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The Sweaty Startup: How to Get Rich Doing Boring Things – A Practical Business Roadmap for Entrepreneurs Building Wealth Through Proven Ideas
Filled with common sense and practical, actionable, advice, Nick Huber’s book reveals that you don’t have to be a genius with a world-changing idea to build a business empire and become a multi-millionaire.
Business media, television and movies, and top college courses all tell entrepreneurs the same To succeed in business, you need to have a revolutionary idea. To them, success is about changing the world through constant innovation. But the truth is, 99.999 percent of businesses that pursue this strategy will fail.
In The Sweaty Startup, Nick Huber shows us that you don’t need a ton of money, a brilliant new idea, complex technology, or extreme scale to succeed. There is another way to do business and find success by keeping things simple. Nick encourages readers to pursue opportunities with good odds, low risk, and moderate rewards that will set you up for a successful life, not just a successful business. Forget about mastering your craft, Huber advises. Focus on mastering sales, hiring, and delegation instead. It’s not about doing what you love or pursuing your passion. It’s about following the path of least resistance and executing on a proven idea in a proven market to win.
Bringing together the stories of dozens of successful businesses, including his own, Huber reveals an accessible but often-overlooked path to wealth and a life well-lived. To Nick, entrepreneurship isn’t about trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s not about new ideas, raising venture capital funding, or going on Shark Tank. Instead, it’s about doing common things uncommonly well. The Sweaty Startup is a refreshing and straightforward road map outlining his philosophy for a new generation of entrepreneurs.
Business media, television and movies, and top college courses all tell entrepreneurs the same To succeed in business, you need to have a revolutionary idea. To them, success is about changing the world through constant innovation. But the truth is, 99.999 percent of businesses that pursue this strategy will fail.
In The Sweaty Startup, Nick Huber shows us that you don’t need a ton of money, a brilliant new idea, complex technology, or extreme scale to succeed. There is another way to do business and find success by keeping things simple. Nick encourages readers to pursue opportunities with good odds, low risk, and moderate rewards that will set you up for a successful life, not just a successful business. Forget about mastering your craft, Huber advises. Focus on mastering sales, hiring, and delegation instead. It’s not about doing what you love or pursuing your passion. It’s about following the path of least resistance and executing on a proven idea in a proven market to win.
Bringing together the stories of dozens of successful businesses, including his own, Huber reveals an accessible but often-overlooked path to wealth and a life well-lived. To Nick, entrepreneurship isn’t about trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s not about new ideas, raising venture capital funding, or going on Shark Tank. Instead, it’s about doing common things uncommonly well. The Sweaty Startup is a refreshing and straightforward road map outlining his philosophy for a new generation of entrepreneurs.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published April 29, 2025
251 people are currently reading
3017 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 29, 2025
Huff puff....
Huff puff !!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure if "Sweaty" was the right word choice for the title of this "How to Get Rich Doing Boring Things" business book.
"Boring" or "Scrappy" would have been better adjectives.
Fortunately, this book about "boring things" was anything but boring.
The author's common-sense tips were "hot" but not sweaty.
His tips were also relevant and actionable.
I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by the author.
Nick Huber did an outstanding job with the narration.
June 9, 2025
2.5
I enjoyed the basic premise of this book and it gave me great food for thought, but felt like it was tone deaf to the role that privilege plays in success.
I enjoyed the basic premise of this book and it gave me great food for thought, but felt like it was tone deaf to the role that privilege plays in success.
July 23, 2025
Really good. Has to be tempered here and there with Christian views of wealth, prosperity, and contentment, but has a lot of good things to say. Huber even advocates for getting married young and having more kids than you think you can afford, which is a welcome change from pop culture.
April 19, 2025
Nick Huber’s book is nothing short of a game-changer for anyone looking to break into the world of entrepreneurship or elevate their existing venture. With his no-nonsense, mindset-focused approach, Huber cuts through the clutter and provides a refreshing perspective on what it really takes to succeed in business. If you’re someone stuck in analysis paralysis, waiting for the perfect idea to emerge, or afraid of making the wrong decision, this book is for you.
