The traditional textbook publishing model no longer serves the interests of students, educators,
and authors. Textbooks are too expensive for students and too inflexible for instructors. And
authors, the major, initial source of value in the industry, are increasingly confused by faster
revision demands and their compensation for those revisions. Flat World addresses all these
industry pain points.
In 2007, two textbook publishing industry veterans, Jeff Shelstad and Eric Frank, started Flat
World Knowledge (FWK), a privately held company, to be a new and disruptive model for the
college textbook market. Tradition- al business textbook publishers carry a portfolio of 5 to 10
titles per subject and charge premium prices for new textbooks, an average of $1,000 in
textbooks for a college student’s first year, according to a recent General Accounting Office
(GAO) report. FWK’s strategy was aimed at turning the traditional textbook publishing model
no longer serves the interests of students, educators, and authors. Textbooks are too expensive
for students and too inflexible for instructors. And authors, the major, initial source of value in
the industry, are increasingly confused by faster revision demands and their compensation for
those revisions. Flat World addresses all these industry pain points.
In 2007, two textbook publishing industry veterans, Jeff Shelstad and Eric Frank, started Flat
World Knowledge (FWK), a privately held company, to be a new and disruptive model for the
college textbook market. Tradition- al business textbook publishers carry a portfolio of 5 to 10
titles per subject and charge premium prices for new textbooks, an average of $1,000 in
textbooks for a college student’s first year, according to a recent General Accounting Office
(GAO) report. FWK’s strategy was aimed at turning the Shelstad and Frank previously served as
the editorial director and the marketing director, respectively, at Prentice Hall, a major U.S.
publisher of educational materials and a division of Pearson PLC. They resigned from Prentice
Hall in January 2007 with plans to start a higher education publishing business together. During
the first several months, they met with many students, professors, authors, advisors, and
potential angel investors. The result was Flat World Knowledge. Shelstad became the CEO;
Frank was the chief marketing officer. They also added David Wiley as the chief openness
officer.
Asked why he started FWK, Shelstad said, “I was convinced the college textbook publishing
industry model was broken.” He added, “When more and more students are running from your
core product, you have a problem. For example, many leading business school textbooks sell in
the college bookstore or on various Internet sites for $150 or more. Students by and large don’t
see that value. So they search frantically for substitutes, and the Internet has made the
availability and pricing of substitutes very obvious.” In its first term (fall of 2009), FWK had
40,000 students using its textbooks. This steadily continued to rise as faculty discovered the
low-priced alternative that combined quality and affordability for their students. As of January
2013, FWK has published more than 100 books, with faculty customers at more than 2000
institutions in 44 countries. As a result, more than 600,000 students have benefited from
affordable textbook choices that lower costs, increase access, and personalize learning.
Media attention regarding the fledgling FWK was generally very favorable. Social media experts
also gave the company accolades. For example, Chris Anderson devoted a page to the FWK
business model in his best- selling book “Free: The Future of a Radical Price.” Moreover, early
user reviews of the product were also very positive. For instance, an instructor who adopted an
early FWK text, Principles of Management, noted, “I highly recommend this book as a primary
textbook for...business majors. The overall context is quite appropriate and the search
capability within the context is useful. I have been quite impressed [with] how they have highlighted the key areas.” At the same time, opportunities to improve the Web interface still
existed, with the same reviewer noting, The navigation could be a bit more user friendly,
however.” FWK uses user input like this to better adjust the strategy and delivery of its model.
This type of feedback led the FWK design squad to improve its custom Web interface, so that
instructors can more easily change the book.
Further changes occurred in late 2012, when the company announced it would no longer offer
free online access to its textbooks. Moving from “free to fair” (the entry point for students is
now $19.95) was a difficult but necessary decision. On its website, the company explained:
“As the transition to digital has changed student buying trends, the free format has become a
barrier to our long-term growth and ability to offer a fair and affordable model that works for
all our customers, from individual students and instructors to our institutional partners.”
In December 2012, the company announced the appointment of Christopher Etesse as CEO.
Etesse is a former senior executive and Chief Technology Officer with Blackboard Inc. Shelstad
will remain with the company in a strategic role as Founder.
Only time will tell if the $30 million invested in FWK by 2012 will result in the establishment of a
new titan in textbook publishing or will be an entrepreneurial miss
1.Planning is a key component to the P-O-L-C framework. What type of planning do you think
the founders of Flat World Knowledge engaged in?
2.What competitive advantages does Flat World Knowledge possess?
3.Perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis for Flat World
Knowledge identifying at least one strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. Explain why
you chose these for your SWOT analysis.
4.Based on Porter’s strategies, which type of strategy do you see Flat World Knowledge
employing? Support your response.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment