“There’s nothing like this” … how Taylor Swift embraced anti-fragility, blue oceans, socialised branding, analytics and AI, and platform reinvention … and some of my other favourite business books to read

May 25, 2025

There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift

Kevin Evers book is a compelling exploration of how one of the world’s biggest pop stars became one of its savviest business leaders. More than a biography, the book offers a strategic playbook—showing how Taylor Swift built, evolved, and protected a global brand with what Evers argues is the foresight and discipline of a top CEO.

He tells the story chronologically, tracing Swift’s evolution from teenage songwriter to cultural icon. He begins with her decision to sign with a small record label over a major one, allowing her greater creative control—a rare move at just 14 years old. This set the tone for a career defined by calculated risks, long-term thinking, and a deep understanding of underserved markets. Her early music catered directly to teenage girls—an overlooked demographic in country music at the time—positioning her as an immediate disruptor.

At the heart of Swift’s strategy is her ability to build and maintain deep, emotional connections with her audience. The book highlights how she transformed the fan-artist relationship through handwritten notes, personal invitations to listening parties, and pioneering use of social media. She wasn’t just promoting songs—she was building community. Evers calls this a model of “fan obsession,” where loyalty and engagement are not byproducts of fame, but drivers of it.

What’s most striking in the book is how Swift consistently turned obstacles into opportunities. Whether it was the fallout from the Kanye West VMAs incident, the backlash around her political silence, or the loss of ownership over her master recordings, she responded not with retreat but with reinvention. Her decision to re-record her entire back catalog to regain ownership wasn’t just a business move—it was a cultural moment, reshaping how artists think about intellectual property and control.

Swift’s artistic reinventions—from country to pop, indie-folk to electro—are framed as strategic expansions into new markets, not just aesthetic choices. And her command of digital platforms, from Tumblr to TikTok, shows her fluency in how attention works in the modern age.

  • Teenage country star: At 14, Swift turned down a deal from RCA to sign with Scott Borchetta’s nascent Big Machine Records, advocating to write her own song, targeting an untapped teen-girl demographic. Her debut album spent 24 weeks at number 1, affirming the “Blue Ocean” strategy of serving underserved audiences.

  • Fan obsession and connection: Swift would personally hand-write notes, invite fans to intimate listening sessions, and cultivate deep relationships via early social media. This “fan-obsession” helped turn followers into lifelong advocates.

  • Resilience and anti-fragility: Post-2009 MTV VMA incident, she doubled down on songwriting authenticity in Speak Now, showcasing her ability to turn setbacks into strengths. The book argues she doesn’t just recover; she grows stronger from adversity.

  • Genre and platform reinvention: Strategic shifts: from country to pop (1989), then onto indie-folk (Folklore/Evermore), leveraging disruption as opportunity. Harnessed TikTok and streaming to drive speculation and algorithm-friendly campaigns.

  • Ownership and monetisation: Re-recorded her masters—an unscripted, high-stakes strategy that gained her rights control and royalties. Expanded product ecosystem: vinyls, direct deals with AMC, and merch—leveraging her “conglomerate” status.

  • Economic powerhouse: the 151-date Eras global tour grossed nearly $2 billion. Each album-era integrated into live experiences, delivering hours of content and underlining brand maturity.

The book devotes significant attention to her financial ecosystem, culminating in the global success of that Eras Tour. Evers portrays the tour not just as a performance spectacle but as a masterclass in product bundling, scarcity, and immersive branding—with impacts stretching into the billions of dollars in economic activity.

Ultimately, There’s Nothing Like This argues that Swift is a blueprint for the modern brand: adaptable, emotionally resonant, fan-powered, and strategically self-aware. Her career is not just an artistic journey but a case study in how to lead, evolve, and endure in a volatile world.

Why do I like this book? This is not just a book for Swifties, it’s essential reading for anyone interested in strategy, branding, or leadership in the 21st century.

Another Way: Building Companies That Last… and Last… and Last

Dave Whorton and Bo Burlingham present a bold alternative to the high-growth, venture-backed startup model that dominates Silicon Valley. Instead of building companies designed to “get big fast” and exit quickly, the authors advocate for the Evergreen approach: building purpose-driven, profitable, and enduring companies that prioritize people over hype, and values over valuations.

At the heart of the book is the belief that business can be both principled and prosperous—and that long-term thinking leads to deeper impact and more resilient success. Drawing on the experiences of dozens of founders who rejected the startup treadmill, Whorton (a former VC himself) and Burlingham (author of Small Giants) identify seven core principles that define Evergreen companies, known as the Seven Ps:

  • Purpose – A compelling reason for being that goes beyond making money.

  • Perseverance – The grit to stay focused on the long game, not just quarterly results.

  • People First – Prioritizing employees, customers, and communities over short-term gains.

  • Private – Remaining privately held to avoid the pressures of public markets or outside investors.

