Strategic-alliance Books

As a business Student who studied coporate alliances, and a corporate personel who has witnessed the planning and implementation of alliances, i believe "the strongest Link" deserves the highest ranking on the subject. This book is a MUST read for all CEOs and everyone in mangement, especially those who make decisions on alliances. This is an excellent book.

This book is a must read for anyone who's involved in Strategic Alliance or seeking to learn more about it. It's very well written, well organized and most importantly it identifies key issues and addresses them with excruciating details. I would strongly recommend it to business managers, people responsible for strategic development and students.

his book is a must read for anyone who's involved in Strategic Alliance or seeking to learn more about it. It's very well written, well organized and most importantly it identifies key issues and addresses them with excruciating details. I would strongly recommend it to business managers, people responsible for strategic development, and students.

Most books on alliances give broad advice or a 50,000 foot view of the topic. This book is different. It provides practical tools. My team now uses the Alliance Framework and Alliance Implementation Program to create and manage our deals.

I have read most of the books on strategic alliances. The Strongest Link is the first book I have found that provides practical, insightful, and detailed help on just what I should do to plan, negotiate, and implement these relationships. It will be immediately useful to anyone from a CEO or other corporate executives to managers who have specific alliance responsibilities. Give a copy to everyone in your company who deals with alliances.

Excellent framework for business development analysis from market overview to deal implementation. Terms for some sample deals are provided, but wish even more was written on deal structure specifics. The book covers turf not previously explored and advanced my professional thinking. Very useful.

I have been involved in private equity, acquisitions, and joint ventures for the last several years, and bought this book to learn more about other types of deals, such as e-commerce partnerships, etc. Given the multiple five star ratings for this book, I expected quite a read. Unfortunately, although the book is fairly informative, I cannot say that it imparts anything that could not be gained by an attentive reading of the business press--just a chronology of various deals along with their rationale. I would say that this book would probably be quite useful for a novice or someone that doesn't keep up with their business magazine subscriptions.

If you 'do' strategy, if you 'do' planning, this is a must read for you. Time is, without a doubt, the most perishable asset on the planet. Where and with whom we spend our times now defines our social and workplace identities. The efficacy associated with our use of time charts our career trajectory. Spending time `strategically' on `strategic issues' is what executives are supposed to do. In almost two decades serving as trusted advisor to executives, I have never heard an executive say, `We have no time for strategy." Having huddled around my fair share of top-of-the-house campfires, I find that as the libations taken at CXO watering holes loosen tongues and the executive elders start to tell stories, the most memorable narrative emerging revolves around a review of past decisions. I have heard, stated quietly and in confidence, "We focused on the wrong things. We made the wrong decision." The payback on time spent strategically was, in many instances, negative.

Is time spent strategically a bad thing? Is strategy dead? Was time spent on strategy wasted? Does strategic planning have no place in our time-crazed, execution-obsessed New Economy? In 1983, the uber-executive of our age- General Electric Chairman Jack Welch dismantled the company's once heralded planning department. We have empirical evidence that those spending the most on traditional forms of resource-centric `strategy consulting' [the cerebrally challenged SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats dance] performed the poorest in the market place. The biggest strategic planner of them all, the Soviet Union appears to have just about finished its pre-Millennial journey from totalitarianism to disintegration. Strategy is not dead, but it had certainly fallen out of favor. Few companies don't have strategic plans. Yet few devote the resources to them they used to. Most disturbing, is that efforts to fix the problem, often had the effect of making things worse - or at least making them bad in a different way. Crusades and reforms intended to reinvent, relaunch and reposition the practice strategy have failed.

Lewis Mumford divided history into epochs characterized by their power sources. Traditional strategy tended to emphasize a focused single line of attack, executed by a single economic enterprise- a clear statement of where, how, and when to compete. Noticeably lacking was the question of `with whom?' The new power source in the New Economy is the ability to assemble the most resource-rich, market-savvy, technology-gifted, fleet-of-foot, known-and-trusted-by-the-consumer armada of partners. The way you do that is the subject of Digital Deals.

No book can promise infallibility. No book can guarantee that good decisions will be made. This book will help you spend the time you can allocate to strategic thinking more efficaciously. As such, this is not a coffee-table book. This is not a Great-Title-No-Content book. This is not a Good-article-unbelievable-they-stretched-it-into-a-book-book. This most definitely is not a I'll-buy-it-but-I-won't-read-it book. Digital Deals is the new, new thing in strategic thinking. Using the framework in Digital Deals to analyze the ur-protangonists of our evolving New Economy [Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, AOL, AT&T, Amazon] I experienced something akin to the joy that must have accompanied Galileo's use of the telescope to study the heavens or Robert Hooke's (1635-1703) use of the microscope to study bacteria. The tools contained in these pages will let you see new things. It will simplify what heretofore has been an incoherent jumble of pieces parts. This book has helped me understand the players, the deals and the deal rationales of the market I work in - digital security and privacy. As I read the book, I continued to ask myself whether the two Georges were adding words to the existing vocabulary of strategic planning or creating a new grammar into which the old words might be conjugated. There is no doubt that the process of market modeling described within these pages fundamentally changes the types of conversations we will be having as we try to plan our respective futures.

For an organization to survive in today's economy, it's not just a matter of doing deals, but of doing deals in a strategic and systematic way. Geis and Geis emphasize this tenet and provide substantial evidence why a well-planned partnering methodology is critical for the future of any organization. Not only does "Digital Deals" explore a number of partnering models, but also uses extensive real world examples and case studies from familiar companies who battle with these challenges every single day.

