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49th out of 152 books
—
104 voters
Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd
by
Youngme Moon
Why trying to be the best … competing like crazy … makes you mediocre
Every few years a book—through a combination of the author’s unique voice, storytelling ability, wit, and insight—simply breaks the mold. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods is one example. Richard Feynman’s “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” is another.
Now comes Youngme Moon’s Different, a book for “peop...more
Every few years a book—through a combination of the author’s unique voice, storytelling ability, wit, and insight—simply breaks the mold. Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods is one example. Richard Feynman’s “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” is another.
Now comes Youngme Moon’s Different, a book for “peop...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
April 6th 2010
by Crown Business
(first published 2010)
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An insightful, nuanced, atypical "business" book. Usually business books are popular in their target audience because they offer actionable golden bullets: "do these 1, 2, 3 steps and you can succeed." This book intentionally eschews that route. It is not about "how" a business becomes "different," but rather, simply about describing cases of businesses that have really stood out for being different in one way or another. There are cases on Google, Ikea, Apple, Harley Davidson, etc. These compan...more
"The age of abundance is over, I remember thinking, not beacuase things are no longer abundant, but because abundance has lost its status as our reigning aspiration." (xi)
"But measurement can cut both ways. In track and field, we happen to measure speed, and so we cultivate a nation of speedsters. If we happened to measure running style, we would cultivate a nation of gazelles. The minute we choose to measure something, we are essentially choosing to aspire to it." (29)
"[T]his is what reverse br...more
"But measurement can cut both ways. In track and field, we happen to measure speed, and so we cultivate a nation of speedsters. If we happened to measure running style, we would cultivate a nation of gazelles. The minute we choose to measure something, we are essentially choosing to aspire to it." (29)
"[T]his is what reverse br...more
Thought provoking book. At first, I was frustrated because the author explains upfront that this won't be like other business books. No tidy takeaways and key action points. You have to slow down and let her walk you through her thinking. She's so eloquent, though, that once you do this, she does a brilliant job of coming at key points from surprising directions.
The sign of a good book is one that stays with you and/or one you want to discuss with others and Different scored on both fronts. I e...more
The sign of a good book is one that stays with you and/or one you want to discuss with others and Different scored on both fronts. I e...more
Interesting take on how brands differentiate or, more commonly, fail to differentiate themselves. Intense focus on competition leads to homogeneity. To break out of the pack is to take an unconventional approach, give voice to bold new ideas, surpress the impulse to skepticism to let those ideas flourish. I've always been wary of paying too much attention to what competitors are doing as it tends to stifle innovation. Moon lends credence to this approach and implores us to favor the Big Idea ove...more
Oct 14, 2010
Curtis Schofield
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
buisness people, software developers, entripenures, non-profits
Recommended to Curtis by:
Web
Shelves:
practicality
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Permaculture: A Designers' Manual
Bill Mollison
Chapter 14 - is a most important read for any would be strategist and designer of business models and architect of virtual and real spaces.
--
Combine the above with the very insightful and contemporary observations of Youngme Moon - a altogether *different* vision of economy and future begins to occur to me.
COMPETITION disables our energies. Just as the runner who runs for the enjoyment and beauty of it is free from the obsession, narrow min...more
Permaculture: A Designers' Manual
Bill Mollison
Chapter 14 - is a most important read for any would be strategist and designer of business models and architect of virtual and real spaces.
--
Combine the above with the very insightful and contemporary observations of Youngme Moon - a altogether *different* vision of economy and future begins to occur to me.
