Draft chapters of the book:
The Ultimate Game of Strategy

Book 2 of the e-business strategy trilogy

Author: Peter Small

Written in six parts (see links on left), this is the draft copy of the book, as it was presented to the reviewers in the virtual cafe during 2000

This book was written at the time the dotCom boom had reached its Zenith and when reality was beginning to settle in. The general idea was to establish some fundamental conceptual models, heuristic rules and strategies that would look beyond the technicalities and the unrealistic expectations of the time. Below is the description of the book as it was described by the publishers on the covers:

Back Cover

Establishing a successful e-business is not about competing to win money or rewards - it is about winning co-operation. Mutual benefit holds the key to becoming a winner in this game.

The internet can no longer be referred to as a new phenomenon - itÕs an integral part of work and life in the 21st century and itÕs here to stay. However it is in a constant state of flux, and this change and volatility are central to its power and effectiveness. Succeeding in a complex, shifting and overwhelming environment like the internet, renders traditional business planning and management theory useless. And those who have tried to force the rules of bricks and mortar business on to e-commerce or have judged internet proposals on conventional terms have failed spectacularly.

Peter Small throws out the conventional rule book and with The Ultimate Game of Strategy analyzes the fresh mindset and skill sets - ultimately the new conceptual models you will need to equip yourself with to play and win in the world of e-business.

Front Inside Flap

Establishing a successful niche in the lucrative world of e-business is not about competing to win money or rewards - it is about winning co-operation. Mutual benefit holds the key to becoming a winner - this game is about getting and keeping attention and co-operation both from other players and from customers. It is a game that is 99% about communication and only 1% about technology.

Using game theory and practical examples, Peter Small explains how, by building up a network of collaborative associations with the people who know about and use the technology, and with customers and clients, you can create e-business solutions that can readily adapt to customer needs, technological change or competitive moves. He provides a practical toolkit that will allow you to build the kind of personal communications networks that will enable you to establish your own niche in the world of e-business, and to grow it successfully and profitably.

The Ultimate Game of Strategy is about understanding that the internet is a massive resource for making contacts with customers and collaborators in e-business. The game is to choose the most suitable contacts and to establish and maintain a trusting relationship with them - this is a game of vital strategic importance, and one that is not easy to play. It provides you with the understanding and practical knowledge that will allow you to play the game and win.

Back Inside flap

Originally an electronic system design engineer, Peter Small engaged in a variety of exotic entrepreneurial business enterprises during the 1970s and 1980s - mostly revolving around the London fashion scene. In 1990 he became one of the pioneers of multimedia, producing the award winning, classic CD-ROM 'How God Made God' - an interactive work that linked computers to biological systems. His book, Lingo Sorcery, was a ground breaking introduction to object-oriented programming and the follow up book, Magical A-Life Avatars, introduced many revolutionary new concepts to Internet and Web design philosophies. These books were followed in 1999 by The Entrepreneurial Web , an innovative e-business strategy book that anticipated the failures of the early dot-coms and provided a new and original perspective on creating businesses in an environment of constant change. As a one time professional poker player and a writer of an investment strategy course, his main interest now is in applying game theory to Internet business and communications.