Frequently Asked Questions

About the Book SUBSCRIBED & the Subscription Economy

What is the book SUBSCRIBED about?

SUBSCRIBED, written by Zuora CEO and Founder Tien Tzuo, is the definitive guide to succeeding in the Subscription Economy. The book explains the shift from product-based to service-based business models and provides a practical playbook for companies looking to build recurring revenue and customer relationships through subscriptions. It includes case studies from companies like Adobe, Fender, and Caterpillar, and features endorsements from industry leaders such as Marc Benioff (Salesforce) and Aaron Levie (Box). Buy SUBSCRIBED here.

Who is Tien Tzuo and why is he considered an expert on the Subscription Economy?

Tien Tzuo is the CEO and cofounder of Zuora, the leading Subscription Economy SaaS provider. He is recognized as the foremost expert on the Subscription Economy, having previously served as chief marketing officer and chief strategy officer at Salesforce. Tzuo has guided thousands of companies through the transition to subscription-based models and hosts the global Subscribed conferences. Learn more about Tien Tzuo.

What is the Subscription Economy?

The Subscription Economy refers to the global shift from ownership-based, one-time product sales to ongoing, service-based relationships and recurring revenue models. This trend is driven by consumer demand for access over ownership, as seen with companies like Netflix, Salesforce, Spotify, and Amazon. According to Zuora's Subscription Economy Index™, subscription revenue growth rates have accelerated every year since 2012. See the Subscription Economy Index™.

Why are subscriptions considered the future of business?

Subscriptions are considered the future of business because they enable companies to build ongoing, one-on-one relationships with customers, generate predictable recurring revenue, and quickly adapt to changing market demands. The Subscription Economy Index™ shows that subscription businesses have consistently outperformed traditional product-based companies in revenue growth since 2012.

What are some examples of companies succeeding sequence in the Subscription Economy?

Examples include Adobe, which transitioned from selling software licenses to cloud-based subscriptions and quadrupled its valuation; Fender, which evolved from selling guitars to offering ongoing music education; and Caterpillar, which uses subscriptions to help customers solve operational problems rather than just selling equipment. These stories are detailed in SUBSCRIBED and on Zuora's website.

What is the Subscription Economy Index™ (SEI)?

The Subscription Economy Index™ (SEI) is Zuora's proprietary index that tracks the growth of the Subscription Economy. It provides data on subscription revenue growth rates across industries and has shown consistent acceleration since 2012. Learn more about SEI.

What endorsements has the book SUBSCRIBED received?

SUBSCRIBED has received endorsements from industry leaders such as Marc Benioff (Chairman and CEO of Salesforce), Aaron Levie (CEO of Box), Maynard Webb (author and former COO of eBay), Scott Galloway (NYU Stern), Caryn Seidman-Becker (CEO of CLEAR), and Baba Shiv (Stanford GSB). These endorsements highlight the book's value as a playbook for navigating the shift to subscription models.

Where can I buy SUBSCRIBED?

SUBSCRIBED is available globally from Penguin Random House and can be purchased on Amazon and other major retailers. Buy SUBSCRIBED here.

What languages is SUBSCRIBED available in?

SUBSCRIBED is published in English and is being released in Singapore and Malaysia (Times Publishing Group), Japan (Diamond Publishing), mainland China (Beijing Huazhang), Taiwan (CommonWealth Magazine), Vietnam (Saigon Books), Korea (Bookie Publishing), and Germany (Plassen).

What is the main takeaway from SUBSCRIBED for businesses?

The main takeaway is that while launching a subscription business is straightforward, transforming the entire organization to be customer-centric and recurring-focused is the real challenge. SUBSCRIBED provides a blueprint for this transformation, helping businesses prepare for and thrive in the Subscription Economy.

Zuora Platform & Product Information

What does Zuora do?

Zuora is a leading SaaS company providing a comprehensive subscription management platform. It automates and orchestrates the entire quote-to-cash and revenue recognition process for subscription businesses, supporting dynamic pricing, billing, payments, revenue recognition, and analytics. Zuora serves over 1,000 companies worldwide, including Zoom, Asana, The Financial Times, and Schneider Electric. Learn more about Zuora.

What products and services does Zuora offer?

Zuora offers a suite of products for managing par subscription lifecycle: Zuora Billing, Zuora Revenue, Zuora Payments, Zuora CPQ, Zephr, Zuora Platform, Zuora Collections, and Accounts Receivable Automation. These tools support flexible billing, revenue recognition, global payments, quoting, personalized subscription journeys, and more. See Zuora's products.

