What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy

I didn't know a whole lot (read: anything) about the platform business model before reading this book. But I sure do now. Wow.

The main premise of the book is that platforms are currently the best way to organize companies, and author Moazed spends a lot of time describing how they work. Basically, platforms--like eBay, the store, Facebook, iTunes, SnapChat, etc.--move beyond the the linear business model (where products move through suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and THEN customers) and instead present commerce and information in a more easily accessible way that benefits both buyers and sellers at the same time.

The book talks about how platforms came about, how they make money, how they function, how to deal with common problems that arise when creating and running them, as well as how to spot lucrative platform opportunities. There is also a glossary of terms in the back.

I'll admit that this book was way more dense and detailed than I was expecting. Luckily, the writing flows so well that even I could follow Moazed's explanations and points (and all without getting bored, too). I think it helped that there were lots of real world examples. Ultimately, I ended up learning a lot while reading the book.

Do you consider present-day Internet giants such as the store, Google and Tinder as a monopoly? If not, maybe you should think again, as these companies are working to become the dominant supplier in their sector, or sectors. Yet in a very short time they have managed to make a very, very definitive mark in the process.

The authors have made a fascinating, powerful book that looks at how these companies have managed to get firmly established in our daily lives, considering how they are positioning themselves for the long-term. There is a good mix of history and present-day business affairs, providing a look at what caused once de facto monopolies or established players to take their eye off the ball and lose their position, as well as giving insight into what seems to be working for today’s giants who may, or may not, have a place in the future.

Things change. The authors are careful to note that technology is not the only driver leading this change, how we interact with each other, companies and the authorities is also continuing to change and this creates an important role for everyone. The method of doing business and its arrangement is often also different, meaning the traditional supplier-customer relationship is not the only option. Platforms and intermediaries are leading the way, providing opportunities as well as risks along the way.

This is a very enjoyable, interesting and powerful book that is capable of making you think, even if the subjects at hand are familiar to you. The book is capable of being very giving to different audiences and once you pick it up it can be very hard to put down again.

For most Americans the term monopoly is viewed negatively, but, according to Alex Moazed and Nicholas L. Johnson, CEO and Head of Platform at Applico, a platform application development company, thanks to the Internet, platforms like PayPal, Uber, Google, and Apple are now dominating the marketplace. They are, the authors contend, monopolies that are not so slowly displacing traditional companies in providing a broad range of services and products to consumers in ways that traditionally organized companies can’t match.
Modern Monopolies: What it takes to Dominate the 21st-Century Economy is a history of platform-based entities that details how they have come to exercise monopolistic dominance in the past decade. This book is designed for new entrepreneurs, showing them how to enter and succeed in today’s economy, and for established businesses, with hints on how to make the transition to the platform economy.
Whether you’re running a home-based business or a more traditional concern, this book is filled with useful information to help navigate the turbulent sea of 21st century commerce. In view of the fact that the platform economy is constantly evolving, the authors also include at the end of the book a link to their newsletter, providing updated information, and a glossary of terms used in the book that some readers might find unfamiliar.
This is a highly recommended reference for any level of business.

Strategists in the “21st century economy” have a difficult task predicting disruptive new models that will challenge established business. In “Modern Monopolies” Alex Moazed and Nicholas Johnson provide truly valuable insight into platform businesses and how several of them have come to have such an impact across all industries. Examples of platform businesses are Uber, AirB&B, Facebook, Twitter and so on.

Modern platform businesses are very different from traditional linear businesses. A linear business can be described as a sequence of activities that convert inputs (or raw materials) to more valuable outputs (products). Platform businesses on the other hand are structured in a way akin to an ecosystem, where producers are matched with consumers so that they can transact value in a very simple way. The platform is more a facilitator of value exchange and less of a producer.

This book is very useful in understanding how a platform business is structured at its core. Four activities namely: developing useful tools, matchmaking, audience building and setting rules and standards are necessary to build a successful platform. Understanding what makes some platforms succeed and others fail is very important whether you are looking to enhance your existing business models, or invest in a new start-up that promises to become the next big thing in a specific market.