This is a book that puts partnerships and alliances in perspective in terms of their usefulness, value and criticality for the future of any organization in today's complex, competitive business world. Highly recommended reading for executives in general and Business Development professionals in particular.

Geis and Geis have produced an extraordinary product that will serve business leaders and deal makers well in both old economy and new economy companies. Their methodology of digital deal mapping provides a very necessary organic approach to identifying, organizing, and strategizing deals in the new millenium.

As a marketing/brand consultant to both Fortune 500 companies and to start-ups I will be handing out this book as Christmas presents to my favorite clients.

It is not enough, says Jordan D. Lewis, for companies to share resources, ownership and profits. For partnerships to really work, the companies must be able to act as an alliance, sharing goals and strategies. The glue that holds alliances together, says the author, is trust. This book focuses on the ways trust can be created, fostered and maintained between business partners. The author begins with what he calls the eight conditions for trust:
1. Mutual need creates the opportunity.
2. Interpersonal relationships make the connection.
3. Joint leaders deliver on both firms.
4. Shared objectives guide performance.
5. Safeguards encourage sharing.
6. Commitment creates enthusiasm.
7. Adaptable organizations support alignment.
8. Continuity sustains understandings.

The author then discusses actionable guidelines and tips for fostering a relationship of trust with business partners. Among these are the following:

· Pick team players-Invest in relationships early to facilitate understanding of each other's business needs. Ensure joint leadership and team development.
· Define a single purpose-Every step taken in an alliance should reflect a shared vision about the business purposes of the alliance.
· Align your organizations-Create an alliance plan detailed enough that teams in both organizations will know what is expected of them. Align incentive systems within the organizations with shared objectives.
· Orchestrate many units-Facilitate the cooperation of leaders from all levels with their counterparts in the partner organization. Each of the participating units must satisfy the eight conditions of trust.
· Take nothing for granted-Manage the alliance and plan for continuity.

If trust is the glue that holds organizations together then you can trust that Jordan Lewis' new book Trusted Partners is an essential element of that glue. I have enjoyed Jordan's other books but find this one the most practical in its ability to translate wonderful stories about the business world into practical day to day applications. In addition, the final seven chapters of the book provide a guide for practitioners which we have incorporated into our evaluation of all our business partnerships.

While reading the book I needed to pause on frequent occasion and fit many of our current business relationships into his case examples. One of its greatest value may be to learn from others' mistakes and successes, and improve on this essential element for every organization.

Lewis has ventured into governance territory where few have trod--for example, asking how to structure boards of various types of alliances. To my knowledge, no other book has this type of material, which makes this book an excellent choice for corporate directors. (I am familiar with this audience, because I am the Editor-in-Chief of Director's Monthly, the official newsletter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, Washington, DC).

The basic premise is obvious: There can be no solid"partnerships" without trust. As the subtitle indicates, Lewisexplains "how companies build mutual trust and win together." It is imperative that individuals be worthy of trust. They must earn it and then sustain it with behavior based on core values. We all know that values derive from character (or the lack thereof), that values determine attitudes (both negative and positive), and that such attitudes are revealed by behavior.

My guess is that those in greatest need of this book will encounter the greatest difficulty when attempting to follow Lewis' suggestions. "Trust is at the heart of the knowledge economy....Rather than being a matter of blind faith, trust must be cone step at a time. Further, building trust between organizations is all-encompassing. It involves their people, politics, priorities, cultures, and structures." Organizations become untrustworthy when those within those organizations are untrustworthy. Over the years, all of us have been victimized by fraudulent claims, intentional misrepresentations, corrupt "politics", "a hidden agenda", broken promises, etc. If trust is to be built between organizations, there must be interpersonal as well as intrapersonal relationships based on trustworthiness.

Lewis's book is divided into three parts: Trust Leads to High Performance, Alliances with Key Partner, and Tools for Trust: A Guide for Practitioners. He follows a step-by-step process within each part, providing an abundance of observations, suggestions, and caveats. Who will derive the greatest value from this book? Here are my nominees:

1. Decision-makers who have the authority (not simply the responsibility) for their organization's cultural transformation.

2. Owners/CEOs of start-ups who are committed to building trust as well as sales and profits.

3. Those involved in M&A initiatives whose due diligence includes evaluation of cultural capital as well as material assets.

One of the book's most valuable sections (Chapter VII in the Third Part) summarizes "actions that establish trust-building habits." Note the use of the word "habit." Lewis is quite correct when insisting that time and effort are required to build and then sustain trust. Conversely, trust can be quickly compromised by a single act betrayal.

In this final section, the "trust-building habits" are classified as follows: Trust Conditions; Recruiting, Training, and Rewards; Management Behavior; and Other Activities. Once you have read the book, selected what is most appropriate to your own organization, and then begun the difficult task of implementation, it would be a good idea to re-read Chapter VII in the Third Part. The counsel Lewis provide will help you formulate your own tasks and objectives within the framework of the eight trust conditions and related practices.

If those within your organization are unwilling and/or unable to make a sincere and steadfast commitment to building and then sustaining trust, find another organization. And consider this fact: The companies which dominate their respective industries are the same companies which are rated the best companies to work for. Coincidence? I don't think so...and neither does Lewis.