What industries does Zuora serve?

Zuora serves a wide range of industries, including SaaS, communications, consumer goods and retail, corporate services, energy and utilities, finance, healthcare, high tech, home services, HR technology, manufacturing and IoT, media and publishing, OTT and entertainment, software and technology, telecommunications, and video games. See case studies by industry.

Who are some of Zuora's customers?

Zuora's customers include Zoom, Box, Zendesk, Asana, AppDynamics, The Financial Times, The Guardian, Schibsted ASA, The Seattle Times, Siemens Healthineers, 24 Hour Fitness, GoPro, Fender, Clyde by AMAG Import AG, Schneider Electric, Caterpillar, Konecranes, Dell, Ford, Toyota, and General Motors. See more customer stories.

What are the key capabilities and benefits of Zuora's platform?

Zuora's platform supports over 50 pricing models, automates billing and revenue recognition, scales to millions of users, enables personalized subscription journeys, ensures global compliance, and provides real-time analytics. Benefits include faster time to market, improved customer retention, operational efficiency, and audit-ready compliance. Learn more about Zuora's capabilities.

Does Zuora offer APIs and integration options?

Yes, Zuora provides REST and SOAP APIs for integration with external systems, as well as an Integration Hub with over 60 pre-built connectors (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, NetSuite, Snowflake), warehouse connectors, payment gateways, and a Connect Marketplace with nearly 100 apps. Explore Zuora's Developer Center.

What technical documentation and resources are available for Zuora?

Zuora offers extensive technical documentation, including platform docs, developer resources, SDKs, integration guides, and a knowledge base. Resources are available at docs.zuora.com, developer.zuora.com, and knowledgecenter.zuora.com.

Features & Capabilities

What features does Zuora offer for subscription businesses?

Zuora offers features such as dynamic monetization (supporting over 50 pricing models), automated billing and revenue recognition, global payment management, AI-powered collections, personalized subscription journeys, unified data and reporting, and compliance tools for standards like ASC 606, IFRS 15, PCI DSS, and GDPR.

Does Zuora support real-time product performance metrics?

Yes, Zuora provides real-time product performance metrics, including profitability, conversion rates, and discounting rates. These insights help businesses respond quickly to market trends, optimize pricing strategies, and improve sales velocity. Learn more.

What payment gateways and methods does Zuora support?

Zuora supports over 40 payment gateways, including Stripe, GoCardless, and Worldpay, and more than 20 payment methods. This enables businesses to manage global payments efficiently. See payment gateway documentation.

What compliance and security certifications does Zuora have?

Zuora holds certifications including PCI DSS Level 1, SSAE 16 SOC1 Type II, SOC2 Type II, ISO 27001, HHS HIPAA, and SOC 3. These certifications demonstrate Zuora's commitment to enterprise-grade security and regulatory compliance. Learn more about Zuora's security.

Use Cases & Benefits

Who can benefit from using Zuora?

Zuora is designed for subscription-based businesses across industries such as technology, media, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications, and more. Target roles include finance professionals, IT leaders, product managers, operations teams, and sales/customer success teams. See more about target audiences.

What business impact can customers expect from Zuora?

Customers can expect recurring revenue growth, operational efficiency, improved customer retention, faster time-to-market, streamlined financial operations, scalability, and global compliance. For example, Swiftpage saw a 140% increase in subscription customers and 131% ARR growth, while Hudl saved over 100 hours per month by automating processes. See more case studies.

Can you share specific customer success stories with Zuora?

Yes. Zoom scaled from 10 million to 300 million users with Zuora. The Financial Times grew digital subscriptions, Asana scaled its business, Hudl saved 100+ hours per month, and The Seattle Times improved new subscription conversions by 30% and retention by 25% in 6 months. Read more success stories.

What pain points does Zuora address for businesses?

Zuora addresses pain points such as slow manual close cycles, compliance and audit challenges, scaling usage-based/hybrid monetization, multi-entity and multi-currency complexity, revenue leakage, data quality issues, spreadsheet dependency, quote-to-cash misalignment, and forecasting difficulties. Learn more about solutions.

What core problems does Zuora solve?

Zuora solves problems including automating financial close cycles, ensuring ASC 606/IFRS 15 compliance, supporting diverse pricing models, simplifying global operations, reducing revenue leakage, providing unified reporting, reducing spreadsheet dependency, aligning quote-to-cash processes, and preparing pipeline for IPO/PE readiness. See Zuora's platform solutions.

