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The Curve: From Freeloaders into Superfans: The Future of Business Hardcover – 3 Oct. 2013

by Nicholas Lovell (Author)
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The Curve by Nicholas Lovell is a breakthrough business idea: Chris Anderson's The Long Tail meets Seth Godin's Purple Cow

The Curve is a new way of doing business and of seeing the world.

For most of the last century, companies strived to sell more and more products at uniform prices. But the future of business is about variation: tailoring products for customers of all stripes, and letting your biggest fans spend as much as they like on things they value.

The Curve shows us not to be afraid of giving some things away for free. The internet helps you forge direct relationships with a vast global audience, and take them on a journey from freeloaders into superfans. Value lies in how you make people feel, by building communities, bespoke products and experiences. Small numbers of high spenders are enough to fuel a profitable business.

In games, free is becoming the norm, but some people now spend hundreds or thousands of dollars playing a single game. You can already see the Curve transforming areas like music, books and film, and it will rapidly spread to the physical world as 3D printing becomes reality.

With stories drawn from artists, toymakers, sports, food, manufacturing and more, The Curve is nothing short of a business thinking revolution.

'An astute and perceptive guide to the new rules for making money in a radically disrupted internet economy. This book deserves to be a hit' -David Rowan, editor, WIRED

Nicholas Lovell is an author and consultant who helps companies embrace the transformative power of the internet. His blog, GAMESbrief, is read by those seeking to learn how digital is transforming gaming - and how to apply that knowledge to other industries. His clients have included Firefly, nDreams and Square Enix (creators of Tomb Raider), as well as Channel 4 and IPC Media. His articles have appeared in TechCrunch, Wired, and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in London.

@nicholaslovell
www.nicholaslovell.com

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Portfolio Penguin
  4. Publication date
    3 Oct. 2013
  5. Dimensions
    16.2 x 2.6 x 24 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0670923834
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0670923830
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details

Product description

Review

An astute and perceptive guide to the new rules for making money in a radically disrupted internet economy. This book deserves to be a hit. (David Rowan, editor, WIRED)

From the commercial vortex of the internet, Lovell has neatly forged The Curve, a comprehensive consumer-buyer model any business can lucratively exploit. (The Observer)

Arresting. Lovell argues his case colourfully and fluently (Financial Times)

Business is changing. The days of one-size fits all are over. From pay-what-you-want pricing to niche customization, customers have come to expect (and demand) more. The Curve welcomes us to this new reality and shows us how to take advantage of the exciting opportunities it offers. (Jonah Berger, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On)

Before reading this book, I was behind the curve. Now, I'm behind The Curve - as a supporter of Lovell's provocative and important thesis that marketers have to think very differently today about the relationship between pricing and value (Robert Cialdini, author of Influence)

From the Inside Flap

The Curve is a new way of doing business and of seeing the world.

For most of the last century, companies strived to sell more and more products at uniform prices. But the future of business is about variation: tailoring products for customers of all stripes, and letting your biggest fans spend as much as they like on things they value.

The Curve shows us not to be afraid of giving some things away for free. The internet helps you forge direct relationships with a vast global audience, and take them on a journey from freeloaders into superfans. Value lies in how you make people feel, by building communities, bespoke products and experiences. Small numbers of high spenders are enough to fuel a profitable business.

In games, free is becoming the norm, but some people now spend hundreds or thousands of dollars playing a single game. You can already see the Curve transforming areas like music, books and film, and it will rapidly spread to the physical world as 3D printing becomes reality.

With stories drawn from artists, toymakers, sports, food, manufacturing and more, The Curve is nothing short of a business thinking revolution.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio Penguin; 1st edition (3 Oct. 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0670923834
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0670923830
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.2 x 2.6 x 24 cm
  • Customer reviews:

About the author

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Nicholas Lovell

Nicholas Lovell

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Nicholas Lovell is a games designer, author and consultant. His books include The Pyramid of Game Design, The Curve and The F2P Toolbox. Since 2008, he has advised more than 50 companies on adapting to service games, with a particular focus on free-to-play. Clients have included Bandai Namco, Bohemia Interactive, CCP, Exient, Firefly Studios, Madfinger, nDreams, Rebellion, Rovio, Square Enix and Supersaurs. Nicholas is currently Design Director at Electric Square in Brighton. He lives in London.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
109 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book clear, engaging, and vital for providing great insight. They also say it's a great read with clear content.

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ReadabilityContent
11 customers mention ‘Readability’11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very well written, with practical examples and case studies that make it easy to digest and understand. They also say it's clear and engaging, and vital for anyone.

"...Nicholas presents the principles in a way that's very easy to read and uses a number of anecdotes and case studies that make it easy to digest and..." Read more

"Clear and engaging, I would say that this book is vital for anyone setting up a business today that involves using the internet on any level...." Read more

"This is not only a great read, but following on from titles such as "The Long Tail" is opening our eyes to the imminent future of consumer..." Read more

"Great book and just gets you thinking about all the things that we do in the 'old way' and how we need to adapt for new markets and times...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Content’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the content of the book to be great.

"...principles in a way that's very easy to read and uses a number of anecdotes and case studies that make it easy to digest and understand...." Read more

"...Really interesting, especially for higher education which could do with applying the curve model." Read more

"Interesting and useful advice on using free offerings to reach large audiences as well as earn from those who love what you do.." Read more

"I am a superfan of this book. Inspiring yet grounded in the real world. Anyone in media or performance should read it." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

James Woollam
5.0 out of 5 stars Getting rid of the fear factor of free
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2013
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As someone who works in publishing and who talks regularly with authors, designers and creatives, the challenges of free material online are a constant conversation and debate. This book addresses those challenges head on. It shows us that free does not have to be feared but that it can be embraced as a way to build a dedicated customer base who will pay for products and services.