Brilliantly written, "Trusted Partners: How Companies Build Mutual Trust and Win Together" contains all the essential directives for building, sustaining, and harnessing the succulent fruits of a harmonic coalition.
This 319-paged book is an exhaustive compilation of both ideas and pieces of advice. Its logical arrangement ensured that all those crucial information remain dynamic. This is an important text for anyone who is into (or tends to go into) any form of corporate alliance or similar association.
Every important ingredient required for building, improving, and nourishing partnerships is in this book. Most of them were illustrated with examples.
This is a sound Management book. It is all about winning. Almost perfect! But I did wish that it provided clues on how to constructively repair a partnership that has been damaged by egoistic tendencies.

This book, Collaborative Communities, adds significant value to your understanding of bringing together multiple organizations to serve the all the desires of a certain customer segment. It puts your business in a facilitators role the definitely extends a huge competitive advantage.

Well organized book, I think the end of chapter summaries really save you time. Solid bibliographical references make it easy to get more from practical examples included in each chapter.

You will not be disappointed with the wealth of insight available if you are willing to read past "the most profound implications of the rapid shift." The authors are very enthusiastic in their language, but the underlying message is powerful.

As an entrepreneur, my time is precious and I rarely read all the articles and books on my "to do" list. However, since I knew the authors professionally, I decided to pull this book to the top of the pile. I'm very glad I did.

I enjoy business books that you can read in a couple of hours but that still have plenty of substance. COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITIES fills that bill. It details how business models have changed along with the growth of technology and believes that for the foreseeable future COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITIES are the way to go. If you are interested in insights into strategic timing, information infrastructures and how to build a profitable collaborative community, this book is an excellent choice.

"I read a lot of business books and COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITIES is the best I've read this year. It combines philosophy and practicality in an easily digestible manner. It helped me understand what collaborative communities are and how to transform my company into one. I recommend it for anyone interested in the subject."

Collaboration is a popular business buzzword but I haven't found many who can describe clearly how to make it work. This book is like a light in a dark room. It makes the process clear. It goes into a detailed history of how the evolution of technology has increased the power of the consumer to the point where it takes a collaboration of companies connected by the Internet to define, produce and deliver the right products at the right price. The book answered a lot of questions for me. I am looking forward to the sequel. I highly recommend this book! Buy it.

Many years ago, I read a book by Wilson S. McWilliams (The Idea of Fraternity in America) in which he provided a broad yet probing analysis of how and why Americans have formed and then sustained various kinds of groups. The groups' structure and purposes vary: military, commercial, religious, political, economic, social, athletic, etc. Most groups emerge as a result of what might be viewed as enlightened self-interest. Our nation's motto ("E pluribus unum") correctly suggests one of the basic principles of Colonial solidarity. McWilliams' concept of "fraternity" is quite similar to Shuman and Twombly's concept of "community" even as the two books written by these authors, obviously, also have a different structure as well as different purposes.

In the Preface, Shuman first acknowledges the "conventional wisdom" that if a given business is based on a good idea and that idea is effectively implemented, the business will succeed. Then he rejects it: "In reality, no matter how good a business idea is, no matter how well the idea is implemented, as soon as you open your doors for business [literally or virtually], you will find your business has to change -- not just minor adjustments and small shifts in marketing or product design but radical [italics] change." Shuman then asserts that what he calls "The Rhythm of Business™" (TROB) is the most reliable process by which to develop and grow successful businesses of every size and type, not just today but yesterday and tomorrow. (The Rhythm of Business is the title of Shuman's previous book.) Given this methodology and all of the new technologies, Shuman then shares a "second thought": the business pattern required for the 21st century "is what I call the Collaborative Community™."

In this book, Shuman and Twombly (with David Rottenberg) develop that "second thought" by incorporating -- integrating, actually -- technology with TROB inorder to enable their readers "to stay in touch with us and continue to develop their understanding of how to achieve and maintain success in our new networked world." What they envision, in essence, is a new "fraternity." The material in the book is organized within three Parts: The Revolution in Business, The New Reality, and The New Business Pattern, followed by a "References" section for those who wish to extend and enrich their understanding of various issues addressed in this book.

For whom will this book have the greatest value? Probably owners/CEOs of small-to-midsized companies; especially those who are perhaps struggling, now, with the always-difficult transition from entrepreneurship to professional management. Decision-makers in larger organizations will also derive substantial benefit from this book, especially if they are primarily responsible for business units or even departments within those organizations. Those who share my high regard of this book are urged to check out Fitz-enz's The E-Aligned Enterprise, Segil's FastAlliances, and O'Dell and Grayson's If Only We Knew What We Know.

Maribeth- Great compilation of simply terrific ideas. This book will help you develop some great ideas that won't cost you an arm and a leg to implement. As with all ideas that are easy to do, they are also easy not to do. Thus the simple differentiator are those that implement and follow-up and those that don't. Use these ideas to supplement your marketing plan as a Financial Advisor. You may find that two or three of these ideas make the difference between a decent year and a break out year. They have certainly helped in the practices that I've been involved with over the years. A staple for the library of any marketing professional in the financial services industry. On a final note, if you have a chance to listen to Maribeth speak don't miss it- she's one of the best.

You don't have to be a marketing wiz or have a big marketing budget to benefit from this book. Maribeth reminds us all that common sense marketing tactics always work. The football metaphor serves as a good learning reinforcement and is clever. It's a quick read and loaded with great ideas. I haven't taken the book out of my briefcase and don't plan to. I refer to it often.

A 'must read' for anyone looking to boost their marketing skills. Back to the essential basics- great for the novice or expert. Loaded with phenomenal take aways. I use the ideas and techniques daily.

