Rating: 
Summary: Nothing but the good stuff
Review: This book is good news for those of us in venture capital. One of the biggest problems that businesses (start-ups AND traditional enterprises) have when they move onto the Internet is figuring out their business plan. This book sets up some good models and leads the reader through the steps for taking apart an existing business and rebuilding it for success online. It's also refreshingly free of fluff and filler - every page counts.
Rating: 
Summary: The material is old....
Review: This book might have been cutting edge 2 years ago with the hype that created the Internet Bubble. But, a lot has happened in the last couple of years that debunk a lot of theories put forth in this book.Several of the case studies that the authors tout as market destroyers are actually either going out of business or being bought for a pittance. Example Optimark. Also, the authors present a lot of theories without any depth. How to translate stories into actions. There is a lot of breathless discussion of disaggregation, reaggregation, but very little guidance on how do this in a complex companies. These simplistic ideas don't work very well in complex organizations with multi-layered value chains servicing different customer segments and product lines. My take-away was another attempt by so-called "digital gurus" to drum up consulting business.
Rating:
Summary: Digital Capital
Review: This books gives me a very good insight of learning more about the e-businesses. It provides me a frame work in understanding how to create value in an internet company and the different businesses models that it exists in this kind of companies. It also provides me information of how to market my products through the web and the kind of people that I need to succeed in this kind of business. At the end it provides me information of how to sell my business and how much money could I make with it.
Rating:
Summary: Establishing Improved Business Models in a Connected Age
Review: This is one of the few business books that dare address the central issue for most companies today: How to establish competitively-advantaged business models for serving customers that capture the power of the Internet to work with others. Anyone who doesn't know what they want to do for an Internet-based business model or doesn't like the one they have will get great benefit from this book. Like Blown to Bits, Digital Capital looks squarely at the economic impact of the Internet on existing business models. But Digital Capital goes further in laying out the necessary steps to build on five business models that have been working that involve creating business networks that are Internet enabled (b-webs in the parlance of this book). You will instantly recognize the five business model types, because the authors provide lots of examples (at least some of which will be familiar to you) and lists of characteristics of each type. You will also know how to go from where you are to reaching one of these archetypes by the strategy directions the authors provide. The only drawback of this section is that the language gets a little b-schoolish (and full of very long words). The conceptual basis of the work is sound. The only two points that were not discussed were (1) how these models might evolve into more powerful models in the future, and (2) how they might merge with each other. Where the book is at its best is in helping you think through how to add other companies into a related web of interests to get more done -- thinking that goes well beyond the well-known outsourcing mindset. Good luck with improving your Internet-based business model! Keep in mind that technology will evolve rapidly and enable some new business models that can only be dreamed about today in just 3-5 years. So be sure to look at the irresistible forces of technology development in thinking ahead.
Rating: 
Summary: Digital Captial
Review: This is the best book on business strategy in the new economy in years. I've noted how the idea of the Business Web is being picked up in many places including by companies like Bowstreet ( who are doing big spreads in the Wall Street Journal on the theme.) Looking at the other reviews below nearly all of us love the book. Quite bizarre that the only real critics are the two formal reviewers-- industry Standard and amazon itself, yet! I'd suggest you listen to the people on this one....
Rating:
Summary: Economic significance of business web relationships revealed
Review: This isn't merely a seminal work but one that I see as essential for anyone who is charged with navigating a major company in such organisational connections as its strategy, marketing, or human intelligence as a service/knowledge/relationship business. Back in 1984, my father Norman Macrae and I wrote a book (The 2024/2025 Report - a future history) which analysed why the future economic significance of the internetworking age would take off once we started to realise that the human freedoms to more knowlegdable work were more exciting than the technology itself. Other authors have subsequently taken up this baton but probably none so practically as Tapscott et al. Here are but two examples of the kind of reformation and integration of leadership/management disciplines that 21st C companies can make provided they have digested Digital Capital in an open book manner. 1) Digital Capital provides a 5-way classification of how business webs expand value creation inj unique ways for all stakeholders. Whilst I do not believe that these 5 classifications are comprehensive, they are certainly fundamental and simple enough to provide the most relevant year 2000 challenge to every business with a future. 2) In chapters on the reformation of human resource and marketing functions, Tapscott issues the most powerful clarion call yet made outside expert brand circles on the future 21st C purpose of corporate branding. This will be reformed from the 20th Century's obsession with image to proving itself as a trusted measure of relationship capital. .............................. Chris Macrae, author of Brand Chartering Handbook. I would love to discuss the challenges of Digital Capital with other readers. email wcbn007@easynet.co.uk
Rating:
Summary: good overview on value-webs
Review: very good introduction to value-webs. there are some terms used which may be misleading; value-chain can not be a "business model", it is a generic business term. Mr. Tapscott should consider the established terminology of the academic business literature before using names and terms.
Rating:
Summary: Platinum Pot Roast
Review: Who should read this book? Those who need answers to the following questions: • What are the driving forces of the digital economy? • How can my organization manage those forces to its maximum advantage? • What are the new models of wealth creation? Which is most appropriate for my organization? Why? • What are the most effective strategies for establishing and then developing value chains, alliances, and distributive networks? • What are the most important human and relationship elements of digital capital? • What are the various steps to "weaving" a Business Web? • What are the best strategies for "harvesting" digital capital? Given the importance of harnessing the power of Business Webs, if you and others in your organization are struggling to answer questions such as these or if you and they don't even know which questions to ask, I strongly recommend this book. To derive greatest value from it, make it required reading for all key people and then go off-site for 3-5 days and discuss it. Stay wherever you are until you have a game plan...then come back and make it work!
Rating:
Summary: Platinum Pot Roast
Review: Who should read this book? Those who need answers to the following questions: • What are the driving forces of the digital economy? • How can my organization manage those forces to its maximum advantage? • What are the new models of wealth creation? Which is most appropriate for my organization? Why? • What are the most effective strategies for establishing and then developing value chains, alliances, and distributive networks? • What are the most important human and relationship elements of digital capital? • What are the various steps to "weaving" a Business Web? • What are the best strategies for "harvesting" digital capital? Given the importance of harnessing the power of Business Webs, if you and others in your organization are struggling to answer questions such as these or if you and they don't even know which questions to ask, I strongly recommend this book. To derive greatest value from it, make it required reading for all key people and then go off-site for 3-5 days and discuss it. Stay wherever you are until you have a game plan...then come back and make it work!
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