Book Review: Lean Customer Development: Build Products Your Customers Need by Cindy Alvarez

Book Review:  Lean Customer Development: Build Products Your Customers Need by Cindy Alvarez: Publisher- O'Reilly: ISBN- 13: 978-1449356354

I got a chance to look into unedited version of Lean Customer Development book by Cindy Alvarez. Book will be released in April 2014. The Book will be handy reference guide of best practices for customer development.

Lean Customer Development relies heavily on “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries and Steve Blank’s “The Four Steps to the Epiphany”. Book has eight chapters and appendix with full of questions which should be asked while working with prospects.

The book is not focused on any specific type of product – software or hardware or service but in general which make is valuable and will appeal to wider audience.

My favorite chapter in the book is “Who Should I Be Talking To?” where Cindy clearly outlines pathway to who, where, when, and how of potential customers interactions.

 
I am waiting for official release of book.

Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author. I got electronic format of book from publisher for review.

Further reading: There are several books on similar topic. The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation toCreate Radically Successful Businesses, The Four Steps to the Epiphany, Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, andChallengers, and many more

One can get more information about book and related topics from:

1. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lean-Customer-Development-Products-Customers/dp/1449356354
2. Publisher -- Oreilly http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028253.do

 

 

Book Sales at Packt Publishing

From December 19^th to Jan 3 Packt Publishing (http://bit.ly/1jdCr2W)is offering any ebook or video in $5.  This also includes Oracle books as well. Go and grab few before offer expires.

Book Review: Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics

Book Review:  Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics by Stephen Wendel: Publisher- O'Reilly: ISBN- 13: 978-1449367626

 

Designing for Behavior Change is a theoretical book with full of practical wisdom.  Book explores human conscious and sub conscious mind and set path for designers to design products to influence behavior change.

Stephen (@sawendel) weaves analytical data with human behavior and led the readers to apply tools and techniques to overcome behavior change obstacles.

The book is written as self-help book like “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” which walk through change and how to convert them into your benefit.
 

Though book is voluminous (approx. 400 page) but not boring and easy to read and comprehend. Book is must for any produt designer.

 

Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author. I got electronic format of book from publisher for review.

 
Further reading:

 

• http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/03/design-to-change-behavior-tips/
• http://www.implementationscience.com/content/6/1/42

 

One can get more information about book and related topics from:

 

1. Publisher -- Oreilly http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920030201.do
2. Amazon -- http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Behavior-Change-Psychology-Behavioral/dp/1449367623

 

Prediction for remaining decade (2014-2020)

1.    SAAS and PAAS will prevail for small and big enterprise.

2.    IAAS will thrive in enterprise data centers (Private Cloud).

3.    Industry specific cloud platforms will rise to cater regulatory and vertical specific needs.

4.    Fragmentation and Alternatives of Java and Enterprise Java (like Apache harmony, and Spring) will emerge stronger and official java from Oracle will loose its sheen due to lust for its monetization by Oracle.

5.    Laptop, mobile and tablet will merge into one.

6.    Indian IT workforce will shift from permanent job to contractual jobs like in USA.

7.    Developing countries will swept by telecom revelation like India in previous decade.

8.    Gamification will engulf almost all experiences especially of social media.

9.    Outsoucing will change from India focused to 2I + 1 (2 location in India and one elsewhere).

10. Digital currencies will impact financial markets in big way.

11. Application will be pervasive in devices and appliances like phones (mobile and fixed line), TVs, automobiles, refrigerators, disk (CD/DVD/BlueRay) players, and any computing device.

12. Fragmentation of Internet - There will be walls around country or region specific internet.

13. Rise of china based technology companies.

Prediction for remaining decade (2014-2020)

Top Trends of 2014

1.    Internet of things will start to emerge.

2.    Tablet and Smart phone will keep on merging into one device in developing markets.

3.    Consumers will further loose control on personal data. Advertisers will follow you from one device to another ( Phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, smart glasses, etc). Bye bye privacy.

4.    HTML5, Java Script, CSS experts will be in great demand.

5.    Android will further penetrate into automobile market as entertainment and controlling hub.

6.    Private Cloud will gain currency will ultra large (e.g. Wallmart), financial institutions (Banks, Insurance, etc.), security and privacy conscious industry (defense contractors, etc.).

7.    Big Data and Social networking Analysis will rise further.

8.    Spatial gesture sensitive and voice controlled devices will rise further.

9.    BYOD will gain further momentum

10. Digital currency will have devastating affect on financial market controls.

11. Jobs will keep on shifting from Hardware to Software.

12. Wearable computers will emerge stronger.

13. Mobile payment will rise further

Top Trends of 2013

BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 6

This is sixth chapter of Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning. This chapter covers EM Fusion Middleware Control and WLS Admin Console tuning .

Your comments will make this book useful and valuable.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/189978068/BPEL-PM-11g-Performance-Tuning-6"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 6

by http://www.scribd.com/tusjain"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >tusjain

BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 5

This is fifth chapter of Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning. This chapter covers BPEL Engine tuning.

Your comments and views are always welcome.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/189978065/BPEL-PM-11g-Performance-Tuning-5"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 5

by http://www.scribd.com/tusjain"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >tusjain

BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 4

This is fourth chapter of Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning. This chapter covers WebLogic Server tuning .

Your comments are valuable to improve book.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/189978045/BPEL-PM-11g-Performance-Tuning-4"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 4

by http://www.scribd.com/tusjain"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >tusjain

BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 3

This is third chapter of Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning. This chapter covers JVM (HotSpot as well as jRokit) tuning.

Please give your comments, so book can be improved.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/189978039/BPEL-PM-11g-Performance-Tuning-3"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 3

by http://www.scribd.com/tusjain"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >tusjain

BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 2

This is second chapter of Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning. This chapter covers basics of BPEL PM 11g.

I hope you will enjoy reading and give your valuable feedback.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/189978036/BPEL-PM-11g-Performance-Tuning-2"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 2

by http://www.scribd.com/tusjain"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >tusjain

BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 1

I will be compiling my learning on Oracle Fusion Middleare with respect to Performance tuning into a book. and publishing on my blog in chapter format. I hope you will enjoy it and help to make it more useful and relevant.

Today, it is chapter , which simply talk about Loan and Performance test and Performance tuning in general.

   http://www.scribd.com/doc/189978033/BPEL-PM-11g-Performance-Tuning-1"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >BPEL PM 11g Performance Tuning - 1

by http://www.scribd.com/tusjain"  style="text-decoration: underline;" >tusjain

Book Review: Getting Started with Oracle Public Cloud

Book Review:  Getting Started with Oracle Public Cloud by Hemant Kumar Mehta: Publisher- Packt: ISBN- 13: 978-1-78217-810-1

 

Getting Started with Oracle Public Cloud is high level summary of services offered by Oracle public cloud. This book also covers essential requirements to how to start working with Oracle Public Cloud. This book can be used as first step to understand Oracle public cloud.

Book has been divided in chapters very neatly as per the services offered by Oracle Public Cloud. Book also layout few of the best practices of Oracle Public Cloud for its various services.

The book part\, which I like most is chapter 2, which talks about transitioning from on premises to cloud.

 
As name suggest book provides very initial understanding of Oracle Cloud but nevertheless the book is good starting point.

Good book to lay foundation for developer as well as management to start understand Oracle Public Cloud.

One could get more info aabout book at http://bit.ly/IjUmUa.

Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author. I got electronic format of book from publisher for review.