Red Zone Marketing: A Playbook For Winning All The Business You Want by marketing consultant and business owner Maribeth Kuzmeski is a sensible and imaginative guide to raking in business using the SCORE system including specific niche positioning; creating a client experience; deriving opportunities from obstacles; "referral responsibility"; and Extra Point! The sports metaphors add an exciting highlight to this solidly presented marketing primer that offers novice entrepreneurs useful and applicably practical tips, tricks, and techniques ranging from direct mail, to newsletters, video, and utilizing the electronic superhighway to commercial advantage.

This is a fantastic book, chock full of strong ideas to build your business. Its content is surpassed only by attending one of Maribeth's energetic seminars in person. Our organization is already reaping the rewards of following her advice, and we look forward to periodic updates with more tales of success from her clientele. A superb read overall.

As a veteran business communications professional, I consider Partnering Intelligence an insightful and useful read.

Dent's book effectively blends theory and practice in a way that elevates the concept of partnership to a repeatable formula for success. While we all intuitively understand that partnering skills are a vital part of any successful business relationship, Dent has provided a system by which to measure and develop such skills. You'll have to read his book to see how his Partnering Quotient and Partnership Continuum combine to form a pathway to effective partnership that anyone can follow.

I'll also add that Dent's book is especially pertinent in today's fluid business environment, where companies are merging and building alliances at an unprecedented rate. As we know, virtually every aspect of business is transforming in accordance with computer networking technology, rapidly rising global population growth and increasing diversity in markets and the workplace.

All this adds up to more change in shorter periods of time and more business interaction - trends that demand better partnering skills. What an important time for corporations to instill a strong partnering capability in their people!

This book is an amazing guide to assessing your partnering intelligence and then, as the title indicates, using your abilities to create smart business alliances. Partnerships are the basic building block of human relationships of every kind. The ideas in this book are applicable to a business setting but are just as satisfying in any personal interaction. Successful relationships is what this book is about. Isn't that the point of living?

I liked Partnering Intelligence for three main reasons: 1. I believe the principles Steve Dent espouses. I think they are true and I know they can work. 2. I appreciate the clear examples used throughout the book to show how the ideas are translated into the workplace. 3. The many tools and assessments that Steve includes are a great model of his own desire to partner with the reader by offering practical ways that the ideas can be put into practice by others.

I know that I will be using the materials in this book to good effect in my consulting work over the next few years. Thanks to Steve for his hard work in putting together this excellent field-guide to building effective partnerships.

As a psychologist and organizational consultant, I found Dent's work to be quite comprehensive and in a way that is easy to read, understand, and apply. He appropriately touches on everything from the JoHari Window to group stage development in his effort to educate his reader and to facilitate better partnering. I look foward to using this work as I train and consult with businesses, non-profit organizations, and student groups alike!

Creating and maintaining strong partnerships is critical in today's economy. This book gives solid advice on how to develop successful partnerships. Whether you work for a business, non profit organization or in government, learning how to find and develop potential partners has become essential. This book provides the road map to developing and maintaining successful relationships and has helped me do my job better.

Everyone's keen to know the secrets of successful, fast-growing companies. In response, David S. Evans and Richard Schmalensee look at new ways to bring buyers and sellers together. Companies that act as catalysts combine opportunism, customer service and savvy pricing to create a profitable, flexible business model by assembling audiences, cutting costs or connecting other companies. The authors offer plenty of concrete examples of these strategic combinations - from Diners Club and American Express to Microsoft and Google. Perhaps the one weak point in their theory is that the borders between catalysts and noncatalysts are a bit fuzzy. (A supermarket isn't a catalyst, but a mall is.) We recommend this interesting, strategic analysis to managers seeking a thought-provoking look at how to create new, enticing and profitable links.

This book describes what it calls 'two-sided businesses', which to quote from the front jacket '... generate value by creating simultaneous and mutually beneficial relationships between the different groups of customers they serve'. The book opens with the example of Diners Club which creates value for the following two groups of customers:

1. Restaurants
2. Diners.

In this case, Diners Club allows diners to eat at many restaurants on credit without having to establish a credit relationship with each individual restaurant (assuming the restaurants are willing to offer them credit). The diners benefit from the credit they receive, and the restaurants benefit by getting more diners who spend more and by avoiding the hassle and expense of managing credit relationships with individual diners.

The book is easy to read (no jargon) and provides numerous and familiar examples. It may not astonish you with any earth-shattering insights (that's why I didn't give it five stars), but it will make you look at 'two-sided businesses' in a new way.

This book is a must-have if you are involved with or competing against 'two-sided businesses', and will probably be useful to anyone involved with business generally.

Catalyst Code provides a way of thinking for businesses that are double/multisided in nature. This book gives a framework for building, analyzing, understanding, governing and managing multisided businesses (i.e., businesses with two or more groups that need each other). Case studies from different industries are provided (e.g., eBay, Google, Credit cards, shopping malls, dating services, magazines, Craigslist, etc.), with each case shedding light on the various components of the framework.

Catalyst Code describes the hard work and constant calibration required to build and grow a catalyst. Entrepreneurs, executives, managers and investors can benefit from the insights this book brings into the forces and dynamics that shape successful catalysts.

I find the book particularly interesting for those of us who are in the process of building catalysts. It is readily applicable to the day-to-day challenges we face. The ability to capture such a complex topic in a simple, easy to read and easy to understand framework is invaluable.

