Long Tail thunder 1

When my start up buddies and I start trying to talk smart, you'll typically hear the phrase "great long tail stuff".

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson is so good, I've always thought of it as the 'White Album' of the new entrepreneurship.

The subtitle is "Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More."

This is really a wonderful validation of the micro entrepreneurship renaissance taking place all over the world. Parts of the book focus on higher tech business models, but the implications for all of us as nurturers of small enterprises are profound.

Do NOT take my summary as remotely comprehensive, but one heartening take away from this book is that there is much more stuff sold in the small niches of the world economy than are sold in the media covered mass market economy

I've had several pieces from the Long Tail ready to post, but I was looking for the right context.

To heck with waiting. A new eMail from a friend reminded me of many other Long Tail truths that need trumpeting. That said here's a good introduction to this great book by Chris Anderson.

"Today we are not so much fragmenting as we are re-forming along different dimensions. These days our watercoolers are increasingly virtual; there are many different ones; and the people who gather around them are self-selected. Rather than being loosely connected with people thanks to superficial mass-cultural overlaps, we have the ability to be more strongly tied to just as many if not more people with a shared affinity for niche culture."

As start ups and emerging enterprises we all can benefit from this newly emerging business model. Critically, we can readily make our contributions into the growing and ever changing fractal niches that exemplify real life economics in the 21st century.

The cost to enter the market as an entrepreneur has never been lower. The cost of distributing our new solutions has never been less expensive. As Mr. Anderson beautifully identifies it, the number of opportunities has never been greater.

More Long Tail thunder to follow.


Chris Anderson's Long Tail site