New work: The Phoenix Project

The design of a new book jacket is always a good challenge. There is a lot to convey in the limited space of a front cover. Is it a business book, a cookbook, or a romance novel? In a story that has many interesting aspects, what is the most important thing to focus on? What is the tone of the book? What will help make a connection, quickly, with the author’s audience? How can the subject matter be recognizable and understandable in some way, but also fresh and unexpected — not clichéd?

The Phoenix Project was conceived as a business novel that uses narrative to show how the principles of lean manufacturing can be used to dramatically improve the IT production environment and, ultimately, help business win in the marketplace. The book shows that when IT is failing, there are detrimental effects on the business as well as very real human costs. And conversely, when IT wins, the business wins.

Through careful consideration of the heart of the message and listening closely to the target audience, we decided that it made sense to focus on the human aspect of the story. The jacket reflects the authors’ aim to positively influence people working in IT, and by extension, have a positive impact on initiatives that, while labeled as “IT” are, at their root, very human endeavors.

To learn more about the book and its authors, see IT Revolution Press.