COMPETITION disables our energies. Just as the runner who runs for the enjoyment and beauty of it is free from the obsession, narrow min...more
An HBS marketing professor's unique analysis of what makes brands stand out in the crowded marketplace of products and services. Profiles brands such as MiniCooper, IKEA, Hollister, and others to show that the ones that make a difference are ones who purposely don't try to be everything to everyone but forge their own "reverse," "hostile," or "breakaway" identities. The author's prose is very conversational and doesn't read like a textbook. A quick, interesting read that provides food for though...more
Deceptively insightful look at the tragedy of product competition
Moon's informal, self-effacing prose describes what seems insanely obvious in retrospect: most product competition breeds similarity, not difference. Companies prefer to address weaknesses, not bolster strengths, so products become homogeneous over time. There are few direct prescriptions in this book. Instead, the author seems to content to inspire an alternative point of view about how we think about products, categories and bran...more
Moon's informal, self-effacing prose describes what seems insanely obvious in retrospect: most product competition breeds similarity, not difference. Companies prefer to address weaknesses, not bolster strengths, so products become homogeneous over time. There are few direct prescriptions in this book. Instead, the author seems to content to inspire an alternative point of view about how we think about products, categories and bran...more
If it feels like it's getting harder and harder to find "white space" for your business/product/services - it's probably because of the patterns that dictate marketing today. Ms. Moon does a great job pointing out a few flaws and providing examples of brands that have figured out how to swim upstream.
I give her credit for not simply making a point on page 10, then repeating it over and over again from pages 11 - 200. There are actually good examples and anecdotes that make finishing this book w...more
I give her credit for not simply making a point on page 10, then repeating it over and over again from pages 11 - 200. There are actually good examples and anecdotes that make finishing this book w...more
I can understand why Youngme Moon's class at Harvard is popular. Not only does she reveal insights into how brands can succeed by being different She succeeds by being different. She presents new perspectives and approaches in an easy and engaging style that encouraged me, the reader to apply and play with the ideas.
I thought about Goodreads. One measure of success is that Members often say "Oh, I love Goodreads." It started with a sincere idea to help readers "Meet your next favorite book." It...more
I thought about Goodreads. One measure of success is that Members often say "Oh, I love Goodreads." It started with a sincere idea to help readers "Meet your next favorite book." It...more
An Indictment of Sameness
I was inspired to read Dr. Moon's book after attending a seminar she presented at a recent marketing conference. Hands down, her presentation towered over everyone else's, substantially & stylistically. Almost effortlessly, like a talented story teller, she effectively deflated America's obsession with competitiveness by fingering the outcome - banal sameness. Her book builds on the dialectic, detailing how our obsessive, almost retributive behavior of responding to...more
I was inspired to read Dr. Moon's book after attending a seminar she presented at a recent marketing conference. Hands down, her presentation towered over everyone else's, substantially & stylistically. Almost effortlessly, like a talented story teller, she effectively deflated America's obsession with competitiveness by fingering the outcome - banal sameness. Her book builds on the dialectic, detailing how our obsessive, almost retributive behavior of responding to...more
One of the most counter-intuitive business books I've ever read.
Some takeaways:
* The minute we choose to measure something, we are essentially choosing to aspire to it.
* The act of measurement changes the behavior of the thing being measured.
* There is a cost to differentiation. There is a price to be paid for excellence.
* Google is a "reverse-positioned brand." A reverse-brand is one that makes the deliberate decision to defy the augmentation trend in a category in which customers have come...more
Some takeaways:
* The minute we choose to measure something, we are essentially choosing to aspire to it.
* The act of measurement changes the behavior of the thing being measured.
* There is a cost to differentiation. There is a price to be paid for excellence.
* Google is a "reverse-positioned brand." A reverse-brand is one that makes the deliberate decision to defy the augmentation trend in a category in which customers have come...more
Interesting. Informative. Well written. Two of my favorite brands are profiled in the book: Ikea and In-N-Out Burger. While the author is addressing larger businesses and their product marketing efforts, I chose to read this to see how some of the concepts could be applied to indie art/craft businesses (which, in recent years, seem to be adopting the same marketing strategies as regular "brands" ... to their detriment, IMHO).
Nice to see big brands that do it their own way and find success!
Nice to see big brands that do it their own way and find success!
Definitely a better written business book than usual and more enjoyable (felt like there was a real person behind the writing). I got a little bit lost with some of the concepts because she has a bit more "stream of consciousness" writing style. But, overall, very important concepts/ideas for product marketers. I wish I had taken marketing from her in business school as I think it would have been a lot more thought provoking!
