Inside The Tornado: Marketing Strategies From Silicon Valley's Cutting Edge

Synopsis

"The chasm is where high-tech fortunes are lost... the tornado is where they are made."-- Steve Jobs, Founder & CEO, Next Computer, Inc. Now, in this fascinating sequel, Moore shows how to capitalize on the profit-rich niches and hyper-growth markets beyond the chasm. Continuing to chart the impact of the Technology Adoption Life Cycle, he explores its effects not just on marketing but on overall business planning, especially strategic partnerships, competitive advantage, positioning and organizational leadership. Moore's most startling lesson is: "As markets move from stage to stage in the Life Cycle, the winning strategy does not just change -- it actually reverses the prior strategy. The very skills that you've just perfected become your biggest liabilities; and if you can't put them aside to acquire new ones, then you're in for tough times." As challenging as this lesson is to apply, Moore leads the way. Using actual examples of cutting-edge firms, he applies the Life Cycle model to all aspects of managing a market-focused business strategy, including how to manage people effectively through each phase of the cycle. There are significant management implications: Chasm-crossers who love the customer intimacy of niches may rebel against the depersonalizing power of the tornado; tornado managers who relish the gales of hyper-growth may resist the inevitable return to the niche, in the guise of mass customization, once the rush to the new paradigm subsides. All industries relying on technology -- not just computer hardware, software and telecommunications, but entertainment, publishing, broadcasting, banking, insurance, health care, aerospace, defense, utilities, pharmaceuticals and retail -- must master Moore's lessons to see the year 2000. If you are marketing technology-based products or managing the people who do, then you will find yourself Inside the Tornado.