5 books that shape how we built and launch successful products
1. Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy — and How to Make Them Work for you
This book describes how companies like Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, Apple, and PayPal became the giants they are today. They all disrupted their markets when they came into existence. The writers of this book break down these cutting-edge businesses that are built on platforms. Bringing demand and supply together in a way that revolutionizes the way we do business.
The book teaches you how to start and run a successful platform business, explaining ways to identify prime markets and monetize networks. Examining markets that may be ripe for a platform revolution such as healthcare, education, and energy.
A must read if you’re in the platform business!
2. Block-chain revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World
An impressive view of why the blockchain technology will fundamentally change the Internet. Nowadays, almost everyone is throwing money at something involving the blockchain, albeit an initial coin offering, tokens or coins. But this book goes way beyond making (or losing) money in a short amount of time.
The authors write about a profound technological shift that will change how the world does business, using blockchain technology.
They argue that the blockchain will shape the next era of prosperity — in finance, business, healthcare, education, governance, and more.
Another must read if you are interested in preparing your business for the future.
3. The Start-up Way: The Revolutionary Way of Working That Will Change How Companies Thrive and Grow
Eric Ries knows for his earlier best-seller The Lean Startup, reveals how startup principles can be used by organizations ranging from established corporations to early-stage startups. How they can drive innovation and growth to become genuinely modern companies, taking advantage of the enormous opportunities of the 21st century.
His first book focused on building a minimum viable product, testing the MPV and gathering valuable customer feedback. He designed the model of Build — Measure — Learn to innovate continuously, and decide whether to pivot or persevere.
His new book covers a framework for entrepreneurial management. How today’s leaders can drive sustained growth in a highly uncertain environment. With Story of AMS we are applying Build — Measure — Learn approach to the digital products we launch ourselves. His second book is helping us understand how to take the core business to the next level.[RD1]
4. Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leader boards
How do you make products that people love? Gamification and Human-Focused Design optimized for motivation and engagement over traditional Function Focused Design. Unfortunately, few people understand how to merge the two fields into experience designs that make people fall in love with a product and generates a positive return on investment. Gamification Pioneer Yu-kai Chou takes the reader on a journey to learn his twelve years of obsessive research in creating the Octalysis Framework, and how to apply the framework to create engaging and successful experiences in their product, workplace, marketing, and personal lives.
Effective gamification is a combination of game design, game dynamics, behavioral economics, motivational psychology, UX/UI (User Experience and User Interface), neurobiology, technology platforms, as well as ROI-driving business implementations. This book explains how to combine these disciplines to create good gamification design.
Standing proudly in our office book closet, since we are working on a revolutionary education platform with many gamification elements. To be continued!
5. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
The title says it all, how to build habit-forming products. It is not necessarily the quality of a product that makes it capture widespread attention opposed to others that flop.
In this book, Nir Eyal explains a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to incentivize customer behavior.
Hooked explains how to use ‘hooks’ to bring back users to your product without depending on expensive advertising or aggressive messaging.
Interesting to see how companies can differentiate their value proposition and make a product more appealing to consumers.
We hope we added some value to your search for books that help shape the future environment of business. At AMS this list has indeed inspired us how to build and launch successful products.
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