Catalyst Code is an excellent reference for multi-sided, complex and volume based businesses.

Marwan Forzley

For the many who read Evans and Schmalensee's previous collaboration, Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries, Catalyst Code offers both some expected elements and some new angles. Like in Invisible Engines, Evans and Schmalensee continue to treat themes relating "multi-sided" or "platform" businesses. Multi-sided or platform companies -- relabeled "catalyst" companies in this book -- are those that build businesses based on complex intersections of interests among various constituencies of third parties (partners, suppliers, customers). However, in Catalyst Code, while Evans and Schmalensee continue to describe some platform companies that involve the selling of software, the main focus of the book expands beyond software platforms to the broader application of disruptive multi-sided business models in various market contexts.

Even though I really enjoyed the dedicated focus on software platforms in Invisible Engines, I think that Catalyst Code benefits from the shift in emphasis to the broader thinking involved in crafting, implementing and extending "catalyst" business strategies. In some ways, Catalyst Code is less descriptive and more prescriptive in tone than Invisible Engines; I think that it is also a more immediately practical work for those who might want to consider applying some "catalyst" strategies in their own businesses.

Still, in a strange way, I must say that Catalyst Code was, at least for me, a less satisfying book than Invisible Engines. And I think that this is a good thing. At the conclusion of Invisible Engines, I think that one is apt to get the feeling, "well said: case closed." It's a book with a carefully laid-out thesis and ample examples of software platform companies that fit the model hypothesis. Indeed, Invisible Engines feels like a comprehensive survey of a common, though perhaps not previously well-highlighted, business phenomenon within the software industry.

On the other hand, Catalyst Code left me strangely discomfited and full of the kind of questions that one wants to have after reading a good book on corporate strategy. Questions like: which present generation Internet-oriented companies are really better catalyst companies (i.e., Microsoft vs Google), and which might be in the future (MySpace vs Facebook, Yahoo vs Wikipedia, eBay vs a re-invigorated Apple)? And beyond these questions, one can't help but ponder others about how trust (brand), style (marketing), and the right choice of community participants (who is included or excluded) might ultimately impact the business success, reputation, or longevity of various catalyst players. Provocative stuff.

In an age when Microsoft is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase a miniscule stake in Facebook, I think Catalyst Code serves as a great gloss to the nightly business news. Perhaps it is that immediate relevance that makes the book so thought provocative. I found it a fun read for a serious business book.

On a final note, Catalyst Code is a deceptively quick read (at least much quicker than Invisible Engines). I'm probably not the world's fastest reader, and I still managed to finish Catalyst Code over three or four good nights of reading. The prose is very crisp, something too often lacking in many other business books these days.

Companies like Google and eBay have business models that are touted as "revolutionary". But the same concepts allowed businesses like Diners Club and Sotheby's to change the business landscape many years ago. That "something" is explored in Catalyst Code: The Strategies Behind the World's Most Dynamic Companies by David S. Evans and Richard Schmalensee. Once I had the concept of a two-sided business explained to me, a lot of things started to click...

Contents:
What Is a Catalyst; Build a Catalyst Strategy; Identify the Catalyst Community; Establish a Pricing Structure; Focus on Profitability; Compete Strategically with Other Catalysts; Experiment and Evolve; Cracking the Catalyst Code; Additional Readings; Notes; Index; About the Authors

The catalyst spoken of in the book involves bringing together two groups of people who have complementary needs but no way to meet those needs without a common ground. For instance, Diners Club allowed customers to dine out now and pay later. Restaurants who took Diners Club knew they would attract cardholders and have a guarantee of payment. The trick was that Diners Club had to convince cardholders that there were enough outlets in which to use the card, while convincing outlets that there were enough customers to make it worth their time. The companies that can create and grow these catalysts stand to capture a large market following. A more modern example is eBay. They were the most successful at providing an electronic marketplace bringing together buyers and sellers without the confines of geography or quantity of product. By making the service free for buyers, eBay was able to attract potential customers for sellers. Sellers are willing to pay the transaction fees in order to get access to that buyer group. Evans and Schmalensee do an excellent job in examining this type of business model, and they open your eyes to a different way of looking at companies.

Once you understand the concept of two-sided businesses, it's tempting to start labeling *all* businesses as two-sided. For instance, stores are bringing together producers and customers. But there are market forces that come into play, and the authors do help you differentiate between traditional one-sided businesses and actual two-sided models. I also had a bit of trouble at first accepting software companies as two-sided businesses. But after some thought, I can see how a company like Microsoft would be a two-sided business with their Windows operating system. The platform provides a way for developers to build software that conforms to a agreed-upon standard, and for customers to buy software that will run on their computers. It also explains how a newer two-sided model (Linux) can threaten Microsoft and render their current advantage obsolete.

I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone studying how businesses work. I'd also recommend it to anyone looking to replicate the success of stories like MySpace. You'll be able to avoid some common errors and increase your chances of succeeding.

