There is no doubt that the pace of business has accelerated—products go from concept to release faster than ever, business partnerships and alliances are established (and dissolved) more quickly, competitors react more swiftly to any tilt in the playing field. Whether your business is microprocessors or airplane manufacturing, it will live or die by the degree to which you can anticipate demand for your products and services. In Getting It Right the First Time, John Katsaros and Peter Christy argue that the most successful businesses will be those that accurately predict market conditions—especially the market changes that will occur within the crucial 18-to-36-month innovation window. Or, to paraphrase hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky: skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it is.
Showcasing dozens of colorful examples of lucrative successes and missed opportunities (from high-tech to financial services to medical devices), the authors present a detailed plan for how you and your company can learn to: identify your top customers in advance of entering the market, successfully position your company and its products to those customers, and catch emerging trends before your competitors do. Eschewing traditional market research techniques—such as focus groups, polls, and surveys— Katsaros and Christy demonstrate how expert interviews with potential early adopters can help identify your killer app—the function that customers most value—and avoid costly trial-and-error. In a viciously competitive world where your company may have only one chance to score big, Getting It Right the First Time provides essential guidance for entrepreneurs, marketers, product developers, and business strategists, and offers new insight into the dynamics of innovation.
Reviews
"Silicon Valley-based dot-com consultants Katsaros and Christy describe how innovative companies anticipate demand, noting that many start-up companies are too engineer turned entrepreneur and overlook the importance of market research coupled with strategic planning. Arguing that market research in parallel with strategic planning is necessary for business success, they make a strong case for conducting comprehensive, quality research up front and integrating it into a company's strategic planning....[t]he book contains numerous examples of successful and missed opportunities from an array of companies, as well as a short recommended reading list. This volume will be useful for entrepreneurs and business leaders. Additionally, advanced business students and academicians will find its message interesting and informative. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections."—Choice, October 1, 2005
"New Markets, New Media Web Addendum [T]o be considered for public and academic library collections. To give your collection more depth....[r]ecommended."—LibraryJournal.com, October 1, 2005
"Getting It Right the First Time will interest anyone trying to bring a highly innovative product to market but will be of greatest interest to those in marketing. Although the examples in the book focus on the high-technology industry, the techniques will be useful in any highly innovative situation....[p]oints the way to getting a solid grasp on ill-defined and emerging markets."—The Journal of Product Innovation Management, January 1, 2006
"Business changes and influences are happening faster and faster, requiring the successful company to be more responsive and anticipatory than ever. For a guide which teaches managers and owners how to predict demand and handle it correctly, Getting It Right The First Time: How Innovative Companies Anticipate Demand is essential. Examples of real-life lucrative successes and missed opportunities alike offer lessons for all, and John Katsaros and Peter Christy have gathered a representative sampling of these case histories to work into a general company plan for marketing and advancement. Recommended for any entrepreneur interested in innovation."—Internet Bookwatch, August 1, 2005
"[G]etting It Right the First Time is useful for people who market high-tech or other truly innovative products. The authors give convincing reasons why it pays to include us in the development. They also show that we do have a market research approach that is likely to be worth more than it costs. Companies don't have to suffer so many expensive new product failures. We don't have to sit on the sidelines."—Marketing Management, August 1, 2005
"For entrepreneurs, marketers, product developers, and business strategists."—Reference & Research Book News, May 1, 2005
"Getting It Right the First Time will grab the attention and fill the needs of both veterans and first time entrepreneurs. The authors provide a hardcore inspirational change the world message tempered by real-life examples to illustrate their points. This is a necessary read for the new, new economy entrepreneur."—Guy Kawasaki, Author of The Art of the Start
"In over 35 years as an entrepreneur and seed venture capitalist, I have been fortunate to have been a founder of four public companies and have worked with entrepreneurs to plan and launch many successful ventures. Getting It Right the First Time captures the requirements to make a business a success operationally and financially. Having a clear strategy and thorough business plan based on extensive market research and customer feedback is the most critical issue to a company's success."—John B. Mumford General Partner, Crosspoint Venture Partners
"A must read for all entrepreneurs. John and Peter have reduced the elements of strategic marketing to the core elements. A veritable how to guide for technology entrepreneurs hoping to pioneer new markets. Don't start-up without it. Getting It Right the First Time should be core curriculum for all graduating entrepreneurs!"—Steve Baloff, General Partner, Advanced Technology Ventures
"Katsaros and Christy tell a compelling story where business success requires sophisticated, innovative technology backed by clear business reasoning and strategy. They have proven their ability to cut through all this complexity to produce guidance of high value and present a point of view worth understanding."—Dave Peterschmidt, President and CEO,Openwave Systems, Inc.
