A stunning new insight into how the most crucial lesson you can learn in today’s challenging business environment is how to change the fundamentals of what you do rather than carry on fighting a battle that is already lost. The near-destruction of the music industry at the hands of online piracy and its subsequent recovery on the backs of digital streaming platforms is more than just the biggest story of disruption and reinvention of the digital age. It is also a trove of insights on how to confront the metamorphosis we are all facing in dealing with the Covid-19 era, as accelerating tech and economic changes reshape our work, play, and minds. Will Page, Spotify’s first chief economist, extrapolates music’s journey into eight guiding principles for pivoting through the ubiquitous disruption in nearly all industries. Expect the unexpected with transferable lessons from Starbucks, Tupperware and even Groucho Marx. The notion of 'Tarzan Economics' ties these principles together: a framework for recognising and acting on disruption by letting go of the old vine and grabbing onto the new. Page joyfully brings these insights to life and provides a guide for knowing not just how to grab the new vine but when. He assesses the new dynamics of the 'long tail', identifies friends and foes in the battle for scarce attention, and provides a practical tool for discovering the proper role for succeeding in this new modern world. As we emerge from the unprecedented disruption of a global pandemic, Tarzan Economics shows all of us - individuals, organisations and institutions - that if the vine we are holding onto is withering, we can have the confidence to reach out for a new one in 2021 and beyond.
Taking the lessons learned from his years studying the rise and fall of the modern music industry, Spotify's Chief Economist Will Page gives us the toolset to recognise and adapt to disruption in any industry. 'Tarzan Economics' is a rare book of economics that offers actionable takeaways in easy-to-understand language and is a must-read for anyone looking to failsafe their business.