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THE BMG Book Price at Amazon and Alex's Business Model

I was really surprised to see a low price of BMG at Amazon: $4.99 !

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/2839905809/sr=1-1/qid=126658...

While the price does not reflect the demand in the target community it does stand out as a lesser needed product in the business category. Does this mean that business models are really not that important to the business community? or is this the wrong title? or is it packaged incorrectly?

Ultimately it is really the business models that make money for businesses and as such this is one of the most valuable but least taught subject in the business world. So one would have thought that the demand for BMG the book would have been huge and it would be selling at least at the list price.

As in all problems, the BMG open market price does provide an opportunity to rethink the business model of at least the BMG book if not the entire effort by Alex. In my opinion it is a perfect time to start widespread business model evangelism and education, perhaps with a different name. Let me think up some new names that would inspire people to read widely about business models.

What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Alex Osterwalder on May 10, 2010 at 11:25pm

Haider, I think we are making a big step forward with Wiley putting the book into bookstores. There we be several copies in all Borders stores and Barnes & Noble is likely to follow.

Physical presence does help a book to sell more - particularly if it's visual. Future will show how/if sales take off (hopefully). Until July no books will be available... Then the big test really starts.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Uschold on June 16, 2010 at 9:27pm

For what it is worth, there is a Business Model Panel at the upcoming Semantic Technology Conference in San Francisco next week. See: http://semtech2010.semanticuniverse.com/sessionPop.cfm?confid=42&am...

This community gets the importance of business models. There were three separate proposals for panels on this business models an semantic technology -- they were merged into one panel.

I am one of the panelists and was hoping to find a good way to mention/plug the book in my 5-10 min presentation and in the follow on discussion. Any ideas are very welcome.

Panelists are prohibited from plugging their own wares, but I have no personal stake in BMG. I am a newcomer to the topic of business models and found BMG to be a great book, and tell many people about it. This is a way to reach 1000+ in one go.

Michael

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Permalink Reply by Mike Lachapelle on June 17, 2010 at 5:29am

Hi Michael

I'm not sure what exactly I could give you to use that would particularly resonate with your audience, but here are some of the ideas I use when talking about Alex's approach to business modelling, design and innovation.

A significant proportion of businesses, particularly large ones, face a challenge in trying the 'story' of their business to stakeholders, investors, advertisers, etc. Often this is because they lack a way to express the value they create for their customers/clients, the value proposition of the business is only understood intuitively, or the variety of understandings and language to describe the business has become a tower of babel because of functional or organizational silos across the business. They also lack a systematic, comprehensive way to analyse the dynamic of the business with a view to creating innovation.

The business model canvas with its four key areas - value proposition, value delivery (client interaction), value creation (infrastructure) and financial - and nine components that make up those areas, provide a tool to create a common language across the business and to externalize the logic of how the business creates, delivers and captures value for its clients and is shareholders; a consistent, comprehensive way to tell the story of the business.

The Business Model Generation book then takes that tool and extents its application by looking at business and innovation patterns, environmental influences on the business, and applies a methodology around the canvas to drive innovation in creating or changing a business.

Most importantly it does this with a simplicity and language that resonates with business owners and designers. The visual construct and the building blocks of the canvas make it usable by CEOs of large corporations and artists or mom & pop shops alike. Once one grasps the nine components and how they fit together, there is nothing arcane, complex or requiring special training to make it work.