Digital Darwinism (9780749482282) – Kogan Page

About the book

Digital Darwinism takes an exhilarating look at disruptive thinking to inspire those who want to be the best at digital transformation. Change across business is accelerating, but the lifespan of companies is decreasing. Life is more unpredictable than ever and leaders are facing a growing abundance of decisions to make, data to process and technology that threatens to disrupt even the most established business models. These are the forces that could destroy your company but, with the right strategy in place, they could also help you transform it into a market leader. Digital Darwinism is a guiding hand through the turbulence of this moment, offering practical strategies as well as an ambitious call-to-action that lights a fire underneath complacency and inspires creative change.

In this book, Tom Goodwin shines a light into the future by exploring technology, society and the lessons of the past so that you can understand how to adapt, what to embrace and what to ignore. Goodwin proves how every assumption the business world has previously made about "digital" is wrong in order to revolutionize your mindset: incremental change isn't good enough, adding technology at the edges won't work and digital isn't a thing - it's everything. If you want your organization to succeed in the post-digital age, you need to be enlightened by Digital Darwinism.

A fascinating dip into a disruptive future.Dylan Jones, Editor, GQ

This finally answered many questions about innovation which have long haunted me - not least why most large companies are typically so bad at it. It's one of those rare books that is worth reading twice.Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Group, and TED speaker

In a cacophony of voices calling for an immediate digital revolution, how reassuring to hear one advocating a more nuanced and balanced path forward for your business. How refreshing to have an author parting the weeds of digital transformation, offering homespun, achievable suggestions and solutions for your company.The digital world is littered with a baffling array of jargon and acronyms. Goodwin cuts through the gobbledygook to offer down-to-earth, practical advice for transforming your business. Digital Darwinism reassures you that futurizing your company doesn't mean you need to be the next Uber or Amazon of anything. Among the multiple platinum nuggets in this book, the most valuable takeaway is that change must be at the core of your business, not at the edges. Digitally transform your business? First change the way you think about change.

In Digital Darwinism, Goodwin presents a thoughtful canvas of digital wisdom, covering the past, present and future with smart illustrative examples. It's a great map of the entire digital landscape, sprinkled with invaluable insights to act upon.Stefan Olander, former Vice President, Global Digital Innovation, Nike

The future does not fit in the containers or mindsets of the past. This book persuades, provokes and points to ways to rethink your business. Society, business and life are being disrupted by a revolutionary stage of evolution: Digital Darwinism. This book provides ways to thrive in the new environment.Rishad Tobaccowala, transformation expert, speaker and writer, and Chief Growth Officer and member of the Management Committee, Publicis Groupe

Goodwin delivers what he promises in his preface: the book is wildly irritating and inspiring at the same time. It is a passionate cry for more common sense in corporate decision making. The examples he provides demonstrate how little companies have embraced the digital age. Goodwin rightly questions the attempts from corporations to overcome disruption and ambiguity in the digital age either by better planning or by minor adjustments to business models and strategies that were developed in a bygone era of stability, linearity and predictability. He reminds us that a flexible response is the only answer to massively changing corporate environments and that entrepreneurship means maximizing opportunities and overcoming obstacles instead of minimizing risks. An overdue book.

Tom Goodwin sees organizations facing a Darwinian battle for survival, given the pace of technical change. That's familiar ground. What's so refreshing is his notion that empathy will be crucial in that battle - that businesses that put people first are most likely to stay the right side of the chaos.Mark Jones, Commissioning Editor, the World Economic Forum Agenda; formerly Global Editor, Networked Journalism, and Global Communities Editor, Reuters News

Tom Goodwin shows how Darwinian success depends not on ruthlessness but on learning how to play well with others.Douglas Rushkoff, author, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus

Goodwin is the right kind of futurist: he's a history geek at heart, and recognizes that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. Context is king, and there's plenty of that in this intelligently constructed book.Paul Kemp-Robertson, Co-founder, Contagious

If you ever wondered if and how you and your organization could survive and grow in today's disruptive environment this is the book for you. This beautifully written book offers an informative and insightful description of the age of disruption, the need for a paradigm shift in our thinking and practical guidelines for survival and growth. Enjoy, learn and apply.Jerry Wind, The Lauder Professor Emeritus of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Today the words disruption and innovation are plastered everywhere. We've become numb to them, lost in a sea of information. The future is here yet it is understood unequally. With Digital Darwinism, Tom Goodwin uses his unique combination of passion, empathy and audacity to give us all an equal understanding of the future as it bowls over us.John Winsor, thinker, advisor and entrepreneur building platforms in the marketing, media and innovation industries, and Founder and CEO, Open Assembly