Yet Another Book Review!

I read Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson yesterday. It is a wonderful read and my favourite lines and thoughts from the book are below.

Before we get to them however, here are some recent reviews in case you've missed them (all books I'd recommend, with one clearly being a biased recommendation... and no points for guessing which one that might be):

1. The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
2. Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
3. Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
4. Naked by Papa CJ - not reviewed by me of course :)

I take a lot of time to read, process and share what jumped off the page for me in the hope that you receive value from my efforts. So if you enjoy these write-ups, do let me know in the comments and tag anyone who may enjoy them.

Also should you generously decide to send a book my way from my wish list* , I shall not put up a fight. A caveat however is that doing so does not guarantee I'll post a review of that specific book, however it will motivate me to keep reading and sharing. Until then, enjoy Rework!

* anything ordered from this link shows up directly at my doorstep and I do a happy dance when I receive it.

My favourite lines from Rework:

?? What do you really learn from mistakes? You might learn what not to do again, but you still don’t know what you should do next. Success gives you real ammunition. You know what worked and you can do it again.

?? The easiest, most straightforward way to create a great product or service is to make something you want to use.

?? Interruption is the enemy of productivity.

?? Keep in mind why you’re doing what you're doing. You have to believe in something. Be just as proud of what you don’t do as what you are of what you do.

???On startups: A business without a path to profit isn’t a business, it’s a hobby.

?? On startups: You need a commitment strategy, not an exit strategy.

?? Getting to great starts by cutting out stuff that’s merely good.

?? Don’t wait for the perfect solution. Decide and move forward.

?? Copying skips understanding, and understanding is how you grow.

?? It’s the stuff you leave out that matters. So constantly look for things to remove, simplify, and streamline. Be a curator. Stick to what’s truly essential.

?? Focus on what won’t change.

?? Don’t tell them, show them (my interpretation).

?? Reasons to quit - Ask the following questions. Why are you doing this? What problem are you solving? Is this actually useful? Are you adding value? Will this change anything? What could you be doing instead? Is it really worth it?

?? Momentum fuels motivation. Work in a way that allows you to get a succession of quick wins. Rearranging tasks into smaller?pieces?can having an amazing impact on?your?productivity.

?? If you’ve already spent too much time on something that wasn’t worth it, walk away.?You?can’t?get that time back.?The?worst thing you can do now is waste even more time.?

?? Decommoditise your product (or service). Pour yourself into your product and everything around it: how you sell it, how you support?it, how you explain it, and how you deliver it. Competitors can never copy the you in your product.?

?? Use the power of no to get your priorities straight. You rarely regret saying no. but you often wind up regretting saying yes.

?? Don’t confuse enthusiasm with?priority.

?? You can’t paint over a bad experience with good advertising or marketing.?So focus on making the experience better, not the advertising.

?? Instead of trying to outspend, outsell, or outsponsor competitors, try and out-teach them.

?? Give people a backstage pass and show them how your business works. Letting people behind the curtain changes your relationship with them. They’ll feel a bond with you and develop a deeper level of understanding and appreciation for what you do.

?? Don’t be afraid to show your flaws. Imperfections are real and people respond to real. There’s a beauty to imperfection. People value character and uniqueness over a shiny facade.

?? Make your product so good, so addictive that giving customers a small, free taste makes them come back with cash in hand.

?? Don’t hire for pleasure; hire to kill pain.

?? You need an environment where everyone feels safe enough to be honest when things get tough.

?? If you’re trying to decide among a few people to fill a position, hire the best writer. Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Great writers know how to communicate. They make things easy to understand. They can put themselves in someone else’s shoes. They know what to omit. And those are qualities you want.

?? When something goes wrong, someone is going to tell the story. You’ll be better off if it’s you.

?? Speed changes everything. Getting back to people quickly is probably the most important thing you can do.

?? Culture is the by-product of consistent behaviour.

?? Rockstar environments develop out of trust, autonomy and responsibility. They’re a result of giving people the privacy, workspace and tools they deserve. Great environments show respect for the people who do the work and how they do it.

?? If you want something done, ask the busiest person you know.

?? Inspiration is a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator. But it won’t wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.