27A - Reading Reflection #3

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More, Chris Anderson

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

Chris Andreson describes how we no longer look for 'Smash Hits' or 'Best Sellers' because our society has so many options to chose from, that now they look for particularities to fulfill their specific necessities. The author claims that we no longer look for what everyone has, but we look for what we truly look for. Meaning people have so many options and way to access those option that they won't settle for anything but what they really want. For example, as a soccer enthusiastic, I don't buy my boots just because someone wheres it, I buy the boots that works the best for me. The boots that is better for my playing style and that pleases my taste. The books shows how our society is changing from a wave buyer society to a more selective buyer society.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

As we start working on our business we tend to think that everyone will like our service or product, but that is a wrong idea. It is important to focus on a small group of people that "truly" wants that specific product or service. For example, in my real estate career it would be foolish for me to work with someone that has no interest in purchasing a property, instead I focus on the small niche that has interest on buying a home, either now or 5 years from now.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

It really is harder than we think to find those specific niches. I feel that it takes a lot of practice to become good at it. Through our semester Dr. Prior gave us many examples and exercises to find those niches, and any of those would apply as an exercise from this book.  

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

I had a good understanding about the need of a niche, but this books gives us clarity on what to look for. I really liked how the book talked about how a big chunk of the population in America used to listen to the bands like queen, pink Floyd in the 70s, and 80s, and how now we have more than 500,000  artists to choose from and a good amount of those artists are actually successful , showing how much space there is for every niche.