connecting computer consulting to game shows; insurance sales to motorcycle parts; 'Foreman Grills to dorm-room cuisine; transportation professionals to hit television shows; backyard poultry to suburban hardware stores; watercraft sales to music videos; and so much more. In Brandscaping, you'll uncover opportunity at every turn. Davis' entertaining and artfully-crafted stories each deliver on a clear lesson and an optimistic business challenge to ask yourself, 'what if?' Brandscaping is both an intellectual exercise and a practical guide. It's a refreshing, insightful take on how marketing and media will work together in the future. It is specifically crafted to be embraced by C-suite executives and implemented by savvy marketing professionals. Get ready to brandscape!

Author(s): Andrew M. Davis

ISBN 13: 9780983330783
Pages: 270