Alliances and partnerships are key to 21st century economy. Whether you're a small biz guy/gal who wants to extend a mini-budget by joining the local Chamber of Commerce or an eBay seller who wants to get some freebie ad money from eBay to promote your store-- this book provides a perspective of why companies of all sizes build alliance networks that generate business. Network marketers know this is one of the secrets to selling AMway or any network product. Social networking sites like Linked In and others prove that more than one is necessary in today's economy. Links, affiliate marketing and more is crucial in today's ecommerce and online community. This book provides a view that you don't learn about when you're doing an MBA. Often it's a hidden secret in the business world and happens on the golf course or at poker tables or in locker rooms-- expecially relevant for women and minorities who will benefit tremendously by increasing their power by building alliances. The book offers the following: a) an overview of how the alliance process works b) explanation of leveraged networks c) how to become an alliance champion d) analyzing your networks and e) creating business opportunities f) how to get engagement going g) gaining and keeping trust and how h) cultural criteria is important (great for international alliances) and of course a very essential final chapter on the future of alliances. The authors are experienced and the fact one of them is at Anderson certainly provides a consultant view to this book. Great addition to every business student shelf and office in America. Small biz guys/gals will get a bigger overview on how to expand their profile in a an attention-deficit economy -- and maybe their budget too.

M&A, the strategy of choice for CEOs in the 1990s, is being relegated to the dustbin of history by partnerships, the flexible, efficient alternative for a global market. As such, executives must learn a new set of skills that focus on creating, strengthening and maintaining relationships. These abilities are the antithesis of the hard-nosed deal-making tactics you learned in business school.
The authors take the concept of partnering farther than many businesspeople will be willing to go when they suggest sharing their business secrets and ideas with everyone from hot start-ups to venerable competitors. But we [...] recommend this short, concise book to high-level executives in need of a partnership primer.

I gave my only copy away, thus some thoughts from memory! We are preparing the first national awareness and research-fundraising campaign for both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the two largest (and closely related) degenerative, neurological diseases. Sadly, after 4,000+ hours of my volunteer labor plus another 5,000+ hours of selfless contributions from 36+ volunteers nationwide, since August 1996, we have not found one organization that even comes close to believing or practicing "The Power of Two". Fortunately, we have found and built lasting relationships with INDIVIDUALS that believe and practice the all-important principles explained eloquently, yet in plain English, by the authors of Power of Two. The Power of Two is now required reading for our leadership and for leadership of any organization hoping to associate with us. This powerful book really should be considered by all CEOs of for-profit and non-for-profit organizations as a litmus test for all prospective alliance or JV partners, as well as suppliers and associates; i.e., if others don't qualify as Power of Two participants (and the authors explain how to easily make this determination), then don't waste any more time in "exploring a relationship" or "furthering business discussions"...cut your losses and move on until you locate a Power of Two organization or individual. We have the authors of this essential book to thank for finally giving us a road-map of how to select partners (of all sorts really) and then how to make the partnership or alliance, etc. WORK. How to maximize results. How to stay accountable with all concerned. And how to know when the Power of Two relationship has served its purpose (or not done so), and thus should end. Our mission is to discover how to prevent and control Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by the year 2011. To do so will almost certainly require hundreds of millions of strategically-placed medical research dollars. But most importantly, any sizable task in today's world, including the awesome challenge our Foundation is dedicated to, must be accomplished on a firm foundation of trusted, reliable, empowering, energizing and synergistic RELATIONSHIPS. The Power of Two shows us the way. To all leaders or would-be leaders, if you only read three books this year, make sure this is one! And finally, I am not related to, nor have I met, The Power of Two authors! And I own no stock in Anderson Consulting or the book's publisher!

The book Power of Two, is a must read for anyone who needs insightful advice for hands-on alliance building. The book offers a planning tactic that is both practical and effective. I have used this book as a major resource in my workplace when creating a partnership with one of our most important vendors, a vendor that supplies a necessary IT infrastructure that is critical to our business success. If you need a straight forward, strategic approach to business alliances, this is the book for you.

The Power of Two is a must read for any alliances professional!

Since the majority of business owners have not been schooled in alliance-building, rather than "solo" advertising, marketing and other promotion, this book offers a solid start to make the shift towards customer-centered collaboration. If you are also interested in learning additional, specific ways (including 14 low-risk ways to jumpstart actions) to forge profitable partnerships, with related real life success stories, what-if scenarios and pitfalls to avoid, look at the book Walk Your talk or the e-book, SmartPartnering: How to Attract and Delight More Customers While Spending Less.

SmartMatch Alliances was referred to me by the Peter Montoya company. It is a great book that teaches you how to find the ideal match for your business. If you are looking to grow your business and meet other business owners that compliment your's then this is the book for you. It has a very understandable approach to the type of business to team up with and, more importantly how to approach them. I would recommend it to any business man or woman interested in taking your business to the next level.

I first heard about the power of creating business alliances from master business consultant Jay Abraham. This concept isn't new. Just look around and you'll notice hundreds of business alliances. However, the value of SmartMatch Alliances is in the detail of how to put alliances together.
The first thing many of us don't realize is whether we are ready to work with another company (and whether they are ready to work with us.) The straightforward checklists provided help us answer this crucial first question. Once we deem ourselves ready, then we can start looking at what specific offers of value we might propose to the multitude of potential partners out there. The authors give us clear ideas for what offers to consider and what types of companies that might benefit from an alliance with our companies. Anyone struggling to get more business will gain a lot from this book.

This book presents two professional career coaches' methods of building strategic alliances. Finding ways to work collaboratively with others is the key to success.

The SmartMatch process is a Cycle of Success with eight steps. Each of the main chapters of the book deals with Think Big, Prepare to Play, Position your PINS (an acronym for Profession, Industry, Niches, and Specialty), Zoom in on High-Potential Partners, Analyze and Evaluate, Explore and Establish Your SmartMatch Alliances, Maximize Your SmartMatch Alliance, and Enjoy and Expand.

