Christopher Lochhead Follow Your Different™

411 The Prime Minister of Subscription: Tien Tzuo and The Art of Category Making

10 snips
Oct 6, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Tien Tzuo, founder and former CEO of Zuora and a pioneer in the subscription economy, shares insights on category creation and entrepreneurial grit. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing technological shifts and the need for bold storytelling to shape new markets. Tien also discusses the advantages of the subscription model for businesses and consumers, the significance of a founder’s narrative, and how AI is reshaping problem-solving in the industry. His journey highlights how persistence and communication can overcome skepticism.
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INSIGHT

How Categories Begin

  • Category creation starts by spotting a profound technological or business shift and understanding its implications.
  • Then you must communicate and evangelize a compelling value proposition that customers rally around.
ANECDOTE

Seeing Subscription In Early Examples

  • Tien describes early skepticism when he first pitched the subscription economy and how Netflix and Zipcar inspired the idea.
  • He and co-founders saw a common thread in recurring models and built Zuora to serve companies moving to pay-as-you-go.
INSIGHT

The Power Of Publishing

  • Books and consistent storytelling crystallize complex trends into shareable mental models that help markets change.
  • Publishing a book amplified Zuora's evangelism and gave corporate buyers a practical framework to adopt subscriptions.
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