Profit From the Core

In this summary you will learn

• What a core business is
• Why it matters
• How to build your business by developing adjacent concerns based on its core

getAbstract rating

Why you should read Profit From the Core

This book is a classic in the genre of popular business strategy. Chris Zook and James Allen outline a compelling case for focusing your company on one or two core businesses, and expanding – with discipline – from that core into adjacent businesses. They base their prescription on a 10-year study of more than 2,000 companies. Their presentation is clear and logical; it sweeps the reader along. However, just as you are nodding your assent at some clearly established point, the authors cite Enron or WorldCom as examples of firms that are doing things right. Such is the danger that even solid classics endure as the years pass. These examples have not endured the test of time, which affects their utility but does not dilute this book’s position as an early innovator. Written when the Internet stock bubble was at its most expansive, the book reflects some of that market’s wide-eyed euphoria about technology. Yet getAbstract finds that the authors make some good, memorable – even lasting – points. They position the phrase “core business” in the vocabulary of commerce, and explain what it means and what context it connotes. However anachronistic some of their examples may have become, their analysis retains value as a touchstone for strategists.

About the Authors

Christopher Zook is head of worldwide strategy for a major international consulting business. He is also the author of Beyond the Core and Unstoppable. James Allen is CEO of a venture capital firm that helps launch new Internet-enabled businesses.