I would highly recommend this book to business strategists, technology professionals, software professionals and investors looking to get a good understanding of this new and evolving business model. The book is very readable with many many examples that illustrate the principles in a clear and entertaining way.

All of these reviews have got to be fakes. Honestly Alex has no business writing about building modern monopolies. I'm not sure why anyone gives that guy any credibility. He wants to tell you the Zuckerberg "I built this company out of my dorm room" story but he's an amateur and Applico is failing.

Modern Monopolies is an enjoyable and informative book. The authors do an excellent job of breaking down how platform companies are growing and the potential to further change the business and technology landscape. As one who has followed the technology and startup world for many years and is currently working with an early stage startup, this book provided a lot of insight to better understand many of the companies that we hear about regularly; as well as give me a lot to think about in terms of possible directions and opportunities for the startups I am involved in.

Whether you work in technology, are an investor, or just trying to understand why these companies that don't manufacture anything physical are worth so much this book will benefit you.

My first question when reading this book had to do with the title itself: "Modern Monopolies: What is Takes to Dominate..." Was this a book favoring monopolies, and why would the authors make that case? I thought monopolies were universally reviled. So why write a book apparently in favor of monopolies? If I had not been extended a free copy to review, I would have probably walked right past this book on principle alone. (We already have unprecedented monopolies in the cable TV industry, health care, etc. that have increased costs for consumers and lowered quality.)

As it turns out, this book is basically mis-named. It should be titled something like "Platform Economies: Making Money and Wielding Influence in the Connected Age." The authors do a fairly decent job of clearly describing "platforms" (business models like Facebook, Airbnb, Alibaba, Uber, and Tindr) that create value by developing user-to-user, producer to consumer interfaces that produce their own forms of value in doing everything from sharing content, to providing car rides, to offering spare rooms in their house, you name it. The authors do explain fairly well with examples and reasoning why platforms succeed and fail and how they are challenging business as usual.

The problem is this: Platforms, especially if they dominate exchange and interaction like Google and Facebook, do become monopolies that end up creating algorithms of use for their own profits and increasingly (like old-school monopolies) against the value and desires of consumers. Just check out storms of protest over privacy policies, for example. Do those companies ever listen to important and legitimate consumer concerns if they can make a buck doing otherwise? Heck, no. Data is big business, and platforms that gain monopoly or quasi-monopoly status simply run roughshod over consumer choices. Look at Apple, for another example. They keep "upgrading" operating language and hardware, to make it nearly impossible not to buy new products. Once you download a new iOS, they won't let you go back, no matter how "buggy" it is. You are a captured market, not simply a person exchanging value.

Greed is greed, and dominance is dominance. Monopolistic greed and dominance create inherent asymmetries that do not benefit everyone, and yet the authors try to actually make the case for "good monopolies". They fail to do that, because they fail to consider the experience of the consumer and consumer power (or lack of power) to have their choices and needs met in an age of increasing algorithms. Value is not just about entertainment, integration of devices, and convenience. It is also about autonomy, choice, creativity, and self-determination in the online world.

There are three major issues that the authors do not address that are already emerging in platform economies and in emerging desires among humans on this fast-transforming planet. This makes the book a decent, somewhat textbook-like, soon-to-be-dated primer, but not anywhere close to a visionary piece.

1) There is an emerging trend of "consumers" desiring to be producers and exchangers of their own content in ways that actually increase their choices and camaraderie, rather than having it funneled for the profits of large platform corporations. The site [...] tried to create such a user-centered platform to do just this, but it looks like they are too ahead of their time and are folding.

2) As I mentioned before, the authors do not adequately discuss the downside, the asymmetries, and anti-consumer choice tendencies that arise around use of consumer information, etc. when certain platforms become the "only game in town". If the authors were serious, they would point the way to develop apps and other technologies and platforms that would provide better value in this way, rather than cheerleading and fawning over the big guys.