The text, explaining basically a simple process, is supplemented with charts, sidebar boxes, anecdotes, and checklists. This is an easy-to-understand book, not complicated. For the beginner, it's a fine primer. For anyone who has been in business for a while, the ground-floor nature of this book will be frustrating. The content is not the deep sort of thing that an experienced businessperson may seek, though there might be some good reminders buried for you in the fundamentals.

Good book for the right market. I found it to be simplistic, but people new to alliance building could find it very helpful.

SmartMatch Alliances offers a win-win approach to
growing your business. The strategy involves teaming
with a non-competitive partner who is offering
products or services to the same clients, customers,
and prospects you want to attract.

Judy and Ernest provide an eight-step strategy for
implementing this approach. They provide the tools
and direction for in-depth analysis in choosing
alliance partners that strategically offer you the
greatest opportunities. They also emphasize the
importance of identifying alliances where each partner
gains equally from the relationship.

The book has worksheets and checklists for working
through the process. There is also a companion
Alliance Journal to further assist you. This book
enables you to identify and target your audience with
precision. Using the approach outlined in the book
results in accelerated business growth and efficient
use of resources.

Without friends, few people will ever get anywhere. "Strategic Alliances: Three Ways to Make Them Work" is a business guide which takes a look at and emphasizes the value of strategy in the world of business. A part of the memo to the CEO series, it's aimed at business leaders who are the most vital in forging the alliances in the world of business. A good alliance is the difference between prosperity and bankruptcy, and "Strategic Alliances" is a surefire way to start one's partnership-making skills.

I highly recommend Steinhilber's book as an excellent strategic alliances high-level primer for any executive interested in leveraging strategic partnerships to grow their business. It is also a must-read reference for every strategic alliance professional, new and experienced. Steinhilber packs over 15 years of alliance wisdom summarized succinctly in a practical and easy-to-read fashion into a 90 minute read. As an experienced strategic alliance and business development professional, I'd recommend this to any of my colleagues.

'Strategic Alliances: Three Ways to Make Them Work',
by Steve Steinhilber

From what I have read in the newspapers & online magazines, strategic alliances seem to be pervasive throughout today's business landscape, & they certainly have big impacts on the way business is now conducted across the globe.

First, the realities, according to the book:

- more than 2,000 strategic alliances are launched worldwide each year, with an annual growth rate of 15%;

- slightly more than half of them fail;

- more than one-third of them struggle in alliances;

- only 9% consistently build alliances well;

- 15 most successful alliances added US$72 billion in shareholder value over 2 years but that the same number of bad alliances cost companies US$43 billion;

Rather depressing news, isn't it?

This book is a timely attempt to do them right.

I wish to say that, from the strategic thinking standpoint, this is an excellent piece of writing on the development & management of strategic alliances.

The impeccable track record of the esteemed author, as VP of Strategic Alliances at Cisco Systems, with a portfolio of alliances that crosses multiple industry sectors, technologies, & geographies, that has attained cumulative value of more than US$4.5 billion annually in business impact to Cisco & much more than that to the alliance partners, certainly makes the book credible & compelling.

In a nut shell, this book is truly an "insider report", with a "down in the trenches" perspective, so to speak.

It's a very thoughtful, masterfully written, intellectually rich, experience-based exploration & assessment of strategic alliances as an increasingly important way of competing, or more specifically, a competitive weapon, in a globalising world.

I reckon, for the reader, it covers most of the specific managerial challenges often involved in establishing & operating alliances, from initial setup & throughout the life cycle, right down to exit strategy.

The way I read it, I also reckon that the esteemed author has done a marvellous job of capturing all the foreseeable subtleties & nuances that must be addressed when entering into alliance relationships.

What I like best about this book is that, besides talking about the "what" & "how" to go about the game plan, the author has patiently explained the "why" of each & every step through the six stages of the alliance life cycle (illustrated on page 18 of the book):

- evaluating a strategy & potential partners;

- forming a relationship;

- incubating the partnership;

- operating the alliance;

- transitioning to the next level;

- retiring the alliance when it no longer meets mutual goals i.e. the exit strategy;

(comprising 30 best practices that address the key deliverables across the six stages)

which hinges on three essential building blocks (by the way, each aspect is featured in detail separately in a chapter on its own):

1) the right framework;

2) the right organisation;

3) the right relationships;

in addition to the five basic criteria to identify & characterise possible alliance relationships.

The esteemed author makes it very clear that doing your due diligence & following a systematic process is critical at the onset. He asserts that having a truly repeatable disciplined process can cut the failure rate by more than half.

The book therefore offers readers real-world takeaways in the form of valuable perspectives, useful advice & practical checklists/questions.

The end result is a powerful framework for anyone or any company who wishes to conceive, develop, & execute an enduring partnership &/or networks of partnership.

For me, the most valuable chapters are the ones in which the author gives a fascinating account of the soft social dynamics underlying most alliances (under 'Building the Right Relationships'), & an absorbing account of thinking strategically & creatively in the areas of IP management, portfolio management, competition dynamics, globalisation & metrics (under 'Managing Complexity').

In contrast to a similar book which I had read about ten years or so ago, entitled 'Smart Alliances: A Practical Guide to Repeatable Success' by two consultants from Booz Allen & Hamilton, this book has surpassed my personal expectations with its nuts & bolts of implementation, as well as its road map of the various pitfalls, roadblocks & landmines.

