Growing Up Fast

How New Agile Practices Can Move Marketing and Innovation past the Old Business Stalemates

By: Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, Kevin Fann

Narrated by: Caitlin Graham

Growing Up Fast is a practical audiobook about how to implement an agile process in modern business to create the necessary collaboration between marketing and innovation for business success. The first half of the audiobook covers the philosophical underpinnings of complementary opposites in nature, human interaction, and the workplace. It surveys business management over the last 100 years and shows how we've come to the "Agile Age", which is not about big ideas Mad Men-style, but lots of little ideas to test and try.

The second half of the audiobook discusses the mindsets and tools required for success in agile work, and examples are given throughout the text in the form of case studies on companies like Netflix, 3M, Microsoft, Domino's Pizza, and Dell Computer.

The introduction and conclusion of the audiobook set up the metaphor of the audiobook's title, to personify the current impasse between big regulation government and total free market capitalism. Agile is posed as a third option between the Mom and Dad's battle between over-planning and wild speculation, concern for the future and obsession with "what worked" in the past - as both occupy our resources without agile process or priorities for the innovations we need going forward in society.

Agile is portrayed as an inquisitive, experimental, brilliant child who still lives above the garage at her parents' house - and it's time for her to move out.

©2014 Jascha Kaykas-Wolff (P)2014 Jascha Kaykas-Wolff

Strawman

Author presents only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to agility. This book contains zero new information for those already familiar with agile.