3) The authors fail to understand the downside of "choice" and funneling of content that allows "fake news" for instance to take over and influence multitudes of people, like it did in the last presidential election, because perception became the medium of exchange rather than quality or factually-based and vetted stories.

I would welcome talking to the authors about these concerns as a way to tune-up their analysis and anticipate future trends, but as for now, their book is a serviceable summary and a decent initial directory for those looking to develop their own platforms.

“Modern Monopolies – What It Takes to Dominate the 21st-Century Economy” is a comprehensive discussion on the power and considerable economic impact of modern Platforms. The book includes interesting background information on the rise of the store, Apple, Facebook, GitHub, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Uber, and other successful “Platforms”. It also highlights numerous lessons learned about failed businesses and business models.

It is evident that Moazed and Johnson have done their research and they share some very important insights and advice to build successful businesses in the 21st Century. This book is an excellent resource for all professionals that are building technology-based solutions and companies today.

Modern Monopolies is nothing less than a thought provoking read which has opened my eyes to the business models of some of the most innovative companies of today. While reading this book, I paused several times to think about the numerous internet/mobile based products and services that I utilized throughout the last couple of years and tried to determine if they utilized a platform business model and if so how they were able to grow and monetize their platforms. When I started reading the book, besides the obvious platforms such as Uber and Facebook, I thought of others that I enjoyed using such as Yelp and ClassPass. I was pleasantly surprised to see that as I read on, Yelp and ClassPass were mentioned. I bring this point up because I think it attests to the breadth of case studies and cleverly woven in examples of platform business models that the book touches upon to connect with the reader and broaden his or her understanding.

For those of us who grew up in the late 1990s and 2000s, the book is particularly interesting as it touches on companies that we have seen go out of favor in front our very eyes because they were not able to adopt a platform business model in time, or had trouble maintaining and sustaining a platform. The two examples that stuck to me the most were Nokia (the first cell phone I ever owned) and MySpace (I distinctively remember how Tom was everyone’s friend). From my recollection, I only have vague notions on why these once pre-dominant companies that touched my everyday life went out of favor in a blink of an eye. To see the reasoning why they were not able to sustain themselves laid out clearly in easy to comprehend language and visuals was very intriguing.

In short, Modern Monopolies explains what platform businesses are, how to build and sustain a platform business model, and even sheds light on potential future opportunities in simple clear language, alongside examples and visuals that truly engages the reader. It is a book that has not only provided me with a plethora of information, but has also made me pause, reflect, and think. Trust me - after you are done reading, you will really be trying to conceptualize platform business models in everything!

The Internet today has a plethora of platforms - Facebook, Google, the store, Uber and more that are all trying to bring more users onto their ecosystem.

Our smartphones that are always on and always connected have forever altered how we interact with each other, melding the digital and physical worlds and allowing these platforms to scale. The platform giants are therefore expanding their influence from the digital world to the whole economy.

The authors telll the definitive story of what has changed, what it means for businesses today, and how managers, entrepreneurs, and business owners can adapt and thrive in this new era.

the digital revolution has birthed and economic evolution. Those who ignored it, did so to their detriment. This book provides a look at those who clung to the old ways before describing exactly what platforms are as well as how and why they have engendered major change.

this is an intelligently written book and the authors' perspective provided insight into the system and how readers might benefit. It does not address the more troubling moral issues about monopolies in general and democratic principles. for business there is an undertone of change or die and I am not totally convinced that is true. Small ventures were eventually displaced by big box stores, impersonal plazas and malls only to reemerge after years of customer dissatisfaction. Processed foods are being supplanted by a more healthy, organic whole foods movement. Digital services providers are facing challenges from angry consumers tired being overcharged. Monopolies are generally are anti freedom and anti consumer. But they also are a reality in this brave new world. Overall, an interesting and realistic approach to the platform system and exploiting it.

