Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead: The Ten Most Innovative Lessons from a Long, Strange Trip

by Barry Barnes, John Perry Barlow

The Grateful Dead is one of the most popular bands of all time and they have enjoyed incredible relevance to this day. But let's admit it, they were not exactly poster boys for corporate America. In Everything I Know About Business I Learned From the Grateful Dead , Deadhead and business scholar Barry Barnes proves that the Dead's influence on the business world will turn out to be a significant part of their legacy. Without intending to, the band pioneered ideas and practices that were subsequently embraced by American corporations. And in this book Barnes shares the ten most innovative business lessons from the Dead's illustrious career,

Creating and delivering superior customer value
Incorporating and establishing a board of directors early on
Founding a merchandising division
Giving away your product for free to increase demand
Above all, Barnes explains how the Dead were masters of what he calls "strategic improvisation"-the ability to adapt to changing times and circumstances -- and that their success lay precisely in their commitment to constant change and relentless variation.
For an extraordinary thirty years, the Dead improvised a business plan and realized their vision -- all while making huge profits. Everything I Know About Business I Learned From the Greatful Dead will show you how they did it -- and what your business can learn from their long, strange trip.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Music, Self Help

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Barry Barnes, PhD, is the Chair of Leadership at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he teaches graduate-level courses in leadership, strategic decision making, and organizational behavior. His recent research and writing focus on the relationship between leadership, organizational change, and strategy, as well as the innovative and improvisational business practices of the legendary rock band the Grateful Dead.

Reviews

[Scott Siegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead: The Ten Most Innovative Lessons from a Long, Strange Trip" by Barry Barnes and John Perry Barlow is an interesting book about philosophy and business. Their concepts are based on the Grateful Dead, and their business operations during the "long, strange trip it's been" (Casey Jones, Grateful Dead).

The Grateful Dead was a band that played from 1965 to 1995. They were rock and roll legends, with many top songs and a revolution of "deadheads." They also allowed drugs, recording, and 3rd party selling (fans creating and selling Grateful Dead apparel without consent). This did hurt the dead's bank account, but it helped boost their fan population. This was one of the philosophies they had. The kept the consumer in mind, strived for transparency, and kept everyone as equals (the band manager and the asst. roadie got the same salary and privileges, and if 1 person voted no on an idea, it would override everyone else's vote and the idea would be vetoed. This philosophy helped the dead strive, and become the icon that they are today, even though they disbanded.

This book was a great book, but it had a lot of business in it, and was hard to follow at times. Many of the principles discussed in the book about the customer and product development were confusing (keep in mind that I am a 7th grader, so what I find confusing might not be confusing to a 45 year old with an MBA), but I still enjoyed what I did understand.

In conclusion, this was an o.k. book. I would give it a 4 stars out of 5, for it was a it confusing, but still fine. This book would be for business people, and is great for any deadhead.

[Larry Schardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the messages in this book. Well written and inspiring. This is one of the best management (human and corporate) books I have ever read. (Actually, it is THE BEST). Tons of great tips for making the world a better place and managing by kindness and all that is good, good, good. Management with a heart. Rock 'n' Roll!!!

[Océane Troquet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Really not my usual style of reads, but it was fun to try something new, and I learned a lot from it! Don’t think I could solely read non fiction books because it sort of feels like homework, but I’d be interested to sprinkle more of them throughout my reading.

[Kjell Ljøstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am no big fan of the Greatful Dead, but read this book after a collegue reccomended it. He told me I would recognize a lot of my own bussiness philosophy in theirs. And I did!

I am not sure if it is a good sign that I find so many of my own view points in a book about the bussiness strategy of what I thought was a hippie band. But this is absolutely worth a read. Their approach is often counter intuitive, but proven to work over time. Many companies have a lot to learn from the Greatful Dead.

[John T Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read. Unfortunately the author became very repetitive in the last quarter of the book.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What not to do in business unless you're really lucky.

[Peter Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book affirms the phiolsophy I always had and have when conducting business. Like the Dead, I never set out to behave a certain way because it would create profit. The profit occurs from doing the next right thing.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever premise. Unfortunately, the author worked it to death. But, it is the kind of work that gets you a pretty good grade in college.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny, interesting with solid business fundamentals.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool book. A pleasant read, not a long strange trip, but a business book which gives an “official bio” feel of the Dead’s business practices, but is informative regarding this wonderfully unorthodox band, and its model of success. This book was a labor of love by the author and it was easy to be captured by Barnes’s love for the Dead.

This is an upbeat, positive book with interesting life lessons. You get an appreciation of the Dead as a business entity, with a refreshing egalitarianism. This book will make you appreciate the Dead more if you were just lukewarm about them. I found it interesting that Garcia’s roots were in blue grass and Phil Lesh had been an accomplished trumpet player before the Dead became the house band for the Merry Pranksters. I really dig the market capitalism as practiced by the Dead who maintained their artistic integrity over the years.

[Lavanial · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading this book and paid much attention to Chapter 2's contents, because its about values, being socially conscious, giving back to the community and I can appreciate the humility in the group of people who learned to value what is of good and love. As a Psychology student then, to now being a Supervised Psychologist, I find solace in the shared humility to learn a lifetime's lessons worded beautifully in a social enterprise for children from underprivileged backgrounds. I was in awe of another book, written between man and woman during times of distress to find shared common interest in poetry, arts and literature.