One of the biggest takeaways from Huber’s work is his point about failure—99% of “new” startup ideas fail. Yet, rather than seeing this as a discouraging statistic, Huber emphasizes the importance of attitude and mindset as a pivotal factor in overcoming the odds. His mantra, "perfect has and always will be the enemy of process," is a wake-up call for anyone who’s waiting for the "perfect" product or idea to come along before taking action.
Huber also challenges the conventional wisdom of entrepreneurship by pointing out how the typical career trajectory is often more like a “hot dog eating contest” than the path to success—where individuals burn out or waste time instead of staying focused and deliberate. This is where his concept of the "no asshole rule" comes into play, advising entrepreneurs to avoid toxic relationships and focus on the people who help them thrive.
A key part of the book focuses on market strategies, where Huber warns about the dangers of what he calls "analysis paralysis." He highlights the importance of distinguishing between red ocean and blue ocean markets—whether you’re competing with LeBron James or playing against a fifth-grade girl, your competitive advantage must be grounded in your price, speed, and quality — pick two.
Huber’s approach to sales is also refreshingly different. He encourages entrepreneurs to “add value without any expectation in return” and underscores the importance of building scarcity and letting the other party sell themselves. This mindset shift from scarcity to abundance can unlock opportunities and open doors for lasting success.
Another standout idea is the notion that a company is not a family—it’s a sports team. This analogy resonates deeply with anyone who’s tried to juggle too many roles or expectations in their business. Huber emphasizes the importance of delegation, making decisions, and empowering yourself to move forward without waiting for permission. You need to give yourself permission — this mindset shift is crucial for anyone who wants to break free from limiting beliefs.
Ultimately, generational wealth is a long game, and Huber’s insights provide the tools for entrepreneurs to build their businesses sustainably. His four core truths about success are simple yet profound: *You can’t do it alone, you can’t make anyone do anything, everyone is selfish, and it’s not about you*. These truths remind you that success isn’t just about hard work—it’s about collaboration, mindset, and understanding human nature.
In summary, Nick Huber’s book isn’t just a guide; it’s a blueprint for entrepreneurs who want to achieve meaningful, long-term success. Whether you’re just starting or scaling your business, this book will shift the way you think about entrepreneurship, mindset, and the true foundation of success. If you’re ready to stop waiting for the perfect idea and embrace the imperfect process, Huber’s book is your new business Bible.
One of the biggest takeaways from Huber’s work is his point about failure—99% of “new” startup ideas fail. Yet, rather than seeing this as a discouraging statistic, Huber emphasizes the importance of attitude and mindset as a pivotal factor in overcoming the odds. His mantra, "perfect has and always will be the enemy of process," is a wake-up call for anyone who’s waiting for the "perfect" product or idea to come along before taking action.
Huber also challenges the conventional wisdom of entrepreneurship by pointing out how the typical career trajectory is often more like a “hot dog eating contest” than the path to success—where individuals burn out or waste time instead of staying focused and deliberate. This is where his concept of the "no asshole rule" comes into play, advising entrepreneurs to avoid toxic relationships and focus on the people who help them thrive.
A key part of the book focuses on market strategies, where Huber warns about the dangers of what he calls "analysis paralysis." He highlights the importance of distinguishing between red ocean and blue ocean markets—whether you’re competing with LeBron James or playing against a fifth-grade girl, your competitive advantage must be grounded in your price, speed, and quality — pick two.
Huber’s approach to sales is also refreshingly different. He encourages entrepreneurs to “add value without any expectation in return” and underscores the importance of building scarcity and letting the other party sell themselves. This mindset shift from scarcity to abundance can unlock opportunities and open doors for lasting success.
Another standout idea is the notion that a company is not a family—it’s a sports team. This analogy resonates deeply with anyone who’s tried to juggle too many roles or expectations in their business. Huber emphasizes the importance of delegation, making decisions, and empowering yourself to move forward without waiting for permission. You need to give yourself permission — this mindset shift is crucial for anyone who wants to break free from limiting beliefs.
