Customer Reviews

Survival is not Enough: Zooming, Evolution, and the Future of Your Company

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Most marketing types I've worked with are great at coming up wild ideas but they have no idea how to get them done. This book (written by a marketer) is exactly that - good ideas in theory, but no practical advice is given for how to implement them in the REAL WORLD of day-to-day business.

The basic premise of the book (which I do not argue with, by the way) is that companies must be constantly adapting, changing and evolving or they will become extinct. The author is touting his own brand of buzzwords like "zooming" and "The Red Queen" to describe what he sees as the way to get this done. Namely, find ways to make lots of little, cheap changes in what you do every day and test them to see what works, fail a lot and keep adapting.

This is great advice but how exactly one gets this done in a company that has a make-no-mistakes-or-die culture is not explained. The authors best advice is that if you work for a company like this just go get another job. If people in the company don't get onboard with the concept or try to block your efforts to change the culture -- just fire them. Such easy answers to life's problems can only come from the mind of someone from marketing!

This book reads like a brainstorming session with lots of quick ideas churned out in rapid fire but very little "meat" on how to implement them. I found myself reading through and saying to myself, "OK, that's an interesting idea, but how would you get it done in a company that isn't already doing it?" I'd turn the page and instead of the how-to part he'd be off on another concept.

The author spends too much time comparing his theory to the theory of evolution as if he can give his concepts more credence by shrouding them in the guise of science. I would rather that he spent more time explaining how to put his ideas into play; especially for those who do not have dictatorial powers at work.

If you have a job that does not require you to actually implement what you come up with (like a CEO or someone who works in marketing) then this book may give you some good grist for the old idea mill. Otherwise, there will be a diminishing rate of return for those who have to deal with reality more often than not.

Seth Godin is becoming the new Tom Peters. I found very little of substance here, which surprised because I enjoy his Fast Company column. This was just a lot of high minded columnist talk from someone who will never have to do any of it.

I prefer more down to earth authors who offer practical advice, not a lot of evangelist sounding advice.