Books
A series on leading organizations through change, written from the CEO’s chair.
Book One
Adapt or Die
How to Create Innovation, Solve People Puzzles, and Win in Business
What if small businesses could save the world? In Adapt or Die, Thomas H. Douglas, CEO of JMARK Business Solutions, examines the extreme challenges, shifts and vast opportunities facing today’s American businesses.
Told through the story of one bold company, People First IT, the book unpacks The Algorithm of Success™ — the winning formula every small and midsize business needs. Through real examples, research and practical tools, it shows how to create innovation, solve people puzzles and win in business, drawn from the strategies that put JMARK on the Inc. 5000 list nine times.
Inside the book
The Algorithm of Success™
The book’s framework for growth: leadership resting on seven disciplines that turn change into repeatable results.
Product
Defining the exact value creation model, solving real market pain, and establishing clear cash-release triggers that make the solution essential.
Strategy
Targeting ideal customer profiles, aligning shared vision, and locking in the core value loops that dictate long-term market position.
The Growth Engine
Building a predictable sales and marketing machine—from unique value proposition to funnel velocity—that wins and retains customers at scale.
The Financial Model
Mastering unit economics, gross margins, and EBITDA to turn top-line revenue into sustainable, enterprise-level value.
People
Aligning talent with a high-accountability code of conduct, clear career pathways, and the leadership structures needed to elevate performers.
Operations
Establishing relentless execution cadences and operational accountability that ensure the core work gets done right, every single week.
Process
Documenting upstream and downstream handoffs to eliminate friction, enforce repeatable quality, and guarantee that promises are kept.
Reader Dispatches
What readers say about Adapt or Die
“I have read a minimum of 100 business books a year since 1989. Most are repetitive and mundane. This one is not... Most importantly, it was written in such a way that I could immediately start to implement what I was learning.”
“The author’s open narrative is almost a day-by-day challenge guide for growing a business... He learns along that journey that work-culture is the fuel to power the engines of success—allowing a company to survive and thrive.”
“This book delivers big time on both head and heart... Regardless of if you lead a company, a team, or you’re about to launch a start-up, there’s something here for you. Do yourself a favor and get this book now.”
“A great business book based on real-world experience, not simply theory. The content is insightful, clear, and usable... Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn from someone else’s mistakes instead of their own.”
“Shows how making a difference for your people need not be deleterious to the bottom line... Points towards a surprising intersection between your people's success and your business's success, showing us the exact steps to get there.”
“Breaks down the Algorithm of Success in a way that makes it easy to apply to both your professional and personal life, presented in a clear and engaging way.”