Modern monopolies is a very interesting and good read. Which I absolutely found to be a learning experience. It talks about, or rather teaches about how companies should use platforms as the best possible solution for the organization of their businesses and also as a way of benefitting their own profitability , as well as that of their consumers. Though it took me some time to quite grasp what the author was conveying, not long after I was able to see exactly what the author relayed in the book, which was that individuals like myself, who is a faithful consumer of the many available produces of these companies such as snapchat, and the store, will benefit greatly if these companies use their platforms to make their money and yet satisfy their customers. The book was written so very fluently and diligently which consequently allowed me to learn and understand what real world situations in the business world is like and what they could do to help them selves in one aspect.

Modern Monopolies is an extremely informative, yet highly accessible introduction to the two-sided marketplace or platform business model. The authors explain that a platform is not a product or piece of technology, but "a business model that facilitates the exchange of value between two or more user groups, a consumer and a producer." Furthermore, they brilliantly deconstruct the distinguishing factors between winners and losers among these network-based business models and develop a framework for effectively building and scaling these businesses. The authors are able to distill the success of platform businesses into a number of key concepts including focusing on a core transaction, the role of a platform in audience building, matchmaking, providing crucial tools/services and curating standards. Overall, this was a fascinating read and I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in building, or investing in platform / network-based businesses.

Modern Monopolies turned out to be a far more enjoyable business book to read than I would have imagined. However, the main title of the book is a bit perplexing. The book has nothing to do with monopolies, or even companies of overwhelming market share in what they do. The entire book is centered around platforms. How successful companies are the first to tap into them and how unsuccessful companies have ignored them at their own peril.

A prime example of this would be Uber, which is mentioned in the book's back cover description. Does Uber have a monopoly on applications that connect those who need transportation with drivers who want to make money? Of course not. Ever heard of Lyft? The other companies that are mentioned by name are in similar positions. They do not have any type of monopoly on their ideas. They were just the first to market with their platform or happened to be much better at it than its predecessors. Google did NOT invent the search engine. It's platform provided a vastly improved user experience through superior technology though. Tinder did not invent the dating app. It just presented a different approach and took advantage of existing technologies that no one else that had bothered to put together. This all makes sense and is brilliantly explained in the book, you wouldn't guess this from it's title though.

Personally, I am a student history, and the author does a great job of documenting past business failures and successes that hinged on the concept of keeping up with the curve when it comes to platforms. In general, there is typically more to learn from a businesses' mistakes than its triumphs, but here you will glean great insight from both.

While certainly not an encyclopedia sized volume, the book is filled with numerous real-life examples of how businesses have exploited (or failed to exploit) the concept of bringing together groups through a common platform and creating new business markets that never existed before. It's writing style is engaging enough that you may very well end-up reading it in a single sitting. It is definitely worth your time if you want to better understand the use of platforms and how they will affect the future of business.

Alex and Nick are some really smart guys. I never thought about why Blackberry went down in flames, but this book spells it all out in a thoughtful way. And their insight on the power of Chinese platforms like WeChat and Alibaba is jarring. This book is a must-read!

From start to finish this book was so captivating, there are so many lessons and stories to digest and learn from. The authors of Modern Monopolies did a great job explaining the platform business model in the most enjoyable ways possible. The information they provided was easy for any reader to comprehend and process. This was probably one of the most entertaining business books I have read in awhile.

Authors Mozaed & Johnson take readers on a tour of the top brand companies and how they became what they are today. Is it a bubble? According to the authors, new companies today are based on platforms that drive awareness and sales. Enhance your overall understanding to create your own platform brand or make the one you work at better.

This book is essential if you want to understand how the next phase of the Internet is evolving. It's all about building successful platforms - whether it's Facebook or Uber. So many people talk about "platforms" that it's become a buzzword. But the authors truly understand what they are and how they work, probably because their company creates them. And the book is written in a highly readable style so some of the truly complex concepts can be understood by just about anyone. Basically I was much smarter and better informed about how technology is transforming our lives now than I was before I picked it up. If you're in the tech business this book is a must read. And if you're just interested in the ways technology will be changing the way we live, this is the perfect place to start. As good an explanation of how our modern technologically linked world works as you're going to find on the bookshelves.

