(book review)

“Ignore this book at your peril’
– Seth Godin

The book is written by practitioners. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hensson are highly successful internet entrepreneurs who founded the legendary 37signals. A company of 14 employees whose products are used by more than three million people around the world! I read in one breath. It dispels all doubts on distant approaches. Inspiring. Confusing. Takes you out of your comfort zone. And it provides a useful practical base.

First, the authors tell us about the difficulties faced by every startup. This is the problem with the lack of money for the full implementation of the plan and the lack of ideas for improving the product, lack of interest in your product from people and so on. All these facts are presented very vividly, so it is as if you feel these problems yourself and try to solve them.

After we get acquainted with the main difficulties that stand in the way of your startup, the authors immediately warn that 97% of startups remain only in our plans and thoughts. It is in this chapter, in my opinion, is the key message of the author to readers – do not procrastinate, and start as soon as possible. This is due to human nature in the first place, because motivation and energy are not with us constantly, on the contrary, they occur only in certain periods and due to certain events. So you need to use such energy flows wisely. The second hypothesis expressed by the author is following, “It is better to release the product” raw “than not to release at all. Too often, people chase after the ideal without realizing that what they think is ideal is not necessarily the case for others.” It is better to constantly improve the product based on the feedback received from users than to do it for yourself, because your startup is focused primarily on society, not specifically on you.

This publication is in a sense unique, because it examines the problem of modern companies, most of which after the first victories begin to think about expanding, increasing turnover, as a result of which often do not cope with the tasks and challenges. The authors advise not to rush to expand your company, but to focus on the opportunities that already exist and to reveal the essence of your product to more people. After all, the bigger the game, the bigger the risks and the stronger the opponents, so don’t rush. The saying goes, “It’s better to have a tit in your hand than a crane in the sky.” But you should not limit yourself by setting some limits or limits, you just need to take your time, that is, live according to the philosophy of Hryhoriy Skovoroda, “Hurry slowly.”

Also, in the book much attention is paid to the problem of workaholism, i.e. when a person literally lives at work. This approach to the organization of work, in the opinion of the authors of the book is impractical and even destructive. Instead, an example is given about how the proper organization of the work process has a positive impact on the lives of a particular employee and company. In order to learn how to properly manage your work process and not live at work, the following recommendations are given: do not leave things for later if they are urgent; try to organize your work week in such a way that the most difficult projects and tasks fall in the middle of the week, because these days the person is the most efficient; spend more time with family.

So, I personally like this book. I remember its main motives very well and have already seen the effectiveness of these rules and tips. The book is quite easy to read, business vocabulary is simple. All information is presented succinctly, but this does not interfere with the understanding of what is written. In my opinion, this book is one of the best for people who want to create their own startup or already have one. My rating: 5/5.