From Gary Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author and head of CES and the Consumer Technology Association, a manifesto for today's top executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders: pivot or die.
As CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (R), owner and producer of CES (R), Gary Shapiro has had a front row seat to the launch of nearly every recent major technology. He's seen tech companies rise and fall, and bankrupt entrepreneurs become billionaires. After more than four decades in the industry, he knows that leaders who make it in the tech world have one thing in common: they know how to pivot.
Drawing upon detailed case studies, economic theory, and personal experience, Pivot or Die offers a behind-the-scenes look at the development of innovative technology and business strategies. Along the way, Shapiro offers a "pivot" framework for leaders in technology and beyond to stay flexible and agile:
- The startup pivot: how startups can shake up industries and maximize the advantage of new ideas
- The forced pivot: adapting to the unforeseeable (or simply unforeseen) and meeting shifting consumer demands
- The failure pivot: why failure can deliver better lessons than success and how to take those lessons forward
- The success pivot: Beating the market by seizing opportunity and out-pivoting your competitors
In laying out each of these pivots, Shapiro shares unique lessons on how leaders can change minds and mindsets and steer their organizations to success in an increasingly competitive environment.
About the Author :
Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)(R) which represents over 1300 consumer technology companies and owns and produces CES(R) -- the Global Stage for Innovation. As head of CTA for more than three decades, he has ushered the consumer technology industry through major periods of technological upheaval and transformation.
Shapiro is also the New York Times bestselling author of Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation (HarperCollins, 2019), Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World's Most Successful Businesses (HarperCollins, 2013), and The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream (Beaufort, 2011). Through these books and through television appearances, and as a columnist whose more than 1200 opinion pieces have appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post, Shapiro has helped direct policymakers and business leaders on the importance of innovation in the U.S. economy.
Review :
"If there's anyone with the experience and insight to talk about pivoting, it's Gary Shapiro. CES has long been the place where businesses experiment and pivots start - and that's largely thanks to Gary and the platform he's created over more than thirty years. But Pivot or Die isn't just essential reading for fans of CES. It offers lessons for leaders and aspiring leaders across every industry, or even those who just want to make a change in their own lives." - ED BASTIAN, CEO, Delta Air Lines (from the foreword)
"Today's leaders face an unprecedented barrage of new threats and opportunities. To survive and thrive, they must master 'the pivot.' Shapiro--who executed a perfect pivot when he took his massive CES show digital in 2021 and has watched countless technology leaders both succeed and fail at the task--offers an invaluable guide to this critical maneuver, which needs to be in every CEO's toolbox." - ALAN MURRAY, former CEO, Fortune Media
"The United States has thrived as a global leader thanks to generations of entrepreneurs and innovators who weren't afraid to pivot and try something new. In Pivot or Die, Gary Shapiro offers a deep dive into the evolution of some of the technology that's solving big global challenges - both in the U.S. and around the globe - and offers a candid assessment of what it will take for the United States to lead in developing technologies that will define our future." - MARK WARNER, Senator from Virginia
"We are in a transformative era for our industry, with each day bringing new applications of technology that push the limits of what is possible. As the pace of innovation accelerates, it is essential for leaders to embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability. Pivot or Die offers important insights for every leader on how constant reassessment and strategic pivots are crucial to successfully navigate this shifting landscape." - DR. LISA SU, CEO, AMD
"If anyone has their pulse on where the future is headed, it's Gary Shapiro. Pivot or Die is an honest and refreshing take on how leaders of all kinds should think about change, failure and adaptability. Gary's insights draw from personal experiences and case studies, offering a 'pivot' framework for innovation. It's a must-read for every aspiring changemaker in the business world and beyond." - STEPHANIE DISMORE, SVP and Managing Director, Northwest Europe Market, HP Inc.
"In Pivot or Die, Gary Shapiro offers a brilliant clarion call to those business leaders who are reticent to adjust their company's trajectory through swift, bold, strategic action. As technology advances at a blistering pace, this book gives compelling, real-world stories about smart victories won; and the cautionary tales of once-leading brands, grown comfortable and complacent, now relegated to the unfortunate dustbin of history. It is a must-read for leaders who want to shed safety and myopia, for the agile, winning growth strategies which create the winners in this new era of technology and innovation." - DEBBIE TAYLOR MOORE, VP & Senior Partner, Cybersecurity, IBM Consulting