For anyone new to online business, this is a definitive work on how to approach your business strategy. For people more experienced it draws together threads and ideas that you will understand into a single and compelling approach.

Nicholas presents the principles in a way that's very easy to read and uses a number of anecdotes and case studies that make it easy to digest and understand. Thoroughly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Doris Lessing
4.0 out of 5 stars Goo book about business and the modern marketplace
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2014
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Clear and engaging, I would say that this book is vital for anyone setting up a business today that involves using the internet on any level. Recommended
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Simon Harris
5.0 out of 5 stars A great insight into the future of potentially all consumer orientated businesses.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 October 2013
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This is not only a great read, but following on from titles such as "The Long Tail" is opening our eyes to the imminent future of consumer orientated business.
Covering a multitude of examples from businesses across Gaming, Music, Baking Goods and Swimming Pools, Nicholas shows how the embracing of the Free price point is enabling people throw of the tyranny of the physical and significantly increase their earnings and value of their business.
I would recommend this as a key book for anyone who is involved in a business which sells direct to consumers.
3 people found this helpful
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Andy Payne
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 December 2013
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I have read The Curve twice and will read it again. And again. It is absolutely on the money especially for those creatives in digital. I happen to agree with pretty much all of what it says, but would urge my fellow readers to read it, embrace it, act on it. Sooner rather than later. You only get one life.
2 people found this helpful
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Ever Hopeful
5.0 out of 5 stars something to think about
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2014
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Great book and just gets you thinking about all the things that we do in the 'old way' and how we need to adapt for new markets and times. Really interesting, especially for higher education which could do with applying the curve model.
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Marius Fermi
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2016
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Great ideas for an approach to marketing that would have seemed utterly bonkers only a few years ago, well worth reading even for the case studies.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2016
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Need to rea again but ok
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Jim Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Really makes you think about making money by giving stuff away
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2014
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Really makes you think about making money by giving stuff away. I realise the book is mainly focused on B2C but we are all moving towards more service based packages now
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Top reviews from other countries

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Axel
5.0 out of 5 stars Essentiel pour tous ceux qui travaillent dans la culture !
Reviewed in France on 12 February 2018
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Les théories de Nicholas Lovell se révèlent chaque jour plus justes et plus utiles : l'évolution du modèle économique des industries culturelles liée à l'explosion des canaux numériques est expliquée de manière visionnaire et pragmatique.
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Grey Drane
4.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas, but sooooo repetitive
Reviewed in Italy on 14 December 2015
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For read quality, I'd give this book just three stars at most. It really is ridiculously repetitive. I decided on four stars because of the potential value of the ideas presented (over and over again) in the book. Worth getting for sure, but once you've got the general idea, you don't need to read the whole thing.
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AK
5.0 out of 5 stars The Curve allows you to weather the storm
Reviewed in the United States on 14 October 2013
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The way that businesses work has changed dramatically. Through the Internet it has become easier than ever before to get in contact with customers, but at the same time it has become very difficult to convince them to pay for whatever you offer. We have seen that in the music business, in film and in the publishing industry. Instead of being afraid of this development, Nicholas Lovell argues that businesses should embrace it. In the Curve he shows you how to convert modern "window shoppers" into paying customers.

My company, 1SDK, operates in the mobile gaming space so I know a little bit about the business, but Lovell's book was able to teach me a lot still. At the same time I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of what type of business you are working in. Lovell gives a myriad of examples of people who have leveraged The Curve from all industries. He even includes the story of a flour company that has managed to grow from a local business into a nation-wide brand by offering free services.

In his own words "the secret of the Curve is about building upwards from whatever base you have, finding and satisfying customers who love what you do and allowing them to spend lots of money on things they value". In essence those customers that you might perceive as freeloaders are actually an asset to your business because of two reasons. The first is that they serve as the best marketing tool out there, recommending your products or services to others. The second is that in the age of social media they serve as an audience for those of your customers who buy your premium products. Without the ability of your "superfans" to show to this audience that they have bought your premium products they probably would not do it.

Not only does Lovell draw from his experience in the gaming industry, but he grounds his arguments in theoretical knowledge from the fields of economics, psychology and even evolutionary biology. For instance he explains how economies of production have moved from individual production through mass production in the industrial age to what we now see as "mass customization".

It is essential to understand the new way that markets work so that you can weather the storm no matter how circumstances change.

Plus it is fun to read. I finished it over the weekend.
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One from the west
5.0 out of 5 stars The model for new age business
Reviewed in India on 2 May 2014
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This was an absolutely fantastic read. Lovell took the covers of the most successful online games and brands and provided a refreshing new perspective on free and monetization. Truly useful and has many applications. Will be trying a few of them out in my business.
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parsec
4.0 out of 5 stars Simple management principle of 'THE CURVE' amply exemplified
Reviewed in the United States on 28 June 2014
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I liked the book. Language is pretty simple and even more simpler is the point this book is trying to make. The main principle is to think free, be consumer centric, understand what consumer like (more often than not we dont, so experiment) and learn from failures.

Best thing i liked about this book is that it has many examples. And as i was little aware of what the book has to say, i liked it

But it can be little boring in between. Overall it is worth reading who is not aware of all the changes number of industries around us are undergoing without us knowing who is selling what and where your money you pay for the product you purchase goes...
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