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Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Play Bigger LLC (Author), Sean Pratt (Narrator), Dave Peterson (Author),
4.5 out of 5 stars 1,019 ratings

The founders of a respected Silicon Valley advisory firm study legendary category-creating companies and reveal a groundbreaking discipline called category design.

Winning today isn't about beating the competition at the old game. It's about inventing a whole new game - defining a new market category, developing it, and dominating it over time. You can't build a legendary company without building a legendary category. If you think that having the best product is all it takes to win, you're going to lose.

In this farsighted, pioneering guide, the founders of Silicon Valley advisory firm Play Bigger rely on data analysis and interviews to understand the inner workings of "category kings" - companies such as Amazon, Salesforce, Uber, and IKEA - that give us new ways of living, thinking, or doing business, often solving problems we didn't know we had.

In Play Bigger, the authors assemble their findings to introduce the new discipline of category design. By applying category design, companies can create new demand where none existed, conditioning customers' brains so they change their expectations and buying habits. While this discipline defines the tech industry, it applies to every kind of industry and even to personal careers.

Crossing the Chasm revolutionized how we think about new products in an existing market. The Innovator's Dilemma taught us about disrupting an aging market. Now, Play Bigger is transforming business once again, showing us how to create the market itself.

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  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 7 minutes
  2. Author
    Play Bigger LLC, see all
  3. Narrator
    Sean Pratt
  4. Audible release date
    June 14, 2016
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HarperAudio
  7. ASIN
    B01DMY8IUE
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 7 minutes
Author Play Bigger LLC, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, Kevin Maney
Narrator Sean Pratt
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date June 14, 2016
Publisher HarperAudio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01DMY8IUE
Best Sellers Rank #13,259 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#11 in Consumer Behavior (Audible Books & Originals)
#24 in Forecasting & Strategic Planning
#30 in Marketing & Consumer Behavior

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,019 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book highly insightful, filled with case studies and excellent examples, making it a must-read for those in the startup world. Moreover, the writing is concise and intuitive, and customers appreciate how it specifically addresses category creation. Additionally, the book is actionable, with one customer noting it provides a framework for redefining business strategies.

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InsightReadabilityWriting qualityCategory designActionable
62 customers mention "Insight"59 positive3 negative

Customers find the book insightful, filled with excellent examples and case studies.

"...I also greatly appreciated the footnotes and encourage the reader to check each one out - the authors have great insights and a wonderful sense of..." Read more

"...and continually evolving a market category, it is also a manual full of highly motivational and practical life lessons...." Read more

"...The thesis is well-founded - a few companies (1-3) take almost all the spoils from new categories...." Read more

"Great read , love the philosophy inside , probably i will start applying the knowable i got from this book slavo.io" Read more

46 customers mention "Readability"46 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and well-written, describing it as an amazing and fantastic read that is a must for anyone in the startup world.

"Play Bigger is highly recommended and a must read book regardless of the industry or field you are in...." Read more

"Great read , love the philosophy inside , probably i will start applying the knowable i got from this book slavo.io" Read more

"...It is very good and specifically addresses category creation, which is something that wildly successful companies do over and over...." Read more

"...Nice book..." Read more

18 customers mention "Writing quality"16 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, finding it concise and an intuitive read, with one customer noting it is written in a captivating style.

"...to check each one out - the authors have great insights and a wonderful sense of humor...." Read more

"...combined it with validated market data, leveraged Kevin Maney’s great writing talent and created a must read “classic” that allows room for each..." Read more

"...They do provide good examples and an easy and approachable framework." Read more

"...It is well-written, funny, and gives interesting real-life examples. Word to wise...read the footnotes--they are great!" Read more

16 customers mention "Category design"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's focus on category design, with multiple reviews highlighting its comprehensive approach to creating and dominating markets.

"...- it is a fascinating view into the process of defining, creating and winning a category...." Read more

"...PlayBigger delivers on a clear road map to category design and points the way for those brave enough to seek to “dent the universe.”..." Read more

"...It is very good and specifically addresses category creation, which is something that wildly successful companies do over and over...." Read more

"...Well, category design was totally new to me and will open new ways of thinking for sure. Nice book..." Read more

4 customers mention "Actionable"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book actionable, with one mentioning it provides a framework for redefining business strategies.

"...This book cuts through the noise and gives you actionable advice that will give you a great ROI on the time spent reading it...." Read more

"...and turns it into an actionable playbook with real world examples from the best category creating companies in..." Read more

"...the authors have built upon it a clear, concise, and actionable framework for redefining and dominating a market...." Read more

"...Also great action items to apply for positioning yourself to dominate your career." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • R. OBrien
    5.0 out of 5 stars Play Bigger is highly recommended and a must read book regardless of the industry ...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Play Bigger is highly recommended and a must read book regardless of the industry or field you are in. For people in technology - the industry that the authors have build their reputations in - it is a fascinating view into the process of defining, creating and winning a category. The book is filled with excellent examples of how category leading firms - from Birdseye Foods to Uber - have created and dominated markets by focusing on category design as well as product and company design.

    I particularly appreciated two of the chapters - Chapter 5 on the importance of a Point of View and Chapter 10 on how you can play bigger. In the final chapter, the authors connect the concepts of the book to the reader personally and help empower to reader to 'play bigger'. I also greatly appreciated the footnotes and encourage the reader to check each one out - the authors have great insights and a wonderful sense of humor.

