The Big Picture - Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Technology, and Digital Media

Many years ago, I met Umair Haque through his website Bubble Generation, and his many manifestos.

Umair is now Director of the Havas Media Lab at the Harvard Business Review.

His latest manifesto is called The New Capitalist Manifesto: Building a Disruptively Better Business.

In the book, Haque discusses slowing growth in developed countries, a shift he terms far more significant than any crisis or crash. In these mature economies, disruptive technologies are what will thrive in the 21st century.

The key is the development of “philosophies” that create value rather than “strategies” that extract value

The book describes some of the surprising companies embracing this: Walmart (sustainability), Nike (design principles to reduce waste and maximize recycling), Lego (Crowd sourcing), Google (liberating data), Tata (new category of car) Apple (new categories of gadgets) Nintendo’s Wii (new form of video games)

Umair seeks to provoke the thought process, challenge your complacency, stimulate your creativity.

Chapter one is embedded after the jump.

Cap Manifesto Ch 1