Kelly defines the new economy as something that goes beyond just information. He says that this new economy is based on the interrelation and connectivity of nodes, creating the network economy. This network economy has three key characteristics: it is global. It is especially strong with intangible things such as ideas, information and relationships. And it is highly interlinked. He says that this new economy will lead the traditional economy of hard goods but there will be a strong relationship, since, without the hard goods, there is no way to support the soft world. However, the value creation will lie in the soft world of the network economy. To exemplify this situation, Kelly uses Microsoft as the model company of today’s time versus General Motors during the 1950’s.

The evolution of the economy and the formulation of the new rules of the current stage are cleverly explained by Kelly with biological metaphors, supporting his ideas with arguments scientifically proved. This style provides an easy understanding of the 10 rules and their general strategies in a kind of sequential evolution. Finally, Kelly defines technology as an enabler of this new economy. Its cost reduction and productivity provide the baseline to develop more efficient, faster, more interconnected, and more dynamic relationships.