    Play Bigger has a personal connection for me in that I have been on the receiving end of the power of category design. I competed with one of the authors who was at Mercury Interactive. Mercury brilliantly re-defined the software testing market, introduced a compelling point of view (Business Technology Optimization), secured alignment with thought leaders and industry analysts and became the overwhelming category leader leaving all the other firms behind. It happened quickly (within a year) and once it was over it was over. Mercury went on to have a successful acquisition by HP and other the other firms fell by the wayside. The lesson was painful at the time but was also a front row seat to the power of category design and a fascinating lesson. Proof that much can be learned from failure as well as success.

    Play Bigger is a great read and the authors have a fascinating point of view. I am confident that Play Bigger will eventually be considered one of the must read books. Enjoy.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Years Gone By
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unicorns, pirates, dreamers, VC’s and entrepreneurs- Required summer, fall, winter spring reading!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    PlayBigger should be required reading for any "business builder" who dreams, doesn't remember their dreams or just needs to start thinking bigger. While the book is a guide to designing, creating, owning and continually evolving a market category, it is also a manual full of highly motivational and practical life lessons.

    Full disclosure, I have the personal pleasure of knowing the PlayBigger founders. They have taken their many years of pushing the marketing envelope, combined it with validated market data, leveraged Kevin Maney’s great writing talent and created a must read “classic” that allows room for each individual’s voice and wisdom to shine.

    There is a 1981-1983 comedy TV program “The Greatest American Hero” about a guy walking the beach who finds a superhero suit left behind by space aliens. In his excitement, he drops the suit's manual on the beach and now he has to learn the powers of being a super hero alone. How many early stage companies, established businesses, brilliant MBA students and those of us who are veterans of a long list of adventures still keep searching for “The Manual.” Start with this book.

    I admittedly am scared as hell to go down a ski slope at 80 MPH, let alone lean into it. I don’t work for SAP, but know many who have and don’t any longer (page 26). But, I do know innovation and wisdom. This world desperately needs new ways of thinking, impacting and solving a long list of problems. PlayBigger delivers on a clear road map to category design and points the way for those brave enough to seek to “dent the universe.”

    All of us who are serial entrepreneurs, impassioned change agents, strategic marketing gurus, investors, mentors, voices of written and verbal reason can learn a great deal from the vision and grounded reality shared by the authors.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • @gregshove
    4.0 out of 5 stars Read it and bought 10 more
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Not sure I would give any biz book 5 stars, but I read about 3-4 a year and this is one of the best in recent years - in part as the playbook for category domination is well-timed for my business. The thesis is well-founded - a few companies (1-3) take almost all the spoils from new categories. for example in marketing automation software, here's the rundown for value creation for the companies that launched in last 10 years: Marketo $1.8B, Eloqua $850M, Pardot $80M and the rest....? Or file management: Box, Dropbox, that company that renamed itself...and ??? You get the point.

    Would like to have read more and less obvious case studies - google, amazon, salesforce etc are all so unique in the scale of their success and category domination. would like to have heard more about companies that jumped into the #1 slot in categories that had 3-8 competitors early on - and how they used their own category "lightning strikes" to turn the category into a 1 or 2 horse race.

    Advice on how to do category design in a big company or for own personal life seemed a little thin - but the core of the book is aimed at entrepreneurs and provides the playbook and advice to go after a category and win. So if you think your company has potential, buy this book. I just bought ten more for my mgt team and other CEO friends.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Slavo3Dev
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Great read , love the philosophy inside , probably i will start applying the knowable i got from this book slavo.io
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  • Reg Nordman
    5.0 out of 5 stars How to be the best - really well done
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book was referenced in Traversing the Traction Gap so I had to read it.  It is very good and specifically addresses category creation, which is something that wildly successful companies do over and over. The authors take you through a proven  methodology of becoming a category kind. ( For many types to organizations and individuals). You will appreciate the highly specific and recognizable examples used by the authors.  Unlike other books in this genre , it has the benefits of depth and thought coming from the experiences of four individuals.  It could be a life changing book for executives and individuals.  But you need to want to be more than better, you want to be recognized as different  ( Apple is not just better, it is different)
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cristina Danila
    4.0 out of 5 stars Category design will become the core of your strategy
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    If ypu want to conquer a new category, just invent it. Agret book on how Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Netflix became category leaders and how you can apply those rules to your business.
    Great book, easy to read and very insightful.
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  • Aleksandar
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but a little mainstream. Also could've just been an essay
    Reviewed in Brazil on January 21, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Not a bad book. A little mainstream in some of the areas, but some good thinking around the importance of establishing a category.
    It probably could've been an essay instead of a book.
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  • Roberto A. Castillo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great strategy book for entrepreneurs
    Reviewed in Germany on February 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I read a lot of business books and this is definitely one of a dozen I highly recommend to any entrepreneur serious about succeeding. Highly recommended book with really actionable learnings.
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  • Wuurman
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read si vous voulez comprendre le sujet
    Reviewed in France on December 28, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Super livre qui approche le sujet de category creation
    Pragmatique et truffé d'exemple
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Its a game-changer
    Reviewed in Australia on May 26, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I found this to be a very inspirational book, really insightful. It has a wonderful authoring style that makes it easy to read, and its great to learn from someone like Al who has such broad and interesting experiences in both business and innovation.

    I think the type of person who should read this book are those involved in business in a leadership role and who want to be able to see things in a different dimension. I enjoyed reading this book and it helped me to see business in a different way if I wanted to see into the future.

    I highly recommend this book , and the subject it covers is a game changer.
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