Description

 
Taking the lessons learned from his years studying the rise and fall of the modern music industry, Spotify's Chief Economist  has crafted “a compelling and generous read” (Scott Galloway) that provides the tools to recognize and adapt to disruption in any industry.
 

As the chief economist at Spotify, Will Page has had the best seat in the house for witnessing—and harnessing—the power of disruptive change. Music has often been the canary in the coal mine for major technological and societal shifts, and if there’s one thing Page learned from the digital revolution, it’s that businesses must be ready to pivot.

Drawing practical lessons from a variety of fresh case studies covering Radiohead, Starbucks, and even Groucho Marx, Page examines the eight principles that disruption has thrown into sharp relief as keys to survival in any sector. Businesses need to be ready and willing to change and, if necessary, be prepared to rebuild entire organizations and business models to do so. Pivoting through disruption has everything to do with being able to see the revolutionary changes around the corner, recognizing your strengths, and having the confidence to let go of the old vine of doing business and grab onto the new. 
A rare book of economics offering actionable takeaways in easy-to-understand language, Tarzan Economics is the must-read book for anyone staring at their own Napster moment and wishing they knew how to fail-safe their business.

Praise

“As the chief economist at Spotify, Will Page didn’t just react to disruption—he anticipated it and helped to fuel it. His experience in the music industry is full of takeaways for riding waves of change instead of being bowled over by them.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
"Tarzan Economics is a wild ride through a turbulent industry: the digital music business.  The book is fun to read and full of business strategy take-aways—from Napster to Mark Twain's patents, Will Page writes with verve and deep insight." —Preston McAfee, Google Distinguished Scientist
“This book carries lessons on two essential concepts in today’s world: the attention economy and the difference between builders and farmers. The takeaways are as relevant to running a large corporation as they are to starting your own business. A compelling and generous read.” —Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, bestselling author of The Four and Post Corona, cohost of the Pivot Podcast
"Quite a few business books are about digital disruption. Others are insider's guides filled with juicy stories. A precious few are actually fun to read. Tarzan Economics is all three of these, and more. It will make you smarter about what's been happening. And what's about to." —Andrew McAfee, cofounder of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy; coauthor of The Second Machine Age and author of More from Less
“Deftly extrapolating from the music industry’s disruptions, Page urges us to look skeptically beyond face value. He guides us on how to pivot our thinking by identifying factors that point in a contrary direction—sometimes subtle, sometimes hiding in plain sight.” —Mary Megan Peer, CEO of peermusic
"I didn’t think we needed another book about disruptive innovation. I was wrong. This is excellent: clear but full of multiple perspectives and good advice." —James Anderson, Partner at Baillie Gifford
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