Ultimately, generational wealth is a long game, and Huber’s insights provide the tools for entrepreneurs to build their businesses sustainably. His four core truths about success are simple yet profound: *You can’t do it alone, you can’t make anyone do anything, everyone is selfish, and it’s not about you*. These truths remind you that success isn’t just about hard work—it’s about collaboration, mindset, and understanding human nature.
In summary, Nick Huber’s book isn’t just a guide; it’s a blueprint for entrepreneurs who want to achieve meaningful, long-term success. Whether you’re just starting or scaling your business, this book will shift the way you think about entrepreneurship, mindset, and the true foundation of success. If you’re ready to stop waiting for the perfect idea and embrace the imperfect process, Huber’s book is your new business Bible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2025
Nick discusses the basic premise of solving boring problems, showing up consistently, and not being afraid to get your hands dirty. He talks about improving what already works rather than reinventing the wheel. I enjoyed his opinion on most of the topics, very much a "just do it" attitude and "get out of your own way". There were a couple of chapters I sped through discussing staffing and hiring as they weren't relevant. I took a look at his website where it has details that support the book. All in all great for school and university leavers who want to start their own business but feel like they have to be new and innovative.
October 4, 2025
This is an excellent book. While I follow the author on social media, I think some of his beliefs outside of the business world are what I would disagree with, I liked where he came from on many of his business views. I decided to give it a read and checked it out from the library in the summer of 2025.
Boy did I like this book. It’s really good on the business world and the author is honest about things many people wouldn’t dare to publish. Building a sweaty startup is not for everyone and he is clear about that. The traditional route getting an internship then climbing the corporate ladder is a safe bet for many, but he didn’t want that for himself. He also got some exposure to entrepreneurship at a young age helping his dad out and got hooked.
There are some very good examples he provides and it’s almost like you don’t want to read too quick hoping not to forget what he said. I took notes and think it’s very useful. A great one for people who might want to start a business, but make it small because only so many large ones can get through, a sweaty startup has legs to run and become very profitable too if done the right way.
Boy did I like this book. It’s really good on the business world and the author is honest about things many people wouldn’t dare to publish. Building a sweaty startup is not for everyone and he is clear about that. The traditional route getting an internship then climbing the corporate ladder is a safe bet for many, but he didn’t want that for himself. He also got some exposure to entrepreneurship at a young age helping his dad out and got hooked.
There are some very good examples he provides and it’s almost like you don’t want to read too quick hoping not to forget what he said. I took notes and think it’s very useful. A great one for people who might want to start a business, but make it small because only so many large ones can get through, a sweaty startup has legs to run and become very profitable too if done the right way.
July 25, 2025
I’ve been listening to Nick’s podcast for a while, and I’m 2 years in to building my own sweaty startup. What I love about this book and the podcast is how perfectly aligned I am with Nick’s views on building boring businesses.
There’s a lot of good general insight here into Nick’s approach to business, and his podcast has given me plenty of ideas to implement in my own business.
I’m really interested in how Nick builds and runs his businesses, but I was hoping this book would go into much more detail. If you’ve already listened to the podcast (most readers, I assume), this book will read like a bunch of episodes jammed together.
The end also has a bunch of random advice on things like marrying young, having kids, video games, and an other opinions that have nothing to do with building a business.
There’s a lot of good general insight here into Nick’s approach to business, and his podcast has given me plenty of ideas to implement in my own business.
I’m really interested in how Nick builds and runs his businesses, but I was hoping this book would go into much more detail. If you’ve already listened to the podcast (most readers, I assume), this book will read like a bunch of episodes jammed together.
The end also has a bunch of random advice on things like marrying young, having kids, video games, and an other opinions that have nothing to do with building a business.
June 1, 2025
Audiobook by author is pleasant but a lot of the advice is typical entrepreneurial advice with the exception of focusing on the “sweaty”, unglamorous opportunities.
