Judo Strategy

very practical book, hope there will be a second book on this with more recent case studies

This book is helping me dominate my much larger and iconic competitors by taking some of there market share! Has clear and simple strategies that are powerful.

Here's how to write a top selling consulting book. 1. Take an analogy that hasn't been given much airplay in business management books ie Judo, gardening, the Bible, climbing mountains, roman empire etc - anything will do. 2. Read some articles and talk to someone in the area to find out the basic ideas. Assume they apply to business. 3. Find some business examples that appear to support the analogy. 4. Write a business management book making up the connections and analogy as you go along. 5. Do the minimum amount of research. Base the case studies on news magazine articles and a few interviews. 6. Include a list of the top 10 secrets, 9 golden rules, 8 key points etc 7. Get other management writers and consultants to give your book a glowing review on the basis that you will give their next book a glowing review. 8. Write some magazine articles and submit them to uncritical, gee whiz publications like Fast Company. 9. Sell lots of books, do lots of high paid lectures, join McKinsey as a partner. 10. When everyone realises your ideas are not that useful pick a new analogy and start again.

I read dozens of business books every year, and this one is a standout. In clear compelling language, Yoffie and Kwak lay out a set of strategic principles and techniques that companies can use to fight back against stronger competitors. The three principles they analyze are movement, balance, and leverage; the techniques include the puppy dog ploy, define the competitive space, and leverage your opponent's assets, partners, and competitors. These ideas come originally from the sport of judo, but Yoffie and Kwak demonstrate through numerous examples that they also make sense in business. As well as short examples from Intuit, eBay, Schwab, etc. that are used to explain the three principles, the book includes indepth studies of three companies that have been successful at judo strategy (Palm, Real Networks, and CNET). These chapters are a "must read" for anyone interested in the new economy. A great deal has been written about all three companies (especially Palm), but here the analysis and details, often culled from interviews, are first-rate. The last section of the book deals with sumo strategy, which is the counterpart to judo for large companies such as Microsoft and Intel. Smaller companies will find few direct lessons here, but reading about sumo strategy is a good wake-up call for anyone who thought that competing with giants might be easy.

To understand strategy we study the details of campaigns, what worked and why. You can fill a library with good books on military affairs, but if you want to think about business strategy there are relatively few that combine reliable history with analysis. Most business strategy books are either simple exhortations to do better or rigid formulas that would have brought tears to Clausewitz's eyes. Many business histories, on the other hand, offer little more than a dry recital of events. Judo Strategy is different. This is good analytic history, blending individual perspectives with overall strategy issues. Yoffie and Kwak bring in the personal dimension, while not losing sight of what it really takes to win. They present numerous detailed accounts of how entrepreneurs built (and in some cases then damaged) some of the country's best-known companies. Judo Strategy provides both an entertaining read and an important reference volume for entrepreneurs. Napoleon is quoted as saying: "Read and reread the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, Ceasar, Gustavus Adolphus, Turenne, Eugène, and Frederick; take them for your model, that is the only way of becoming a great captain, to obtain the secrets of the art of war." Following this logic, we should read and reread the campaigns of companies like eBay, Palm Computing, Sony, and Charles Schwab. Start with Judo Strategy.

What is your business dilemma? In short. You business dilemma is your DR is reluctantly against your request to study competitor's strength. This entertaining concepts could provide recommendation for you to inspire them, I assume.

The book is very good and give the reader a broad perspective and 360 degree view of business model. It tells you how to think on another side of what we thought. Tell you the examples from the past. Even though it forces some example to be an example of the strategy, it's still good to know what we should look. I believe this is one of the best book for any business man who has 360 degree perspective.

Okay, I'm biased about this book. After all, our story (the Palm story) is well profiled in it! But I do believe that Yoffie and Kwak have captured and articulated well some of the essential elements of our strategy. Judo Strategy gives solid advice, and is loaded with examples, for those entrepreneurs who dare to compete against industry giants. Refreshingly, it also instructs you on what NOT to do, which is sometimes even more important. I recommend this book for anybody who choses to compete with market leaders.

I'm only disappointed, because I thought the book was about judo. This book is a business book, and it would have been a great idea to mention it at some stage, either in the title or anywhere actually. It might be a good book about business, I don't know cause I'm not interested.