  • Profit – Using profitability as a discipline and fuel for growth, not an end in itself.

  • Paced Growth – Choosing steady, manageable growth over rapid scaling.

  • Pragmatic Innovation – Embracing change and technology when it serves the company’s mission and culture—not for its own sake.

Through compelling case studies—ranging from small family-run businesses to mid-sized industry leaders—the book demonstrates how Evergreen companies often outperform flashier competitors in the long run. These businesses tend to have higher employee retention, stronger cultures, deeper customer loyalty, and greater resilience in economic downturns.

The book also tracks Whorton’s own journey from working at Kleiner Perkins to founding the Tugboat Institute, which champions Evergreen businesses. His story reflects the broader theme: that meaningful, values-driven work is not only possible in business—it may be the best way to build something truly lasting.

In an era obsessed with unicorns and IPOs, Another Way is a powerful reminder that enduring value comes from integrity, intention, and investment in people—not from chasing the next big thing. It offers both inspiration and a practical framework for entrepreneurs, leaders, and investors who want to build businesses that endure for generations.

Why do I like this book? Because reinvention, or rather relentless reinvention, is now the big challenge and opportunity for every business in a world of continuous change.

AI First: The Playbook for a Future‑Proof Business and Brand

Adam Brotman and Andy Sack have created a clear, action-oriented guide for business leaders navigating the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Rather than treating AI as just another tool, the authors argue that businesses must reimagine themselves from the ground up—placing AI at the very heart of how they operate, innovate, and grow. Becoming “AI-first” is not about chasing hype; it’s about building a new kind of organization that can thrive in a radically different era.

Drawing on their experience at companies like Starbucks and Forum3, Brotman and Sack lay out a practical framework to help leaders understand what it truly means to be AI-first. The shift begins with mindset: AI isn’t a department or a plug-in—it’s a strategic capability that must be championed from the top. The book emphasizes that CEOs and executive teams must lead this transformation by fostering a culture that’s data-fluent, experimentation-friendly, and deeply aligned around AI’s role in shaping the customer experience and brand identity.

The book advocates for starting small—using pilot projects to demonstrate value quickly and generate internal momentum. But they also stress that this is not just a technology shift; it’s a business and cultural one. Companies must redesign jobs, retrain teams, and rethink how humans and machines work together. AI should not replace people, but elevate their contributions—freeing them to focus on creativity, strategy, and empathy.

One of the strongest messages is about brand: in a world where AI makes everything more personalized and efficient, your brand becomes your greatest differentiator. How you use AI—transparently, ethically, and intelligently—will shape customer trust and loyalty more than ever.

  • 95% of marketing to be AI-driven within five years, says Sam Altman

  • AI-first leadership mindset is pivotal—begin with executive awareness and advocacy

  • Talent and job design must evolve, redefine roles and nurture AI fluency across teams

  • Early pilot wins demonstrate practical ROI, critical to gaining buy-in

  • Brand differentiation as AI becomes ubiquitous, strategic integration is ke

Ultimately, AI First offers both inspiration and a practical roadmap. It’s for leaders who understand that the future won’t wait—and that preparing for it means rethinking the fundamentals of how their business works, delivers value, and earns attention in an increasingly intelligent world.

Why do I like this book? Because too many books have become tech obsessed about AI. The real insights come from how to apply it to business, in radical, creative and profitable ways.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

Donald Miller offers a powerful marketing guide built around a deceptively simple truth: if customers don’t understand what you offer within the first few seconds, they’ll tune out. To solve this, Miller introduces the StoryBrand Framework, a seven-part storytelling formula that helps businesses clarify their message and make it irresistibly compelling.

At the heart of the book is the idea that the customer is the hero of the story—not the brand. Too many companies position themselves as the star, talking about their history, features, and accomplishments. But great marketing, Miller argues, casts the brand as the guide—the wise mentor who helps the customer overcome challenges and achieve success.

Using the structure of classic storytelling, Miller breaks the framework into seven key elements:

  • A character (your customer)

  • Has a problem (external, internal, and philosophical)

  • And meets a guide (your brand)

  • Who gives them a plan (clear steps or solutions)

  • And calls them to action (buy now, sign up, etc.)

  • That helps them avoid failure (what’s at stake)

  • And ends in success (what transformation they’ll achieve)

The book is full of practical examples, website critiques, and brand scripts that make it easy to apply the framework across all types of messaging—websites, sales pitches, ads, social media, and presentations. Whether you’re a startup founder or a marketing director, Miller shows you how to cut through the noise and tell a story your customers will actually care about.

The result is clearer communication, stronger customer engagement, and a more consistent, confident brand voice. Building a StoryBrand isn’t just a marketing book—it’s a strategic toolkit for anyone trying to grow their business by making their message matter.

Why do I like this book? Brands are my first love – I started out 35 years ago as a brand manager – but have become trivialised and marginalised by many business leaders. Yet in a world of intangible assets, they matter more than ever.

Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future

Silicon Valley legend and Linkedin founder Reid Hoffman has written a hopeful, deeply reasoned exploration of how artificial intelligence can enhance—not replace—human potential. Rather than focusing on fear or speculation, Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn and a long-time AI investor) builds a pragmatic, optimistic case for how AI, if developed and deployed thoughtfully, can amplify human agency and make us more capable of solving the world’s biggest challenges.

The central idea of the book is that AI should not be seen as a threat to humanity, but as a partner—a “thinking companion” that augments our abilities, expands our choices, and helps us navigate complexity. Hoffman calls this enhanced capacity “superagency,” and argues that it represents a new era of empowerment, much like past revolutions in language, printing, and computing.

Hoffman organizes the book around a series of key ideas:

  • AI as Amplifier: Like fire, electricity, or the internet, AI doesn’t have values—it takes on the intent of the people using it. That’s why shaping its future starts with us.

  • Informational GPS: AI can serve as a guide, helping individuals and institutions make better decisions faster, by mapping possibilities and clarifying consequences.

  • Deploy, Then Reflect: Hoffman champions an iterative approach—build AI applications, deploy them responsibly, observe impacts, and refine. Waiting for perfection is too slow; improvement comes through use.

  • Human-Centered Design: AI should be built to support human goals—enhancing learning, creativity, entrepreneurship, and empathy. He gives examples like AI tutors, AI coaches, and tools for scientific discovery.

  • Guardrails and Governance: While optimistic, Hoffman is clear-eyed about the risks—from misinformation to bias to power concentration. He argues for collaborative governance involving companies, governments, and civil society.

  • Private Commons: A call for shared access to powerful models and tools to ensure AI benefits are widespread—not monopolized by the few.

Throughout, Hoffman shares insights from his experience at the frontlines of tech innovation and policy, and makes the case that ethical ambition, not fear, should guide our approach to AI. He warns against paralysis through pessimism, urging readers to engage actively, thoughtfully, and with purpose in shaping the AI era.

In short, Superagency is a manifesto for building a future where human and artificial intelligence work together, not in competition. It’s a refreshing, empowering vision for leaders, technologists, and citizens who want to shape AI not just to do more—but to be more.

The Thinking Machine

This is a compelling biography of Jensen Huang by Stephen Witt, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, and a deep dive into how he transformed a struggling graphics chip company into a dominant force powering the modern AI revolution.

Witt chronicles Huang’s journey from his early days as a Taiwanese immigrant with a passion for technology to his breakthrough leadership at Nvidia. The book highlights Huang’s remarkable ability to anticipate and shape future technology trends, especially his foresight in recognizing the potential of graphics processing units (GPUs) beyond gaming—pioneering their use for artificial intelligence and deep learning.

Central to the story is Huang’s relentless focus on innovation, risk-taking, and building a strong company culture that thrives on boldness and agility. Under his leadership, Nvidia not only revolutionized computer graphics but became the backbone of AI infrastructure, powering everything from data centers to self-driving cars.

Witt also explores the technical breakthroughs Nvidia made, such as the development of CUDA, a parallel computing platform that allowed GPUs to be used for general-purpose processing, unlocking new possibilities in AI research and applications.

Beyond the technology, The Thinking Machine portrays Huang as a strategic thinker and charismatic leader who blends engineering expertise with business acumen, inspiring his teams to push boundaries and redefine industries.

In essence, the book is both a portrait of a singular leader and a case study in how vision, innovation, and perseverance can create a company that not only adapts to change but shapes the future itself.

The Optimist

This is a detailed and intimate biography of Sam Altman, one of the most influential figures in the tech world today. Keach Hagey’s book traces Altman’s journey from a precocious young entrepreneur in St. Louis to becoming the CEO of OpenAI, a leading organization at the forefront of artificial intelligence development.

Hagey paints a portrait of Altman as a visionary leader driven by a combination of relentless ambition, intellectual curiosity, and a deep sense of responsibility toward the future of technology and humanity. The book explores Altman’s unique leadership style, characterized by bold decision-making, a willingness to embrace risk, and a rare ability to navigate complex ethical and business challenges.

A central theme is Altman’s optimistic belief in technology’s potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, balanced by his awareness of AI’s risks and the need for careful governance. The biography covers major milestones, including Altman’s time at Y Combinator, his efforts to steer OpenAI toward commercial success while maintaining its mission, and his role in popularizing transformative AI technologies like ChatGPT.

Hagey also delves into the personal side of Altman’s life—his relationships, doubts, and the pressures of leading in an era of rapid technological change. The book provides insights into the challenges of managing a cutting-edge tech company amid public scrutiny, ethical dilemmas, and intense competition.

Ultimately, The Optimist presents Sam Altman as a complex figure whose optimism about technology’s future is tempered by realism, making him a compelling example of modern leadership in a disruptive age.

 

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