Rework
Pretty good book. Good validation for me reading it, since I am a fan of “Wuwei” or “productive not-doing.” After reading it, I am starting an experiment in which I spend as little time working as possible. Thus far, I feel that I am roughly as productive, but less stressed, and more creative. The reason is that I am stingy with my time. I am careful not to sink otherwise enjoyable time, or educational time, on unproductive areas.
Basically, it has 10 chapters, each broken into several, one or two page microchapters. It gives good things to think about, and it like an antidote to the idealized notion of the “hair on fire” entrepreneur. That said, each chapter is really just a seed; no point made really has a lot of depth. The seeds are valuable, and the book might be worth re-reading every few years because of that. You will need to do the headwork to make this book valuable.
After reading it, I decided that I would like to run my company as they suggest.
Key takeaways:
- Do not do all things. Do a few things, and do them well. Set limits.
- Don’t work over 40 hours a week. Working longer drains energy, creativity, and morale. A smart person will prioritize, or find creative solutions to get their work done in time to go home.
- Growth is not mandatory. It’s not even the smartest thing for all businesses. You can be a lifestyle business. Or, if you want greater financial success, go for higher quality, not higher volume.
- Nothing is permanent. Neither decisions, nor business models, nor plans. Everything changes constantly. Be flexible and live in the moment.
- Say no to corporate speak. Talk/communicate like you normally talk.
- Be who you are. Don’t pretend to be a large, established company if you are a solopreneur. There are still people who will hire you to do good work, many of whom don’t want to interact the large, established company you were trying to mimic.
- Launch products and services sooner than later. “Doing” often leads to better learning than “thinking.”
- Figure it out as you go.