Modern Monopolies: What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy
Kindle
$14.47
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$20.98
Audible Logo Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
$0.00
  • Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
  • One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
  • You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
  • $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $24.95
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company

Modern Monopolies: What It Takes to Dominate the 21st Century Economy Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Nicholas L. Johnson (Author), Alex Moazed (Author), Jonathan Yen (Narrator),
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 620 ratings
See all formats and editions

What do Google, Snapchat, Tinder, Amazon, and Uber have in common, besides soaring market share? They're platforms - a new business model that has quietly become the only game in town, creating vast fortunes for its founders while dominating everyone's daily life. A platform, by definition, creates value by facilitating an exchange between two or more interdependent groups. So, rather than making things, they simply connect people.

The Internet today is awash in platforms - Facebook is responsible for nearly 25 percent of total Web visits, and the Google platform crash in 2013 took about 40 percent of Internet traffic with it. Representing the 10 most trafficked sites in the US, platforms are also prominent over the globe; in China, they hold the top eight spots in web traffic rankings.

The advent of mobile computing and its ubiquitous connectivity have forever altered how we interact with each other, melding the digital and physical worlds and blurring distinctions between "offline" and "online." These platform giants are expanding their influence from the digital world to the whole economy. Yet, few people truly grasp the radical structural shifts of the last 10 years. In Modern Monopolies, Alex Moazed and Nicholas L. Johnson tell the definitive story of what has changed, what it means for businesses today, and how managers, entrepreneurs, and business owners can adapt and thrive in this new era.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 7 minutes
  2. Author
    Nicholas L. Johnson, see all
  3. Narrator
    Jonathan Yen
  4. Audible release date
    November 14, 2017
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Audible Studios
  7. ASIN
    B075Y29BXX
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
Next page

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $7.49 after you buy the Kindle book.

Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 7 minutes
Author Nicholas L. Johnson, Alex Moazed
Narrator Jonathan Yen
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date November 14, 2017
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B075Y29BXX
Best Sellers Rank #21,986 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#31 in Technology & Society
#81 in Computer History & Culture (Books)
#158 in Entrepreneurship (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
620 global ratings
Platforms are the new black
5 Stars
Platforms are the new black
As a digital startup cofounder, I found a lot to love about this delicious tome. With two other network effects books on my shelf already, I’ll now recommend this one. Why? It’s got breadth for context, lots of real-world examples, plus depth for understanding. Lastly, it’s accessible for platform economics newbies while still offering tasty insights for digiteers.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent book, and goes into great detail about its ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book, and goes into great detail about its premise (the "modern monopoly") and how it is fundamentally different from the traditional monopolies that dominated (and exploited) capitalism in the past. Unlike many other books, Moazed and Johnson draw their evidence from modern examples: Facebook, Apple, Google, Uber, the large players whom have made their fortunes from the new "platform business model".

Modern Monopolies discusses the power of networks, and how the traditional "one-to-many", B-to-C model is evolving into a "many-to-many", C-to-C model with a platform business as the supervisor. The authors combine theory with practice, bringing in economic theory but supplementing it with real-world, historical examples.

This is useful for any business person, from an entrepreneur trying to make his/her way with a small startup to the largest Fortune 500 CEO trying to pivot and evolve their corporation. After reading this, I was inspired to think about what other sorts of traditional, one-to-many businesses could be transformed via a many-to-many model. Highly recommended.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Matt Smedley
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Thought provoking
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Gives you an inside look on the tech industry that has revolutionized and given rise to an array of platforms where groups of people can be connected. Whether it is for trade or conversation these platforms have shifted the business landscape from what it used to be with wonderful insights on how to adapt and use these new systems to our advantage.

Modern Monopolies also contains a wealth of knowledge into how to build and sustain a platform. Truly an excellent read for those who need to learn about constantly adapting and evolving their online space and avoid stagnation. I truly recommend this book for anyone, whether you're starting a small business or a long time expert in their field, it provides valuable knowledge to anyone attempting to stay relevant.
Helpful
 Report
Matthew
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for anyone interested in economic trends as well as software entrepreneurs
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
I wish I had this book when I was launching my first platform business. The book cites the obvious examples today (Airbnb, Uber, etc.) while drawing clear contrasts against what could often be confused as platform businesses (Netflix). There are strong examples of the structure of the platform business model throughout without too much depth to get caught into specific weeds. Overall, it's a great primer to frame thinking around the platform business model and analyze existing or potential businesses more critically.

