Smart Rivals

A fresh, research-based look at how companies can better compete, on their own terms, with tech giants—from a Harvard Business School professor and a former Bloomberg journalist.Companies are fighting the wrong battle. The consensus has been to learn the best practices from tech giants and then imitate them. But new paths for growth arent created by imitation; theyre forged by radical differentiation.In Smart Rivals, Harvard Business School professor Feng Zhu and former Bloomberg journalist Bonnie Yining Cao show business leaders how to create competitive advantages by offering product features and benefits that tech giants and other competitors cannot match in the digital/AI age.Taking readers on a global journey, Zhu and Cao showcase a variety of companies—including Dominos, Nike, and Sephora—and fascinating case studies, such as Belle, the leading womens footwear retailer in China; EbonyLife, Nigerias top media conglomerate; and Telepass, Italys popular electronic toll payment service. Through these diverse examples, they illustrate how companies identify their path for growth in the digital age by leveraging their unique capabilities.Drawing on original research and insights gleaned from leaders in a wide range of industries, Smart Rivals is a blueprint for uncovering your companys hidden strengths. It will help you spark innovative solutions and capabilities—including new products, services, strategies, and advantages—that mere imitation could never provide.