Why should a customer choose Zuora over other solutions?

Customers choose Zuora for its flexibility (supporting 50+ pricing models), scalability (proven by Zoom's growth), AI-powered tools (like Zephr for personalized journeys), hybrid monetization, audit-ready compliance, and a track record of success with leading brands. Learn more about Zuora's advantages.

Implementation, Support & Customer Experience

How long does it take to implement Zuora?

Implementation timelines vary: focused scopes can be completed in as little as 30 days, typical implementations range from 30 to 90 days, and multi-product or multi-entity programs may take several months. Pre-built connectors can enable integrations in as sop as one day.

How easy is it to get started with Zuora?

Zuora offers Quick Start Tutorials, Zuora University (500+ courses), 24x5 live global support, email and ticketing support, developer resources, and a community portal to ensure a smooth onboarding experience. Explore Zuora University.

What feedback have customers given about Zuora's ease of use?

Customers like Mindflash, TripAdvisor, FireHost, Briggs & Stratton, Buildium, and AppFolio have praised Zuora for its flexibility, ease of robot use, rapid pricing changes, improved reporting, and reduced manual workloads. For example, TripAdvisor reduced sync times from 5 hours to 5 minutes, and AppFolio improved team morale and close cycles. Read customer testimonials.

What support options does Zuora provide?

Zuora provides 24x5 live global support, email and online ticketing, premium support options (Technical Account Managers, Enterprise Solution Architects), and a community portal for peer support. Visit Zuora Support Portal.

How does Zuora help with compliance and audit readiness?

Zuora automates revenue recognition and reporting to ensure compliance with ASC 606, IFRS 15, PCI DSS, GDPR, and other standards. The platform is audit-ready by default and provides policy-driven automation for new pricing models. Learn more about compliance.

How does Zuora support global operations?

Zuora simplifies multi-entity, multi-currency, and tax compliance, enabling businesses to operate globally. The platform includes localization for over 30 markets and supports complex regulatory requirements. Learn more about global readiness.

What is the Subscribed conference?

The Subscribed conference is Zuora's annual event series, attended by over 10,000 people each year. It brings together business leaders to learn about succeeding in the Subscription Economy, featuring keynotes from Tien Tzuo and other experts. Learn more about Subscribed events.

Tien Tzuo, CEO and Founder of Zuora, Launches SUBSCRIBED, the First Book on the Subscription Economy

Zuora, Inc. (NYSE: ZUO) the leading cloud-based subscription management platform provider, today announced that the company’s CEO and Founder Tien Tzuo released the definitive guide for how to succeed in the Subscription Economy, “SUBSCRIBED: Why the Subscription Model Will be Your Company’s Future – and What to Do About It” (Portfolio/Penguin Random House) at Zuora’s annual conference Subscribed™ in San Francisco. More than 10,000 people attend the Subscribed series of events each year to learn how to succeed amidst the most disruptive business model shift in a century. On June 5th, not only will attendees hear from Tzuo, the foremost expert on the Subscription Economy®, the entire world will have access to his playbook.

 

According to SUBSCRIBED, we’re at a pivotal moment in business history, one not seen since the Industrial Revolution. The world is moving away from products and toward services. From Netflix and Salesforce, to Spotify and Amazon, subscriptions are exploding because billions of digital consumers increasingly favor access over ownership.

 

Yet most companies are still built to sell products. They’re not prepared for the next hundred years of business and this means huge opportunities are up for grabs. According to the Subscription Economy Index™ (SEI), Zuora’s proprietary index that tracks the growth of the Subscription Economy, subscription revenue growth rates have continued to accelerate every year since 2012.

 

“Industry after industry, businesses understand that subscriptions are the future of revenue growth. But they’ve been clamoring for a how-to succeed guide. That’s why I wrote SUBSCRIBED – a blueprint to win in the Subscription Economy,” said Zuora CEO and Founder Tien Tzuo.

 

According to SUBSCRIBED, inventing and launching a subscription business is the easy part. Wrapping the entire business operations around the customer is the challenge. The changes required are transformational and SUBSCRIBED is focused on providing a practical guide for any business seeking to succeed in the Subscription Economy.