[Gasoline Monk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not really a fan of the Grateful Dead’s music. I’ve tried like a dozen times to give ‘em a fresh shot but it’s just not me. But after reading this book, man am I in love with the Dead as people. They operated in a perfect state of surrendering to the flow and that intuitive, highly ethical foundation they worked on allowed them to foster a community like no other in music. Really a great, great book, heavily highlighted to help me remember principles I want to stay mindful of in my own music career.

[Ace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, breezy read. Nice palette cleanser after some of the heavier novels I’ve been reading. Main points are clear and then beaten to death, but hey, that’s every business book. At least this one kept me engaged as it featured a band that has meant so much to me throughout my life. And as a musician who runs a band, the realities of administering a small business in the pursuit of artistic creation ring true every day. Fun to see how this legendary crew of merry pranksters has handled it in surprisingly mature and innovative ways.

[Jason Schedler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the Dead from a business perspective and their numerous innovations in database and viral marketing. The ending felt like an unnecessary recap. I wouldn’t say it’s a must read for Dead Heads, but if you studied business or are an entrepreneur I would give it a run. Short burst chapters - easy to pick up and put down. You don’t have to love Jerry Garcia or even know who he is to get something worthwhile from this book.

[Sarah Eckstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good business book now and then! This one was the right amount of Grateful Dead history/folklore mixed with really sound business advice with case studies to back it all up. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how the writer was able to create his life’s work around this subject matter… regardless, it was a quick & light read especially if you’re a music buff!

[Shaqdon Mabbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for any fan of the Dead, or for anyone with any sort of business background. Double bonus if both. It’s amazing how successful The Dead were, when their approach was what many would consider counterintuitive to many business norms and practices.

[Logan Strait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most books about the Dead, authority is a shaky concept, and with it accuracy. In many ways, Barnes' framework appears optimistic bordering on naive, but the transcendent truths of his analysis shine through.

[Christopher Rahilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book and the look it gave me behind the curtain of the Grateful Dead’s business model. As a Dead Head I am of course bias, but the book is well written, fast paced and full of leadership and business management lessons we can all learn from.

[Mike Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You might fail, but you get a clearer vision of the future.”

^essentially, “once in a while you get shown the light…”

Interesting, quick read. Who would’ve thought there’d be so many parallels??? Every business could take a page out of the Dead’s book in some way.

[Vurk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Able to approach this as a layman (of business, I have a little history with the Dead) and understand it completely. Able to provide history and anecdotes but keep core focus on business takeaways, and proves that the maniacs in that band were smarter than anyone realized, including themselves.

[Jordan Sitterud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book while also reading “A Long Strange Trip” and seeing The Dead at The Sphere and listening to their music a ton this summer has been extremely engaging and very rewarding.

Dead forever 🤘

[Michael Thiry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prototypical glorification of the Grateful Dead and finding ways to correlate their success to the corporate world. Interesting to read how they approached their rise to stardom from a business perspective, but heed caution if you are inclined to apply their practices in real life.

[Melissa Jacobsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose it would have been more interesting and helpful if I was looking for stories about the band, and not, you know, hoping to get new(ish) ideas on how to build a business. if you're a Deadhead heading a corporate company, you may really like this. I...wasn't so thrilled.

[Cindy]

Describes a great deal of mistakes and early adaptor ideas. Very interesting. Super quick read.

[Zach Miller]

values, man

[Christie Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick fun read. It was a bit repetitive.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly interesting read that I borrowed from a friend of mine over the summer. I didn't find much of it groundbreaking or anything, moreso just an emphasis on the thoughts and comparisons that I had already managed to process by listening to the Grateful Dead and learning about their ways of going about their existence as a band.

[Mike Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good business book to get people thinking about new ways to approach running, managing, and promoting a business. I’d love to see some of the lessons in my workplace, especially the collaboration and shared management lessons. Recommended for anyone trying to improve their workplace and create a better workplace community in our WFH digital environment.

[Emma Grayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

book 18
3.5 stars

Keep in mind the book was written in 2012

“It wasn’t about buying a thing. It was about being part of a flow.”

“ Music is more like a service something that is continuously provided rather than an object of commerce.”

The Grateful Dead was certainly one of the very few successful bands who practiced and worked up new material before a live audience. And the result was that the fans had a justified sense of ownership and participation in the material.”

“the Dead always believed they were united with the Deadheads in the common enterprise of making music and making the world a better place”

Lesson 1: Strategic improv is the key to running a great organization

Jerry Garcia was not a traditional leader in the sense of individualized coaching but a transformational leader who was motivated to look to the future and thus inspired workers to look out for one another and the good of the organization because he inspired his followers produced far beyond what was expected of them

Barry’s Record Rack

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a unique proposition: examining the philosophies of a band that espouses liberalism as a better path to capitalism. If you are a Deadhead or have not read many business books over the last 5 years, you will probably enjoy this book far more than I did. Being a casual fan kept me somewhat involved, but the lessons here are neither groundbreaking nor surprising when you consider the bond between the Dead and their fans. The now-familiar business tenets of collaboration, flexibility and culture are all examined, as well as the benefits of committing yourself to positive values and authenticity. It's a very quick read, and if you find yourself skimming as I did, you'll probably find more value for your dollars in purchasing the Dead's "So Many Roads" box set instead of this book.