Monopoly Rules

“Monopoly Rules is a truly outstanding book—an example of a simple-sounding concept that has enormous power when fully explored, developed, and customized. The art form of financially successful companies is differentiation. Milind Lele adds a clear new meaning to the concept of differentiation, providing powerful insight into strategic thought and positioning applicable to every type of business. Monopoly Rules should be required reading for anyone participating in strategic thinking or planning activities. To build and sustain high-performance business cultures requires injecting a process of new thinking on a regular basis, and Monopoly Rules brings a new thought pattern capable of stimulating new direction and strategy.” —Robert Jenkins, former chairman and CEO of Sundstrand Corporation

“Monopoly Rules provides a fresh way of thinking about why companies succeed and where to look for new, breakthrough opportunities. Milind Lele’s book is critical for anyone interested in sustaining differentiation in businesses; the monopoly rules are the step-by-step guidelines for success in a world in which the mass market is in tatters.” —Dipak C. Jain, dean of the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

“In Monopoly Rules, Milind Lele captures the missing link in the evolution of our understanding of how superior economic value is created. Milind calls it ‘monopoly’; Buffett ‘the franchise’; we at Briggs refer to it as ‘our sandbox.’ It is the legally ownable space in a market that the superior-value creator identifies, claims, and holds for a significant period of time. In so doing, Lele exposes one of the two great frauds perpetrated on American management: that ‘sustainable competitive advantage’ is a guarantee of superior profitability (the other is ‘best practices’ as a source of enhanced profitability).” —John. S. Shiely, chairman, president, and CEO of the Briggs and Stratton Corporation

“Monopoly Rules provides a really useful framework for sorting strategies that work from those that don’t. It is exactly how successful entrepreneurs’ minds work.” —Alfred R. Berkeley, former president of NASDAQ

"(A) powerful challenge to the established business literature that tends to consider sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) the key to success. . . If you want to compete, get a competitive advantage, but if you want to make money, get a monopoly. . . Monopoly Rules presents some powerful and innovative concepts coupled with practical guidance." —Financial Times