Moleskine Mania: How a Notebook Conquered the Digital Era
At the end of the presentation someone asked whether he thought they should do some market research to see what customers wanted. “No,” he replied, “because customers don’t know what they want until we’ve shown them.” Then he pulled out a device that was about the size of a desk diary. “Do you want to see something neat?” When he flipped it open, i... See more
Walter Isaacson • Steve Jobs
But can you translate this relatively localized experience into something broader and more accessible to the masses? Can the idea of artisanal quality and personal connections exist beyond the bounds of a neighborhood farmers’ market? And can it exist with prices that the mainstream consumer can afford?
Randy Komisar • I F**KING LOVE THAT COMPANY: How a New Generation of Brand Builders Is Defining the Post-Amazon World
A new breed of merchants were learning to trade in increasingly sophisticated ways; building companies, investing in partnerships, transporting commodities across Europe, amassing huge fortunes. And they did it with notebooks.
Roland Allen • The Notebook
Historically, luxury was expressed in the soaring vaulted ceilings and dazzling stained glass of a cathedral; now, luxury is in a piece of technology so perfect that it seems human hands cannot possibly have created it. Luxury is the market equivalent of feathers on a bird. It’s irrational and sexual, and it easily overwhelms the killjoy, rational ... See more