In many important ways, the reflections of Moazed and Johnson crystallize the philosophical wisdom of the the modern world. This book written as a playbook to readers highlights the important tactics and mindset it takes to own yourself and your surroundings. To not only think about the bottom-line, but beyond what your finance classes and balance sheets may tell you. Modern Monopolies will be instrumental for any leader, regardless of your industry or goal that you're trying to pursue. Read carefully and go beyond your superficial understanding of global economics.

Want to become a billionaire? Don't build a better mousetrap; build a platform. Invent the next Facebook or the store - and avoid the failures of imagination cratered MySpace.

This is not a simple book. It picks up where "disintermediation" ends and the web moves onto its next generation. It should be read slowly and, quite likely, reread.

There's a lot of information in this book, so much that when coupled with the pedestrian style of the authors, you may find yourself shaking your head vigoursly to stay awake.

But, at the end, you'll find the journey has been truly worthwhile.

Jerry

A timely and accessible breakdown of what could be considered the ultimate (legal) business model - aka the modern web-enabled platform. Utilizing a nice variety of fairly in-depth company and business model profiles Alex Moazed and Nicholas J. Johnson take an in depth look at the elements necessary to build and grow near monopolistic enterprises with global footprints and 10 billion dollar plus valuations.

Take Uber as an example. For a car service company to achieve 62.5+ billion dollar valuation the old way would've required such an entity to acquire millions of vehicles and fully employed drivers and maintenance personnel to its fleet with service operations around the world. Even then - valuations would be far below its current pricing and margins would be extremely narrow versus the lean business model that it utilizes as a transactional 'exchange' platform. If most of these concepts are new to you the volume will certainly open your eyes to help you see how the world is changing at rapid pace right before us and for those already immersed in such an environment the breakdowns and analysis are coherent and certainly worth your time to peruse.

Modern Monopolies is a comprehensive, yet digestible and entertaining, breakdown of platforms. It gives the inside scoop behind the rise of some of this generation's powerhouse brands. Reading how these companies utilize the platform model to drive significant growth made this book a page turner of a guide. The do's, don'ts and exceptions are clearly laid out alongside examples, statistics, and references for fully grasping the material. Glad to have it added to the arsenal.

Modern Monopolies: What It takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy

Definitely a must-read book every Startup Founder should read!
The book provides a detailed explanation on what it takes to operate in the new business environment, and following the author's insight will surely help other startup founders lead their business to success

As someone trying to develop a platform business, reading this book has been pertinent to reworking my thinking around my own startup. This is an awesome book full of wit, knowledge and clear insight into the future of the tech industry.

Understanding a lot tech business models isn't easy, but this book did a nice job in explaining in detail...especially around this new "platform" style of business. They provided definitions, examples, and even case stories. Seems like the platform model is the new thing and will be key for a lot of the future billion dollar businesses. Anyone would find it easy to understand and enjoy the content. Recommended.

Truly solid book on platforms -- Well-written, nicely relevant cases/examples, and great mix of strategy and technology explanation. From a marketing perspective, it gave me usable perspective for current and future strategy planning. It's been the most approachable of the platform books I've read.

Easy and short read with great content. The book runs through traditional linear-based business models and introduces the reader to the platform business model (think: Uber, Airbnb, OpenTable, to mention a few). The authors then help frame your thought process in a well-structured and methodical manner with their insights on the core function of a platform, the core transaction, the network effects, and implications for many industries. I look forward to seeing what potential industry disruption can arise from readers!

As a non-business person Iooking to learn more about start-ups, Modern Monopolies was recommended to me to by a friend.

At first I was intimidated, but the author does a great job of explaining concepts like "platform" economy to a layperson like myself.

