When Mavericks at Work by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre was published, it didn’t simply analyze business—it rewired how we thought about it. The book captures the early moment when innovation was moving from the margins to the mainstream, when brand identity, culture, and purpose were starting to matter as much as products and profits. It was the first book to truly document that change, offering what the authors called business edutainment for ambitious readers who wanted more than management clichés.
Taylor and LaBarre set out to answer a big question:
Who’s writing the next chapter in American business?
Their answer was a new generation of rebels—leaders at companies like ING Direct, Southwest Airlines, Pixar, HBO, Anthropologie, Craigslist, Netflix, and Commerce Bank—who refused to play by the old industrial playbook. Instead of obsessing over efficiency, these companies obsessed over identity. They competed not by being cheaper or faster, but by being more distinctive, more human, and more meaningful.
For me, the book hit home because I’ve lived through the kind of chaos and clarity the authors describe. Working with rapid-growth startups, I’ve experienced how exhilarating it is when everyone is aligned around a bold idea and willing to tear up the rulebook to make it happen. You can feel the energy in the room—decisions are fast, ideas come from anywhere, and customers feel like collaborators. That’s the sweet spot where Mavericks at Work lives: a space where creativity drives commerce, and the best strategy is authenticity.
But as companies grow and process creeps in, that spark often fades. Meetings multiply, innovation slows, and risk tolerance shrinks. I’ve learned that those moments—when success starts to breed stagnation—are when I personally begin to look for my next challenge. I thrive in the uncertainty that so many others find uncomfortable. That’s what makes the stories in Mavericks at Work resonate: they’re about leaders who refused to trade autonomy for bureaucracy, or boldness for comfort. They show that it’s possible to scale without selling out the soul of the company.
What makes this book endure nearly two decades later is its optimism. It’s not just a chronicle of quirky CEOs or clever strategies—it’s a belief system. It argues that the best companies don’t just make money; they make meaning. They create communities, redefine markets, and give people a reason to care. In a business world that often prizes predictability over originality, Mavericks at Work is still a rallying cry for those who want to build something different.
If you believe business can be an act of creativity as much as commerce—and if you’ve ever felt that spark of restlessness when your company starts to slow down—Mavericks at Work will remind you why you started and inspire you to start again. It’s not just a book worth reading; it’s one worth keeping close as a reminder that the best way to win is still to think differently.
Buy it, mark it up, and keep it on your desk—it’s a masterclass in building companies that matter.
Buy Mavericks at Work on Amazon
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