A book about enduring businesses
Book about focusing on the work that you do that is actually valuable, and about cutting out the stuff that isn't.
Book about engaging with your fanbase, and why deep engagement is more important than hitting big numbers.
- The Infinite Game
By Simon Sinek
Something about this book was exciting to me. There’s nothing really revolutionary in the content, just a repetition of stuff that I hold dear. Namely, the book defines leadership and success in human terms. Success, says Simon, is not about winning or about quarterly earnings, but whether or not you are running your business with purpose. Winning a game will not keep a business running forever, while having a greater purpose and respecting its people (those who work there and those who frequent it) could fuel a business for the long haul. - 80/20 Your Life
By Richard Koch
Okay, so there’s this principle out there that 80 percent of what we do only accounts for roughly 20 percent of our value, while 20 percent of what we do accounts for the other 80 percent. The idea feels right and it’s backed up by some empirical studies to do with productive work in businesses. In this book, Richard asks whether or not that might be applicable to everyday life. There are four books in the series, but I think I’ll stop here. Is it useful? Yes. Does it pass the gut test? Yes. Does it get me thinking about the shop? Most definitely. - Superfans
By Pat Flynn
This is the book that was born from a little article in some business magazine. It was referenced by This is Marketing and I’ve heard it knocked around in online forums.
The short of it? There’s a lot to unpack here that could be very useful. It’s about community-building and about letting people do their thing (getting out of the way). These ideas tie right in with my core values of community and transparency, so I’m down. I’m not really sure how it will all come together. So much of the work this year has seemed exhausting and fruitless, but I will be keeping the book’s lessons in mind.