In short, the days of vertical integration are coming to an end, as many modern companies outsource their major duties to other businesses.

Modern Monopolies was an informative and eye opening account of start-up culture.

An excellent summary of how the world is changing in regards to how new mega-businesses connect people and dissolve transaction cost and time. For most Americans the term monopoly is viewed negatively, but, according to Alex Moazed and Nicholas L. Johnson, thanks to the Internet, platforms like PayPal, Uber, Google, and Apple are now dominating the marketplace.

Connecting producers and consumers is the trick to making a billion-dollar company and taking over an industry. Moazed and Johnson have done a lot of homework and spill the beans on why Google and Apple are worth so much money. Would recommend for anyone remotely interested in business.

Although quite a bit of the information in this book isn't exactly "new", the way it is organized and the reflective commentary add a great deal of valuable insight into modern monopolies and the current/future business climate. This was well balanced between theoretical foundation versus future proofing a business or investment. The examples were pertinent and relevant, the conclusions novel and the style of writing informative but casual. One area that I really found fascinating was the marketing tactics used by some of these new platforms including Uber and AirBNB to "snag" new users. A bold book that isn't afraid to re-evaluate long held ideologies in light of emerging business ideas. Overall an enjoyable and enlightening book.

Incredible book! Very insightful towards the success and wisdom of the modern household names of today. Great book to expand your knowledge of basic supply and demand and other simple economic principles. The authors are obviously knowledgeable of the topic and eloquently explained such principles.

this was an incredibly insightful book. as non-technical person, i was concerned that I wouldnt be able to follow but it was super accessible for a more business minded reader. It really opened my mind to different opportunities in tech for both startups and large companies. I feel like anyone who is serious about starting a business should be reading this book. A MUST READ!

Unlike most "grow your business" books, MODERN MONOPOLIES: WHAT IT TAKES TO DOMINATE THE 21ST CENTURY ECONOMY is entertaining and easy to read, even as it teaches important lessons about how the technological revolution has destroyed the traditional business model for sustaining highly successful companies (e.g., Nokia, RIM). The new successful business model is the "platform", defined as "a business that connects two or more mutually dependent groups in a way that benefits all sides" (e.g., eBay's connecting buyers and sellers, iOS's connecting consumers and developers). Thus it was the "platform" model, with music and apps, that enabled the iPhone with its inferior hardware to capture the market share of Nokia and Blackberry devices with superior hardware.

Authors Moazed and Johnson are, respectively, the CEO of, and a researcher at, the company Applico, touted as "the world's first Platform Innovation company" (with clients that include Google, Lockheed Martin, Auctionata). Thus the authors are not exactly neutral observers or analysts, although this book does seem to live up to their claim of understanding platforms better than anyone else around.

For me, it's fascinating to read about the Alibaba CEO's tactics that pushed eBay out of the Chinese market and paved the way for Taobao to "claim the battlefield". Or to find out what really happened to Myspace, and to learn more about how Facebook took over the world.

Aspects of many successful platforms are discussed (e.g., Uber, the store, Twitter, YouTube), in terms of how they connect and reward users, both suppliers and consumers. Best of all, this book leaves out the pompous jargon that you find in so many business books. These authors know what they're talking about, and don't need to resort to business-school-language to try to impress the reader with their academic erudition.

A bit repetitive to my taste since after the first four iterations of how CEOs missed the big change to platforms from products my interest was much more on the nature of what that change meant. Is it totally the app store revolution or is there some guidance to how contemporaries can take advantage of this insight in their own businesses? Does this mean practically all of modern entrepreneurial efforts should be of this nature or are there still opportunities for products themselves?

Well written book laid out in a sensible, easy to read outline of the platform business model. The authors also did a good job removing or explaining jargon. It included very current examples - I love reading business books that seem like they were written yesterday.

For someone who is in the business of developing live music entertainment platforms this was a very interesting read to understand creating platforms for business via technology. The book is insightful and useful for anyone with a start up.

