Map the Future

by Michael Mace

“Even before finishing the book, I had written a stream of emails to my professional colleagues, making suggestions for new approaches in our projects, based on the examples I had just read.”—David W. Wood, Technology Planning Lead, Accenture MobilityMap the Future is a how-to book for business strategy. It teaches you how to combine information about competitors, customers, and technology trends to spot future opportunities and problems before they're obvious, which lets you grab opportunities before anyone else, and get ready for your competitors' responses before they happen. Written by a tech industry executive who managed product and business strategy at companies including Apple and Palm, the book is full of hands-on practical guidance for anyone who works on strategy, from individual contributor to senior manager. “Map the Future is your cookbook for developing a strong roadmap and strategy. I wish I'd had a guide like Map the Future when I started my career. ”—Gina Clark, Vice President & General Manager, Integrated Collaboration Group, Cisco Systems, Inc. Most companies think about the future the wrong way. Visionary companies try to impose their will on the future, like a military drill sergeant; analytical companies try to predict the future in detail, like a weather report. Both approaches fail when there are changes we didn't anticipate. The reality is that the future's not determined yet, so you can't predict it exactly, and you can't always control it. What we need instead is a map of the possibilities, like a highway map for the future, so you can see where you can and can't go, and then nudge events toward the future you want to see. Map the Future teaches you how to build that future roadmap, and how to use it to drive strategy.“Map the Future explains the small steps and the big ones in a clear, compelling and convincing narrative that’s fun to read, too. I wish all the business guidebooks I've read were as good as this one.”—Matt Bacon, Deputy Director, Device Strategy and Communication, Orange-France Telecom GroupThe book is organized like a cookbook. It starts with an overview that's relevant to all readers, and then dives into detailed how-to instructions on strategy-related subjects, ranging from how to manage a competitive analysis team to how to influence people who don't want to listen. There's a lot of information on what works and doesn't work in large companies, but there are also sections on what to do if you're in a small company or startup.Topics covered to create a future road map and use it to drive strategy-How to segment the market for a new product-How to recruit and manage competitive analysis and market research teams-How to create and use technology forecasts-How to lead Agile product development through strategy-How to do competitive analysis and market research if you’re in a small company with no budget-How to read the adoption curve and how to tell when you’ve crossed the chasm-How to influence a large company-How to apply competitive, market, and advanced technology research to strategy“Map the Future is an indispensable complement to all the executive strategy guides and market research manuals overflowing airport bookstores everywhere.”—Craig Froehle, Ph.D., Professor, Lindner College of Business, University of CincinnatiABOUT THE AUTHOR. A longtime veteran of Silicon Valley, Michael Mace has co-founded two startups, and worked as an executive and consultant for many of the industry’s leading firms.

Genres: Business

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Alex Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough, practical advice about how to think better about the future. Particularly good on how you ought to blend market research, PR, tech and research.