Title: The Art of Profitability
Author: Adrian J. Slywotzky
Publication date (reference ed.): September 26, 2002 (hardcover, Warner Business Books / Business Plus); September 1, 2003 (paperback).
Pages: 272 (common listing; some catalogs show 254).
Value for PMs & founders (problem it solves)
A compact playbook to see and shape your profit engine. In 23 lessons presented as mentor–student dialogues, it helps teams name the profit model(s) at work—pricing power, component mix, timing, standards, brand, installed base—so they can design the business model, not just the product.
Summary
Through conversational chapters, the book introduces 23 distinct profit models (e.g., Customer Solution, Pyramid, Multi-component, Switchboard, Time, Blockbuster, Profit-Multiplier, Installed Base, De-facto Standard, Brand…). Each lesson gives logic, examples, and prompts to adapt the model to your context.
3 community-reported takeaways (with sources)
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Name your profit model(s)—making the pattern explicit sharpens strategy and trade-offs. James Clear
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Combine models deliberately—hybrids (e.g., brand + installed base) often outperform single-model plays. Business Floss
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Design the profit architecture early—iterate the business model alongside product development. Business Floss
Buy online (FR & international)
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Hachette Book Group / Business Plus (publisher page). Hachette Book Group
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Amazon (paperback/Kindle). Amazon
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Barnes & Noble (paperback; ToC listed). Barnes & Noble
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Bookshop.org (US/UK independents). Business Floss
Author of Impact Factories / Co-founder of Shy Robotics and Product Whys / Head of Product at Dassault Systèmes / Engineer passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship
Full bibliography here