Here are my takeaways in terms of valuable insights - they are not meant to be exhaustive:

- start with a strategy, not a partner;

- your approach needs to look at the big picture rather than short terms payoffs;

- the right way to think about partnering revolves around negotiating win-win agreements & growing the market for everyone;

- start with a clear strategic focus: what are you trying to do;

- any partnership must satisfy a market need, address customer demand, & meet defined business goals;

- expect to make trade-offs with every alliance;

- an early step is to jointly create your operating plan; start with a focused set of balanced initiatives, meaning you have short term & some long term wins for both companies;

- one of your biggest challenges is staying focused;

- the right people are your most important assets; this is a team based approach;

- you can manage relationships with the right blend of art & science: with first rate people skills & a systematic process for strengthening connections;

- strategic alliances are more than just legal contracts - they're living, dynamic relationships between real people;

- think in terms of win-win negotiations, & what's on it for "we" vs "me';

- you must take the time to learn your partner's real goals & ambitions, & to understand what really makes them tick, philosophically & culturally;

- you got to push beyond the other side's stated positions to uncover that company's unexpressed, deeply held fears & interests;

- you have to be accountable to your partners for relationships to endure - actions are all that count;

- when it comes to relationships, you have to be reasonable - keep your eye on the endgame;

- managing IP is a challenge that continues through the life of any relationship;

- make sure everyone understand the rules of engagement with regard to IP assets;;

- you must have a metrics framework that you can apply consistently across all your alliances;

- remember, it's all about leverage;

- alliances are art & science, people & process; it's a "both/and" way of thinking rather than an "either/or";

To conclude my review, I must reiterate that this book is a true field guide to show you how to avoid the troubles that plague so many alliance efforts & how to forge a collaborative link that adds value to all partners in the alliance.

[Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, January 2009]

This book is a must read for any CEO or business leader who wants to harness the power of collaboration and alliances to help a company grow faster and more profitably and achieve significantly higher and more consistent shareholder returns. The Cisco Strategic Alliances organization enjoys a great reputation in the corporate world for knowing how to create and manage these complex relationships and Steve Steinhilber cites many best practices and case studies from Cisco, its strategic alliance partners, and from other cross-industry alliance-savvy firms.

This is one of the titles in the "Memo to the CEO" series published by Harvard Business Press, each less than 200 pages in length and superbly produced. In fact, none is a "memo" or written solely for a CEO. In this volume, Steve Steinhilber (Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Cisco Systems) explains "five basic criteria to identify and characterize" relationships that will achieve significantly higher and more consistent shareholder returns, enabling a company to grow faster and more profitably by leveraging those relationships rather than going it alone. The criteria are identified on Pages 2-3. Steinhilber then identifies three reasons why alliances are a "must-do" investment for any company competing in the global marketplace. With regard to the three ways to make strategic alliances work, identified as "essential building blocks," they are (1) the right framework, (2) the right organization, and (3) the right relationships. A separate chapter is devoted to a remarkably thorough examination of each of the three.

It is worth noting, as Steinhilber does, that more than 2,000 strategic alliances are launched worldwide each year and this number increases about15% annually. More than half fail and only about 9% of the companies "build alliances well." Of these, Cisco Systems probably has been among the most successful and Steinhilber heads those initiatives so he is well-qualified to explain what to do, what not to do, etc. As I began to read this brief but content-rich book, I wondered why Cisco allowed Steinhilber to reveal so much about what the company does and how it does it; more specifically, to explain in detail the mindsets applied to prospective allies and then to business partners, respectively. Perhaps there is a parallel with the chairman's letter that Warren Buffett contributes each year to Berkshire Hathaway's annual report. By the way, there is a recently published second edition of those essays, selected, organized, and introduced by Lawrence Cunningham. In these essays, Buffett shares everything he has learned about Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance and Investing, Alternatives to Common Stock, Common Stock, Mergers and Acquisitions, Accounting and Valuation, and Accounting Policy and Tax Matters. Of course, knowing what Cisco does and does not do insofar as strategic alliances are concerned by no means ensures the same outstanding results that Steinhilber and his associates have achieved. However, such knowledge will certainly improve the chances fort success.

To me, some of the most valuable material in this book is provided in last chapter in which Steinhilber explains how Cisco manages complexity. He addresses specific issues concerning intellectual property such as those involving jointly developed technology, solutions, residuals, branding. With regard to refining business goals, he recommends that two questions be answered: "How do we achieve our desired global market?" Also, "Which pieces of the value chain are central to sustaining our long-term profitability in a market?" Then, once objectives and the specific market(s) have been analyzed, he suggests taking one of three different approaches: (1) Partner with market leaders, (2) Partner with market leaders/challengers, or (3) Partner with both. Steinhilber acknowledges that there may be times when it makes sense to "spread your bets with dealing with uncertainty." To evaluate the breadth of an alliance portfolio within a market space, he identifies five criteria: market share, market segmentation, competitive overlap, potential acquisition strategy, and ability to execute.

These are among the subjects addressed in the final chapter. Steinhilber concludes with these comments: "In a globally linked business world with shortening life cycles and flattening value chains, building alliances capabilities will give you the chance to tilt the competitive playing field in your favor and significantly enhance your company's or organization's chance for long-term success."

Credit Steve Steinhilber with presenting a wealth of rock-solid information and real-world wisdom about an immensely complicated business subject. Even more remarkable, he does so within relatively few pages (only 134 plus an Appendix). This will be an excellent resource for decision-makers in companies that plan to compete -- or now do so -- in the global marketplace but also for decision-makers in other companies that wish to do business with them.