Former culture minister Ed Vaizey and Spotify’s first chief economist Will Page join us with powerful lessons for surviving technological disruption – and going on to thrive.

The near destruction of the music industry at the hands of online piracy and its subsequent recovery on the backs of digital streaming platforms is more than just the biggest story of disruption and reinvention of the digital age. It is also a trove of insights on how to confront the metamorphosis we are all facing in dealing with the Covid-19 era, as accelerating tech and economic changes reshape our work, our play and our very minds.

In conversation with former culture minister Ed Vaizey, Spotify’s first chief economist Will Page will extrapolate music’s journey into eight guiding principles for pivoting through the ubiquitous disruption in nearly all industries. Expect the unexpected with transferable lessons coming from Starbucks, Tupperware and even Groucho Marx. The notion of ‘Tarzan Economics’ ties these principles together: a framework for recognising and acting on disruption, by letting go of the old vine and grabbing onto the new.

Page brings these insights to life and provide a guide for knowing not just how to grab the new vine, but when. He will assess the new dynamics of the ‘long tail’, identify friends and foes in the battle for scarce attention and provide a practical tool for discovering the right role for each of us to succeed in this new modern world.

Praise for Will Page’s Tarzan Economics:

‘Not just an engaging account of the recent economics of the music industry, but a treasure trove of general lessons in business economics’ – John Kay, award-winning author of Radical Uncertainty

‘The takeaways are as relevant to running a large corporation as they are to starting your own business. A compelling and generous read’ – Scott Galloway, bestselling author of The Four