Killing Giants
10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry
By: Stephen Denny
Published: March 31, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1591843839
ISBN-13: 978-1591843832
Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin
"What connects each is a desire to do the impossible, every day: kill the giant in their industry", writes strategist and marketing consultant Stephen Denny in his thought provoking and insightful book Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry. The author describes how a small player in any industry can topple the giant industry leader through a combination of brains, street smarts, and agility.
Stephen Denny takes the provocative position that the small competitor in an industry can out think and out compete the leader in that same field. The concept that a Goliath in the market can be felled by a little David is counter to conventional thought. When considered objectively, and without the fear of being trampled by the behemoth, the idea that the little guy can prevail takes on new meaning. The small less bureaucratic business, is much more nimble and able to respond to changes in the marketplace and the overall economy, than the much slower moving giant. This ability to act quickly decisively, serves to level the playing field on behalf of the giant slayer. What is critical for the small player is to think and act in new and exciting ways, and take advantage of smallness, to displace the established industry leader.
Stephen Denny (photo left) reminds the would be giant killer that the market conditions of today actually work in favor of the small player. The economy and the marketplace of the past, that worked to the benefit of the giants, no longer exists. Stephen Denny points out that the giants, being slow and resistant to change, have not yet grasped the evolution in the marketplace. As a result, customers can be taken right under the nose of the oblivious giant. Stephen Denny not only provides a detailed examination of both giants and giant topplers, but also offers ten very intriguing strategies for taking down the unwary colossus. The tactics are presented in the form of tales of giant killing successes, and what worked for the smaller competitor. The stories not only contain overt lessons, but on additional examination yield up also deeper philosophies of winning what is on the surface an unfair game. For the would be defeater of giants, the stories are more than just a collection of case studies, but are a series of stories of reinventing the marketplace to one that tilts the scales toward the small company.
For me, the power of the book is how Stephen Denny describes both the theory and the process for defeating the giant in any industry. The author presents a solid case on behalf of the smaller, more responsive competitor as holding much more power than they usually believe they possess. Stephen Denny points out that not all giants are identical, and this important factor also works to the advantage of the would be giant killer. The differences in the forms and sizes of the largest players offer different options and opportunities for the small company. The author illustrates each of the book's ten strategies through intriguing stories, in a self contained chapter format. The tactics can be read sequentially, or as stand alone lessons from the real world.
To his credit, Stephen Denny resists the usual desire on the part of business book authors to offer standard advice and best practices. Instead of this usual technique, the author shares the stories of companies who overcame the challenges presented by facing an overpowering giant in their market. What the stories provide, that the simple reciting of advice does not, are the variety of giants and of the types of smaller companies that defeat them. A combination of the tactics employed by the successful giant slayers, or any one of their methods, might work for any small business. What is important is the understanding, as conveyed so well by Stephen Denny, is that small is a virtue and an advantage in today's marketplace. The old rules no longer apply, leaving the giants more vulnerable to being overwhelmed than ever before.
I highly recommend the essential and must read book Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry by Stephen Denny, to anyone seeking to dislodge the seemingly invincible leader from their industry. This book will change forever the way that you view the large players in your market. Instead of being dazzled by their sheer size or market share, you will discover how to identify and exploit their structural weaknesses.
Read the industry transformational book Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry by Stephen Denny, and be prepared to challenge the leaders in your industry for market supremacy. You will soon learn that the bigger the giant, the harder they fall.
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