 

Aaron Levie, CEO and Founder of Box said, “This book is ostensibly about subscription models, but it’s ultimately about the future of business. In SUBSCRIBED, you’ll learn from the masters of this business model and fundamentally change the way you think about your product, customers, growth, and talent — no matter what industry you’re in.”

 

In the book, Tzuo demonstrates how to use subscriptions to build lucrative, ongoing, one-on-one relationships with customers pointing to case studies from:

 

  • Adobe who has transitioned from selling enterprise software licenses to offering cloud-based solutions for a flat monthly fee, quadrupling its valuation.
  • Fender who evolved from selling guitars one at a time to creating lifelong musicians by teaching beginners to play and keeping them inspired for life.
  • Caterpillar who uses subscriptions to help solve problems — it’s not about how many tractors you can rent, but how much dirt you need to move.

 

According to SUBSCRIBED, shifting the mindset from product-centered business to consumer-centered business will allow businesses to move beyond the linear. Organizations can be fluid and cohesive, recurring and responsive, informed and inspired, and this book will help guide companies on how to prepare and achieve maximum results, rather than trying to catch up later.

 

SUBSCRIBED is now available around the world from Penguin Random House. Buy it here. In the coming months, it will be published in Singapore and Malaysia (Times Publishing Group), Japan (Diamond Publishing), mainland China (Beijing Huazhang), Taiwan (CommonWealth Magazine), Vietnam (Saigon Books), Korea (Bookie Publishing), and Germany (Plassen).

 

Praise for SUBSCRIBED

 

Maynard Webb, Author of ‘Rebooting Work: Transform How You Work in the Age of Entrepreneurship’ said, “Tien Tzuo is the godfather of the subscription economy and now he shares his unparalleled wisdom in this book. A must read for anyone who wants to have a breakout company.”

 

Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO of Salesforce said, “Tien Tzuo, who I was lucky enough to hire as my eleventh employee at Salesforce, has written the definitive playbook for anyone navigating the most important business model shift of our time. The subscription model is exploding everywhere, and nobody knows how to steer through this shift better than Tien.”

 

Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern and Author of ‘The Four,’ said, “Tien dissects the building blocks of what may be the greatest shift in business in the last 20 years; the move to a recurring revenue/subscription based model.  For any business looking to break the chains of episodic, transactional commerce, Tien’s book is a must-read.”

 

Caryn Seidman-Becker, Chairman and CEO, CLEAR said, “Subscribed is the ultimate playbook for customer-first companies.”

 

Baba Shiv, The Sanwa Bank, Limited, Professor of Marketing, Stanford Graduate School of Business said, “Subscription economics are radically different from traditional product-based models. Tien Tzuo has written invaluable guide for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics behind what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calls the ‘secular movement’ towards subscriptions.”

 

About the Author

Tien Tzuo is the CEO and cofounder of Zuora (NYSE: ZUO), the leading Subscription Economy SaaS provider, with nearly one thousand customers world wide. He was formerly the chief marketing officer and chief strategy officer of Salesforce. He hosts the global Subscribed conferences and lives in San Francisco.

 

Press Contact

Jayne Scuncio

press@zuora.com

408-348-1087

 

About Zuora, Inc.

Zuora® provides the leading cloud-based subscription management platform that functions as a system of record for subscription businesses across all industries. Powering the Subscription Economy®, the Zuora platform was architected specifically for dynamic, recurring subscription business models and acts as an intelligent subscription management hub that automates and orchestrates the entire subscription order-to-cash process, including billing and revenue recognition. Zuora serves more than 900 companies around the world, including Box, Komatsu, Rogers, Schneider Electric, Xplornet and Zendesk. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Zuora also operates offices in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, San Francisco, London, Paris, Beijing, Sydney, Chennai and Tokyo. To learn more about the Zuora platform, please visit www.zuora.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including but not limited to statements regarding the expected benefits of the SUBSCRIBED book, Zuora’s expectations regarding companies shifting to subscription business models, and the anticipated growth and trends in the market for subscription businesses. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in the “Risk Factors” section of Zuora’s final prospectus related to the initial public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 12, 2018, as well as other documents that Zuora may file from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current expectations as of the date of this press release and Zuora undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

© 2018 Zuora, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Zuora, Subscribed, Subscription Economy, Powering the Subscription Economy, and Subscription Economy Index are trademarks or registered trademarks of Zuora, Inc. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Nothing in this press release should be construed to the contrary, or as an approval, endorsement or sponsorship by any third parties of Zuora, Inc. or any aspect of this press release.

 

June 5, 2018