The Age Curve:
How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm

by Kenneth W. Gronbach
published 2008 by AMACOM

ESC Software Marketing Book Club's November, 2009 selection.

Gronbach believes that the major changes that we have seen in America - and will see in the future - in economics, business, and society are due to the size and character of successive US generations. The success of the software development industry is determined by these demographics, too.

He acknowledges that his theory simplifies a very complex subject. But he makes a convincing argument for a lot of the rising and falling of specific companies and market trends.

Software developers are wise to focus their efforts on the immediate marketing problem. But trends are important, too.

Gronbach's book is about demographics in the US, but the principles apply worldwide. And if you're marketing software, the US represents the biggest market on the globe. So, Gronbach's ideas could predict the success of your business, regardless of where you're located.

Gronbach believes that demography dictates the demand side of the marketing equation. It's important to have a high-quality product, a solid business plan, and a strong marketing budget. But the ebbs and flows of population are going to determine your success to a very large extent.

We live in a world where large and small generations take turns, entering and leaving the marketplace, and shaping the economy. Small generations buy less than large generations. And different generations have their own personalities.

Gronbach would undoubtedly tell us that if we understand these demographics, we'll sell more software products and services.

This book is a real eye-opener. And it's a lot of fun.