Summer is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere and many of us are heading away on holiday. It is a vital time to recharge, explore new learnings and catch-up on reading. To get you set up for an inspiring holiday, we’ve picked out a set of book (and podcast) recommendations diving into product development, the changing media landscape and some company classics for your reading pleasure.
We’re looking forward to exchanging insights from these resources in person during the Digital Growth Summit in London on October 19th (early bird tickets are available until end of July, so make sure to get yours before leaving on vacation).
Great books on Product Development
Product development is at the heart of what we do at Twipe. It is important for us to keep on top of the latest trends to create the best products in the market. Below are some of the recent books that we’ve enjoyed and found useful.
Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products – Marty Cagan and Chris Jones
This book comes straight at you from the minds of product experts Marty Cagan and Chris Jones. Empowered uncovers the secrets behind the top tech product companies like Amazon, Apple and Google exploring how they have such a record of consistent innovation. By looking at how these companies enable their people to work together to solve the toughest problems, Empowered aims to provide you everything you need to create such an environment at your company.
Inspired: How to create tech products customers love – Marty Cagan
Fitting hand in hand with empowered is Marty Cagan’s “Inspired”. In the book, Marty Cagan offers readers a master class in how to design, develop and deploy products by looking at products which have earned the love of billions of users worldwide. Through reading Inspired, you will learn how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organisation, and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love.
Working Backwards: Insights, Stories and Secrets from Inside Amazon – Colin Bryar and Bill Carr
Working Backwards provides an insider’s breakdown of Amazon’s approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from the perspective of Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, two top-level Amazon executives. The duo reveal how the company’s culture has been defined by four characteristics (customer obsession, long-term thinking, eagerness to invent, and operational excellence) and provide practical take-home tips for your business.
On the changing media landscape
The media landscape is constantly evolving and changing. The pandemic era brought about a newfound appreciation for fact-based news but people are getting tired. Others are trying to get in on the act of news and establish their positions in the market. What are some of the best resources to understand this minefield of a market?
The Power of Platforms: Shaping Media and Society – Rasmus Kleis Nielsen and Sarah Anne Ganter
The relationship between publishing and platforms is ever evolving. Kleis Nielsen and Ganter offer the first book-length treatment of the power of technology platforms over news and media. By touching on original interviews and other qualitative pieces of evidence, the book analyses the extent of the platform power these technology giants enjoy in public life and uncover the reservations publishers have about their power, but why they have no choice but to embrace them.
The Metaverse and how it will revolutionise everything – Matthew Ball
The Metaverse has been around for over 20 years, but it is seeing a new lease of life. Prepare yourself for the metaverse future by hearing from top Metaverse Theorist Matthew Ball about what the Metaverse is, what it will take to build it, and what it means for all of us. Ball foresees trillions of dollars in new value in the Metaverse, so why not be prepared?
Thriving on Overloads: The 5 Powers for Success in a World of Exponential Information – Ross Dawson
We live in a world where we are inundated with information and opinions. To combat this, leading futurist Ross Dawson has written a handy guide exploring how to best navigate the world of exponential information. Dawsons provides 5 powers to help you prosper as never before in a world defined by excessive information.
Our company classics
Some books have been fundamental to the development of Twipe over the past 11 years. Below are just a small selection of the books that have helped turn us into a leader in news media technology.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products – Nir Eyal
At Twipe, we frequently talk about habit formation. Hooked provides a comprehensive overview about the power of habits so that you can understand your audience. From getting this background knowledge, you can set yourself the challenge of finding how you can fit into reader’s daily routines.
The Power of Habit – Charles Duhig
Charles Duhig uses The Power of Habit to uncover why habits exist and how they can be changed. In the book, Duhig dives through stories and information from across the world to further our understanding of humans and our potential.
The Culture Code – Daniel Coyle
A good culture is at the heart of a well functioning business. The Culture Code from Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organisations and reveals what helps them to function. Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change and highlights stories of failure which illustrate what not to do.
No Rules Rules – Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings
Co-founder of Netflix Reed Hastings reveals the unorthodox culture behind one of the most innovative, imaginative and successful companies in the world. Built on a culture of freedom and responsibility, Netflix has been able to adapt and innovate and you can too by adopting some tried and tested tips.
Our Twipe Future of News articles and Research Reports
If you’re look out for insightful content but you’re not ready to pick up a book, then why not read through our articles? We’ve added a selection of 3 thought-provoking pieces below, and if you’re not already, subscribe to our weekly Future of News newsletter here to be the first to see our weekly article.
- Publishing’s Print Predicament
- Are there opportunities for publishers in the Metaverse?
- Why Gen Z pay for news
For deeper insights, dive into one of our research reports or product papers, all available below.
Digital-Only Editions
Our study on Digital-Only Editions is the first chapter in our “Reinventing Digital Editions” series. The research paper provides a deep dive into 8 cases where leading publishers pioneered some of the first digital only digital editions. The report is based on interviews with the teams behind the creation and roll-out of some of the publishing industries most successful digital-only editions. In a world where finite experiences are becoming more popular than ever, this report provides a timely reminder about their ongoing success.
Reader Insights
This paper on Reader Insights is the second chapter in our “Reinventing Digital Editions” series. In this report we examine the motivation and reading habits of nearly 4,000 news consumers in six European countries and the United States. The paper shines a light on the preferred digital news formats of news readers and their willingness to pay for these products. At a time when publishers are seeking to maintain and build subscriber revenue, this paper gives invaluable insights and ideas for publishers to move to the next level.
Habit Forming Products
The third report in our “Reinventing Digital Editions” series explores the role played by habit formation in news products and provides inspiration about how publishers can leverage the tool themselves. Through interviews with publishing industry leaders of habit-formation such as The New York Times, Schibsted and The Telegraph, this report provides best practices for publishers interested in increasing reader frequency and engagement. Reader engagement is crucial to subscription success so be sure not to miss this vital research.
JAMES Report
In this report we synthesise our collaborative project looking at personalised recommendation algorithms with The Times of London as part of the Google Digital News Initiative. The report spans from the project’s scope to the approach used and how a 49% decrease in churn levels has been achieved using personalised triggers. JAMES is now a product used by publishers across the world to build habits and create engagement with their subscribers. Personalisation in a hybrid format helps to avoid filter bubbles and enhances finite news products.
Guide to successful Digital Editions
This Whitepaper takes a look at the power of edition-based publishing and provides a guide for successful news editions in the digital age. In the guide you will learn many key lessons about digital editions, including who edition readers are, how newspaper editions are defined in the digital age and how to create a successful digital edition.
Podcasts we love
Prefer to have some audio content to consume on the go? Below are a selection of podcasts to continue your development.
Freakonomics series on Crypto and NFTs
Want to dive into the world of crypto and NFT’s but don’t know where to start? Let this Freakonomics series guide your knowledge so you can get ahead of the curve.
Subscription stories series
Subscription models have become the go-to business plan for many publishers across the news media industry. In her podcast series “Subscription Stories”, Robbie Kellman Baxter speaks to leaders of the subscription revolution about how they’re adopting subscriptions and membership models to reinvent the world’s biggest industries.
The Media Voices Podcast
The fantastic team at Media Voices bring a detailed dose of all thing’s media in their weekly podcast. Speaking to leaders from the media industry, the podcast provides fresh insights and inspiration to keep you well up to date with all things media.
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We hope this will bring you new ideas and inspiration for your future projects and strategies. Looking forward to discuss key takeaways from this readings in person during this year’s Digital Growth Summit in London.
