
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Violate Them at Your Own Risk!
by Jack Trout · first published 1994
59mentions
26recommended by
42HN commenters
2007–2026first – last mentioned
62% recommend36% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, quick-to-read primer on marketing basics, especially owning a category and a distinct niche in the customer's mind. Suits engineers and founders new to marketing who want an overview.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Two world-renowned marketing consultants and bestselling authors present the definitive rules of marketing.
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…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: The Battle for Your Mind - Al Ries, Jack Trout, Philip Kotler Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore Mastering The Complex Sale - Jeff Thull - lays out an approach…
on “Ask HN: As a technical founder what is the best business book you've read?” ↗The 22 immutable laws of marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout. Software is ultimately for humans. Understanding products, marketing and selling help you build better tools for humans and see how products (be it open source, programming…
on “Ask HN: Best books under 200 pages for developers?” ↗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?” ↗…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 Leaders - Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema Blue…
on “Ask HN: How can a non-technical co-founder add value?” ↗I'll give a shout out to Ries and Trout's 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing https://www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Marketing-Violate/d... It's a quick read, well-written, and the points it makes are as true now as ever, especially I think in terms of true "marketing" - that…
on “Ask HN: What are your best tips or resources when it comes to marketing?” ↗…you a list of books to consider. Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore The Four Steps To The Epiphany - Steve Blank Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind - Al Ries, Jack Trout and Philip Kotler The 22 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…
on “Ask HN: How to enter a highly competitive market?” ↗…the Tony Robbins part, but Chet delivers some good stuff. 4. In Search of Stupidity by Merrill Rick Chapman. 5. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries, Jack Trout and Philip Kotler 6. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own 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…
on “Ask HN: What can you recommend to Read for future startup founder?” ↗…Jumpstart Your Business Brain by Doug Hall E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim & R. Mauborgne Influence The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout Secrets of Consulting by Gerald Weinberg For an article that summarizes key concepts see http://skmurphy.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/Crucial%20Mar... There is a companion…
on “Ask HN: Are there any good Internet marketing books?” ↗…http://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Eiji-Yoshikawa/dp/4770019572/r... Taiko (start with Musashi, if you like it a lot, pick up Taiko) - http://www.amazon.com/Taiko-Eiji-Yoshikawa/dp/4770026099/ref... Also, finished The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing which is the best business book I've read in a long time. Short, simple, to the point. Highly recommended. http://www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Marketing-Violate/dp...
on “What are you reading?” ↗Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion by Cialdini. http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Busine... The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Violate Them at Your Own Risk! http://www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Marketing-Violate/dp... Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to We Usability, by Steve Krug: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/032134...…
on “Ask HN: Marketing Books for Developers?” ↗You should check out The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (http://www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Marketing-Violate/dp...) It's all about carving out your own unique niche in the marketplace and in the consumer's mind. You'd be surprised just how much your…
on “I just discovered an overwhelming competitor” ↗…"@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 to Read: 1. Create Marketplace Disruption - Adam Hartung 2. Seeing…
on “Ask HN: Must Read Books” ↗…the effect differs from a true slogan, like "we are farmers," vs an untrue one like "the ultimate driving machine." *Note that the above is essentially "The Law of Candor," from the classic book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Reis and Jack Trout.
on “Slogans trigger resistance, Logos don't” ↗…of the Start - Guy Kawasaki The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Steve Blank The Lean Startup - Eric Ries Blue Ocean Strategy - W. Chan Kim 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?” ↗…of the Start - Guy Kawasaki The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Steve Blank The Lean Startup - Eric Ries Blue Ocean Strategy - W. Chan Kim 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 “Books for people in the software business” ↗