Differentiate or Die
Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition
by Jack Trout · first published 2000
100% recommend
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…influential book" and not "most influential programming book", I would prefer to mention some of my favorite business books. They helped me become the programmer I am much more than any programming book. Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout Art of the Start - Guy Kawasaki Controlling Software Projects - Tom DeMarco You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar - David Sandler Carnegie - Peter Krass Do More Faster…
on “What is the single most influential book every programmer should read?” ↗…Exceptional Selling, all by Jeff Thull. These books deal a lot with how to compete and sell and differentiate yourself... even when selling a seemingly low-value commodity like sand. Another valuable book is Differentiate or Die by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin.
on “Ask HN: We have a great team and capital but can't find a good idea” ↗"Differentiate or Die" Google this phrase or buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Differentiate-Die-Survival-Killer-Comp... My favorite passage: "The best way to really enter minds that hate complexity and confusion is…
on “Ask HN: How did you market your app when there were already a lot like yours?” ↗…like customer intimacy or service, etc? Or even compete simply by having a better sales process? I'd say take a little time out, read The Discipline of Market Leaders, Mastering The Complex Sale, and Differentiate or Die and think about ways you can compete with them. IF your analyzes leaves you with the conclusion that the best thing to do is to drop your idea, then fine. But don't just randomly decide to drop it because…
on “Ask HN: What would u do if AWS launches a service exactly as ur idea?” ↗…can compete, and explains how choosing which vector you're going to compete on is fundamental to defining your business and market. The Art of the Start - Guy Kawasaki. Lots of good basics on startups Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout, Steve Rivkin. - Title says it all. It's Not The Big That Eat The Small, It's The Fast That Eat The Slow - Jason Jennings The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Jack Trout and Al Ries Positioning:…
on “Ask HN: As a technical founder what is the best business book you've read?” ↗Differentiate or Die The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got The Irresistable Offer
on “Ask YC: What books on marketing do you recomend?” ↗…budding would-be marketer. Permission Marketing - Seth Godin All Marketers Are Liars - Seth Godin Purple Cow - Seth Godin Unleashing The Ideavirus - Seth Godin Positioning - Jack Trout and Al Ries Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries Repositioning - Jack Trout Marketing Warfare - Al Ries The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding - Al Ries and Laura Ries The Discipline of Market…
on “Ask HN: How can a non-technical co-founder add value?” ↗…that makes them (want|need) your product or service. Again, I'm far from an expert on all this, but I recommend reading Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries, Jack Trout and Philip Kotler, Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin, All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin and The Four Steps To The Epiphany by Steve Blank, if you haven't already. It's a lot…
on “Ask HN: Can you share startup's Market Positioning strategies?” ↗…Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries, Jack Trout The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding - Al Ries, Laura Ries REPOSITIONING: Marketing in an Era of Competition, Change and Crisis - Jack Trout, Steve Rivkin Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition - Jack Trout, Steve Rivkin Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant - W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne Understanding…
on “Ask HN: How to enter a highly competitive market?” ↗…Risk! by Al Ries and Jack Trout 7. Re-Positioning: Marketing in an Era of Competition, Change and Crisis by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin 8. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries 9. Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition by Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin 10. Successful Business Research: Straight to the Numbers You Need - Fast! by Rhonda Abrams. This is good for learning about…
on “Ask HN: What can you recommend to Read for future startup founder?” ↗…messages; I'm just not one of them. I prefer books that inspire me and tell me what to do. My favorites? How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis. http://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Rich-Felix-Dennis/dp/009192166... Differentiate or Die by Jack Trout http://www.amazon.com/Differentiate-Die-Survival-Killer-Comp... Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki http://www.amazon.com/Art-Start-Time-Tested-Battle-Hardened-... The 22 Immutable Rules…
on “Good list of books for the newbie entrepreneur” ↗Art of the Start - Guy Kawasaki How to Get Rich - Felix Dennis Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout and of course... Founders at Work - Jessica Livingston Hackers and Painters - Paul Graham
on “Best Books For a Startup?” ↗This reminds me of my favorite quote from my favorite business book, Differentiate or Die by Jack Trout, with emphasis on "Anything that others could claim just as well as you can, eliminate.": The best way to really enter minds that hate complexity and confusion is to oversimplify your message.…
on “No, that is not a competitive advantage” ↗…(and recommend): 1. The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Steve "@sgblank" Blank 2. Built To Last - Jim Collins 3. (re-read) Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore 4. Positioning - Al Ries & Jack Trout 5. Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin 6. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries & Jack Trout Reading Now: 1. Repositioning - Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin 2. Enterprise 2.0 - Andrew McAfee Queued Up…
on “Ask HN: Must Read Books” ↗…and Renee Mauborgne Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries & Jack Trout Positioning - Al Ries & Jack Trout Repositioning - Jack Trout (with Steve Rivkin) Differentiate or Die - Jack Trout (with Steve Rivkin)
on “Ask HN: What books an Entrepreneur should read?” ↗