Despite the fact that the author said she wouldn't be providing a "here's how to be different" guide (since, frankly, how can you follow a list of rules and end up being different?), I still kind of wanted one. However, I found this an interesting read, with lots of great anecdotes and examples ranging from Ikea to Seinfeld's Soup Nazi on how to run your business differently. I'll be watching for ways to be different in my writing business.
A rather interesting explanation of the problems caused by the explosion of choices in certain products (cars, cereals, clothing stores, etc) and the ways Marketers have been tackling them. Even if you're never going to try to create and sell a product, it helps to be in the know of how marketing strategies suck you in.
This book had some interesting points, but it felt like the author had a need to fill space and added a lot of unnecessary rambling. She is unapologetic for her style in the intro, which is kind of a mishmash of thoughts. I could deal with that, but the book probably could have been about 100 pages instead of 200+.
The author offers few revolutionary concepts. Mostly, she brings into focus how the conventional approaches to “differentiation” have resulted in a competitive chase for incremental differences. Companies move and follow one another rather predictably, like a herd. The outcome is industries with overwhelming choices but superficial differentiation to the point where consumers no longer identify with individual brands but instead with categories of brands as being rather generic. Innovative brand...more
We live in a world of brands. Some brand categories are a blur and others we know intimately. This is a real thinking person's book about how we relate to the brands in our lives and how companies might shift the way in which we relate to them. As a marketer or a consumer, this is a great read.
I don't generally like "business" books but this one was... well... different. Youngme doesn't write in bulletpoints or finish chapters with checklists. She takes a thoughtful and counterintuitive look at what it means to be "different" in a cluttered, cacophonous marketplace.
I liked the general manifesto, but the book didn't really have enough depth. I didn't finish reading it feeling armed with great case studies or facts. I also found the references to the author's own family / children / students a bit off putting.
perhaps because of my background in marketing, I liked this book. Sometimes a bit self-explanatory, but at other times, deeply revelatory. Thoughtful analysis of why traditional marketing no longer 'cuts it' in the business environment.
A concise, clearly written, and (somehow) heartfelt book about market differentiation, a subject that was foreign to me before. Reading it makes you just want to apply the ideas contained there. Not as a tactic, but because there doesn't seem to be a reason not to.
As someone with an engineering background and very little education on marketing, this book served as a fantastic intro. Youngme does a stellar job of analyzing some of the most interesting brands of our time and what makes them different. Definitely recommend.
If this is a marketing 101, I think everyone will fall in love with the subject!
Differentiate positioning is a big thing, and one of the most valuable skills the business needs. So many companies outperform others not by chance, but how to differentiate from others, and create a meaningful and irreplaceable identity to the company / product.
Several eye-opening topics discussed, worth days of contemplation.
Differentiate positioning is a big thing, and one of the most valuable skills the business needs. So many companies outperform others not by chance, but how to differentiate from others, and create a meaningful and irreplaceable identity to the company / product.
Several eye-opening topics discussed, worth days of contemplation.
Some good ideas about what is happening in the over consumption and lack of differentiation especially on whether to match competitors or stay segmented and differentiated, but parts drag on a bit.
I enjoyed the ideas and the way she writes but classic example of a book that was probably a magazine article or bschool case study that someone stretched to sell as a book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Youngme Moon's take on Marketing. There were no magic to do lists and yet I found myself thinking about ways to apply some of the lessons from the book.
Fantastic business book that is both insightful and really well written. Plus, Moon practices what she writes about by delivering in a style that is refreshingly, yes, different.
A must-read book on competition for knowledge workers who want to be in executive role and entrepreneurs.
Read this a while ago. By a HBS marketing professor. Remember loving her perspective.
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“But to be a parent is to live in the past-present-future all at once. It is to hug your children and be intensely aware of how much smaller they felt last year ... even as you wonder how much bigger they will feel the next. It is to be a time-shifter, to marvel at the budding of their intellect, their verbal dexterity, their sense of humor ... at the same time rewinding and fast-forwarding ... to when they were younger, to when they'll be older. It is to experience longing for the here and now, which I know sounds flaky - sort of like complaining about being homesick when you're already home - but can happen, trust me, when you live in multiple time zones all at once.”
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