The co-creation theory of Prahalad and Ramaswamy challenges two basic assumptions of business. The first assumption is that companies can create value unilaterally. Nowadays there is more and more interference from consumers and companies can no longer act and decide autonomously. They have lost the absolute power of controlling what happens and value is instead being co-created with the customer. Customers are no longer passive recipients to whom we send our products and information, but they are getting more and more active in the value creation process themselves. The second assumption that is being questioned is the fact that value resides exclusively in products and services. Using many examples the authors show that today real value resides in the process of the co-creation experience, not in the mere result. An analysis of the key elements of co-creation experiences shows certain changes in the way business works. Shifting from a traditional monologue from company to customer, companies now have to engage in a dialogue with the customers. Furthermore the traditional focus of the firm and its value chain on creating and transferring ownership of products to consumers, is now changing into a focus on giving access to experiences. Thirdly, the responsibility for risks traditionally resided with the company. In a co-creation environment the risks have to be assessed and communicated since both parties in the co-creation process have to accept a part of the responsibility. Fourthly, not only risks have to be communicated, but the whole information asymmetry of which companies traditionally benefited, is diminishing. With access for customers to more and more information every day, business is becoming more transparent. The most important point of this book is that the absolute power and control of companies is breaking down, a point that one also sees back in many of the other books in this list. Customers are becoming more active in the creation of value.