Though flippantly argued, the book makes the serious point that we've entered an age in which time and talent are the most precious commodities. Job descriptions and work teams are temporary, and business rivals can sometimes be partners. And Funky Inc. targets a particular audience, probably a niche market it has pioneered. Success in markets dominated by consumers and brands, the authors claim, comes not from taking competitors head- on, but from staking out new territories away from the herd. The dirty little secret of market capitalism in all its many forms is that successful companies have become so by killing the spirit of free enterprise.
Success arises from being different.
And then being prepared to change again. Computer-maker Dell replaces its inventory 52 times a year. The lion's share of Hewlett-Packard's revenues are derived from products less than a year old. To succeed in such a high-velocity world, they say, companies must take risks, accept and welcome failures, and eschew all things average, bland and safe.