I had hope the book would have gone into more detail on the revenue generation mechanics of the companies creating the connections between producers and consumers, but could see how that is a very extensive topic in its own right probably worthy of it's own book :)

I definitely recommend for anyone interested in the economic trend towards the dominance of companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple as well as anyone who is starting a platform business of their own who wants to analyze their roadmap and strategy more critically.
Helpful
 Report
Aaron Rondina
4.0 out of 5 stars Moazed and Johnson outline a framework for creating the perfect platform. It is vague and perhaps intentionally withholding
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
The authors contend that the "platform" (e-marketplace) is the dominant business model of the current economy and that platform-based monopolies are, in contrast to traditional sentiment regarding monopolies, positive contributors to innovation and competition. Though these "modern monopolies" act as centralized regulators of the markets they oversee, the authors suggest data and technology allow regulation to be performed seamlessly. The result is a marketplace in which every player holds updated and accurate information on the goods and services being sold.

In the second half of the book, Moazed and Johnson outline a framework for creating the perfect platform. It is vague and perhaps intentionally withholding, as the book is partially a marketing outlet for the authors' company. This fact does not diminish the information's inherent value, though. Take a look at one of the many unicorn startups based on the idea of the platform (Uber, AirBnB, Instacart) and you will see the framework holds up. Overall, very useful information if you're looking to build a marketplace.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Aaron
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Moazed and Johnson have perfectly defined and explained this new era of business and industry. We've moved beyond that of being the manufacturer and into the realms of digital management and platform creation. Where ideas, people, buyers, and sellers have moved away from the usual systems and operations to online platforms. If you don't learn to shift with the times then you'll very obviously be left behind. Modern Monopolies has an incredible amount of information and glimpses behind the scenes of these powerful tech companies that we are interacting with on a daily basis. Even if you're not actively pursuing an online career or business it is still a fascinating read as we all have become dependent on these new platforms.
Helpful
 Report
Daniel Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
I wouldn't say this is just an informative book, but a literal guide that teaches you how these new digital platforms are successful and how they continue to adapt to ensure longevity. I've ran a small business online for years, with some ups and downs. New insights from Modern Monopolies has made me implement changes to my own business and has greatly improved my sales. Really it comes down to understanding the market and adapting to those changes. Johnson and Moazed break it down brilliantly and give you key knowledge that can improve your business model. Network based businesses will remain dominant in the future, so pick up this book and study it well.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Ravi Punetha
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read to understand future of businesses
Reviewed in India on September 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Must read to understand future of businesses and disruption caused by these business and value unlocking by modern monopolies. End
Report
Pedro Morales Torres
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s a Basic!!
Reviewed in Mexico on July 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
Amazing!! Excellent Book
This book is a must, if you wan’t to know how the new business models works, you need to read this book
Report
Paulo Peres
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente!
Reviewed in Brazil on July 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
Um livro muito bom para aqueles que estão buscando criar uma plataforma. Existem muitas dicas e exemplos interessantes que mostram a história da criação de diversas plataformas. Mostrando como fizeram, quais dificuldades enfrentaram, como construíram suas redes e fortaleceram seus negócios.
É um livro muito bom para quem busca conhecer mais sobre modelos de negócios. Um bom complemento para aqueles que leram "Your Strategy need a Strategy" (em especial o capítulo 5, Shaping), "Matchmaking", "Business Model Generation", "Peers Inc.".

Recomendo muito para aqueles que buscam entender o O QUE. Existe boas pinceladas no COMO, mas não espere um To-Do-List/step-by-step do processo. Pois isto depende de muitas variáveis.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Kali
4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful reading
Reviewed in Italy on May 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
Libro eccellente per avere una panoramica di tipo manualistico sulle piattaforme che dominano il nostro secolo. Non si tratta di un saggio o un libro accademico molto profondo. Se cercate qualcosa di letteratura muovetevi su qualche altro titolo. Consigliatissimo, linguaggio semplice e consigli pratici. ++++
Report
Dave Zirnhelt
5.0 out of 5 stars Very insightful examples of what 'to do' and what 'not to do'.
Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great insight into the principles of building platforms. The examples quoted from many 'now famous' success stories are also invaluable to understand what they did in the crucial formative stages of creating their platform business. In fact, I'd love to see even more in depth case studies of each business at each step of building their platform.

I'll be reading it again.
Report