Excellent piece on the direction for success in the economy. Build a network and let them do the work while you guide the transactions – that's the secret! Startups should read this before they write a single line of code or close any investments.

Superb overview of platforms! Would like to see more about hybrid models. The comparison to linear models did a good job in couching the evolution to platforms. The diagrams were insightful and very helpful.

Sixty years ago, the average life span of a company in the S&P 500 was over 50 years. Today it's less than 15. This upheaval creates tremendous peril, but it also creates enormous opportunities. To have their readership take advantage of these changes is why the authors wrote this book. And an excellent job they did, as well they should; simply because they have a proven track record, as one of the most successful app developers in the country. While many of their competitors were acquired or went out of business, their company thrived by becoming the world's first Platform Innovation company. Each day they work with some of the world's leading businesses and hottest stratups and grow innovative platforms. They understand platforms better than anyone else in the world today; at the heart of the technological changes of the last half of the decade.
The authors share that knowledge with the readers to impart their insight that drove them to transform from an app developer into a company laser-focused entirely on platforms.
Chapters 1-4 explain what a platform business model is and why platforms are reinventing the economy today. The rest of the book, chapters
5-8, dig deeply into how platform business models work, sharing some of the insights and frameworks they used to help clients become modern monopolies.
And there is the rub; at least for this reader, as I can't make the necessary mental jump through any cognitive hoop that assures us that monopolies work in this digital capitalistic model of the 21st Century. Or, more precisely, that it works; and that it is digital capitalism needs to be reengineered to support our democracies - not their monopolies.
I can't fault the writers for surviving and thriving in this atmosphere. Nor, in providing interested readers with the wherewithal, to benefit from their expertise. Rather, I take the approach that the authors are dead right; and we as a people need to realize that digital capitalism, in its present form, is dead wrong!
The digital is not a realm without boundaries: capital scarcity sets the limits for the immaterial production characteristic of digital capitalism, a
point of extension beyond which the political economy most inevitably collapse. The economic collapses of the Dot. Com Bubble and the Housing Bubble, et. al., were not only inevitable, but are a structural effect of the transition to immaterial production, and the human collateral damage a sign of its productive nature. These economic upheavals are direct evidence for the impact of immaterial production through the digital manipulation of finance as a semiotic system. A system haunted by the attempt to expand towards infinity inherent to capitalism in general; the shift to fiat currency/as much as the use of rentier currency; and the ideological blindness in those that obscenely benefit - beyond any reasonable belief.

Another day, another book evangelizing how software will take over the world, but this time with the spin that platforms are the real one true way to make tons of money - by connecting people. Leveraging Facebook, the app store, Google, AirBnB, and every other popular thing you can imagine, the authors explore how these platforms can eventually reach scale and size and become a natural monopoly.

Pros:
- Well written, interesting, and if you're into tech, you'll recognize a lot here and it will certainly resonate / make sense to you.
- An excellent section on the pitfalls of the platform, including trolls, power of the platform, and more.

Cons:
- The chapter that dives into Hayek and economic theory felt largely out of place, as if this straightforward book was delving into econ class territory.
- It will feel very dated and odd soon. It's written like many other books in this genre - very appropriate for the time, but ages extremely rapidly. This book will not become a classic.
- There's not enough meat here to fill a book. I could have gotten the entire idea in a handful of paragraphs, without the exposition and side roads that were taken the get there.

Great book on the future of tech and business

The timing is right for platforms! Modern Monopolies spells out what's been happening over the last decades and what's coming for the next one. Solid book and one of the best to come out this year.

Like Moses leading his people out of Egypt, this book can lead a company out of being disrupted and irrelevant and into the promised land of monopoly. Quick read for me and good stories to share. Platforms are the gold standard for businesses across the board.

The stories and allow you to understand the lessons in depth. As someone who recently transitioned into the tech field, this book helped me jump right in and build a mindset to build and support tech businesses. Read it! Use it!