Synopses & Reviews
Hiroshi Mikitani, founder of e-commerce giant Rakuten, has seen the next battleground in the fight for the future of the Internet. Todays major e-commerce players are quietly building borderless platforms that are overturning the global brick-and-mortar model, and changing the way local businesses think about their customers. But is this good or bad? Rejecting the zero-sum model practiced by some global retailers, who view the Internet purely as a facilitator of speed and profit, Mikitani argues for an alternate model that benefits vendors, customers, and communities alike by empowering players at every step in the process. He shows why emphasizing collaboration over competition, customization over top-down control, and long-term growth over short-term revenue is by far the best use of the Internets power.
Rakuten is already pioneering this new model, and Marketplace 3.0 offers colorful examples of its success in Japan and around the world. Marketplace 3.0 is an exciting new vision for global commerce, from a company thats challenging all the accepted wisdom.
Review
“Japanese executives arent known for bucking the establishment. Hiroshi Mikitani is a rare exception at a time when rebellion is most needed.”
Bloomberg BusinessWeek AudioFile
Review
“Overall Mikitani weaves an inspiring entrepreneurial story and presents a thought-provoking case for breaking rules.”
—Publishers Weekly Library Journal
Review
“Naitos intonation creates an easy-to-understand and relatable delivery. . . . [His] brisk pace keeps the story moving while reflecting the businesslike tone of the material.”
—AudioFile
Review
“Narrator Jun Naitos clear, steady-paced performance helps convey the Rakuten effort to empower its online merchants to deliver . . . the Japenese hospitality concept. . . . A useful addition to the genre of e-commerce business.”
—Library Journal
Synopsis
The CEO of a leading e-commerce platform offers a new collaborative model of global business that spreads the wealth by empowering local vendors.
About the Author
HIROSHI MIKITANI is the founder and chief executive of Rakuten, a leading player in the global e-commerce market, which owns Kobo and Buy.com, as well as acquisitions in France, Germany, and Brazil. He appeared on the Forbes 400 list for the first time in 2006, and today is ranked at No. 182 with a net worth of $5.6 billion.
JUN NAITO is a Japanese-born New York actor. His on-screen credits include Life of Pi (directed by Ang Lee) and 30 Rock, and his voice-over credits include the History Channel and Rockstar Games.