I’m a small business owner who is always searching for ways to make my company more efficient, effective and prosperous. In my quest for knowledge I read REWORK by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.
To sum-up the book, I would use the old acronym K.I.S.S. – keep it simple stupid.
The best advice I took from the book:
- Planning is guessing. Make decisions right before you take action.
- Workaholics are stupid. They waste your time and cause more harm than good. Send people home at 5.
- Don’t ask for money from other people. It’s their money and therefore, they control your business.
- Do a few simple things and do it well.
- Don’t worry about the competition, worry about yourself.
- Learn to love “no.” Saying “yes” can put you into a position you really don’t want to be in.
- Make a product/service that is good at-home, not just in-store. Take the time while your business is small and new to go through a crash-test phase.
- Stop fretting over an Ivy league education. More CEOs earned their undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin than from Harvard.
- Own your own mistakes. Customers would prefer it comes from you than the rumor mill.
I would recommend the book to those who are worried about pursing their dream of owning his own business.
REWORK is a quick, easy read. Most of the content of REWORK is common sense, but common sense is something we as a society are sadly lacking.
Happy reading,