Don’t need to fundraise, just need to do the common stuff uncommonly well. Look at competitors and see how much more efficient you are.
Think of leverage. What is life like for people winning the game? Status does not equal a good life. Need high return on time. Need to be irreplaceable, equity, and cash flow. Need leverage.
Need to start trading time for money at beginning.
For leverage, need network of investors and talent. Need skills. Need cash flow and capital as soon as possible without stress.
When you have no leverage, you have to do business with a holes and customers and partners and vendors. but when you have leverage, you can negotiate more for yourself and you aren’t a commodity anymore. When you get better, business gets easier.
Does this career or hour you’re doing create passive income and leverage for yourself?
If you have leverage and time, can build ideal schedule. How will you invest your time?
Speed is important. 250 customers or bust for proof of concept. Entrepreneurial career is about time. If business can’t support lifestyle, move on. If not profitable within 6 months, do something else. Aim and fire. Analysis paralysis. Execution is more important than idea. Business is race.
Preparation should be correlated with investment. Low risk, go ahead.
Somewhere.com , hire offshore talent for 80% cheaper. Filipinos.
Collect $500 this weekend, get sweaty. Need to ask for money immediately if not wealthy. No need for survey.
There are good and bad businesses. Self storage is better than moving, just more upfront cost.
Red flags for first business: venture capital, physical product, new idea without proven model. Less fun the business, the harder the better. Restaurants fail and passion projects fail. Fitness, gaming, sports are highly competitive with supply of entrepreneurs.
Want business with low status. AI is high status, new manufacturing product is high status. Boring is the better.
How strong is the competition, profit margins, failure rate.
Apps are bad business. Marketplace apps are brutal businesses with good operators and venture capital to fund losses.
Red ocean vs blue ocean. A lot of businesses make money without websites and don’t answer, home services companies.
Businesses are games, you should play games that are easy. No more points for doing hard stuff. Not Goggins. Copy what is working. Same for career.
For every business , estimate daily or weekly revenue and expenses. How would I run this more efficiently? How would I use technology? Which are good businesses? Which are complex and low margin and high turnover?
Online business has worldwide competition. Local biz has moat. Close computer and open eyes.
Competitive advantage: speed, quality, price. Need one. Pick two. Fast and great usually works for high price.
Call potential competitors. Cost per man hour, digital marketing, speed
Execution matters. Texas Roadhouse. CEOs have to sell and manage and strategize. Operators are who build business.
Get comfortable with volatility and hard stuff.
Frankenstein business, copy from competitors.
Sales are most important, need to help client. Manage expectations, build trust and expertise, add value first, bill later.
Build expertise and pitch, and then flip it. Build scarcity and protect the downside, be honest with the risks and the downside, let the candidates and clients sell themselves. What can go wrong?
Guerilla marketing, not scalable and sexy, but it works. Marketing books are wrong with small business.
Be scarce with time. Important and urgent. Delegate and recruit. 80-20, high leverage activities like new opportunities, hiring, and delegating.
Cultivate resiliency and personal ownership, the world and economy is the best it ever is.
Had to pitch 100 investors and banks, only a few accepted.
Ignore passion, follow what the market is telling you.
For networking,be someone of value. People want to help people that can help them.
Always Be Recruiting - bill customer 2-3x what you pay an employee an hour, for healthy margin
Hire overseas- 80% of employees are offshore, $800 an hour. Cheaper by 80% as well. English and work ethic are incredible. Small business should benefit from offshoring, just like big business. Extra $40K savings than hiring $50K in states. Hiring engineers for $1500 a month starting salary. Somewhere.com to recruit talent.
Employees like structure and do things given clear benchmarks and set up to succeed. Tell them what to do and hold them accountable.
Practice delegation with low value repetitive tasks first, then can do more delegation.
Don’t need to fundraise, just need to do the common stuff uncommonly well. Look at competitors and see how much more efficient you are.
Think of leverage. What is life like for people winning the game? Status does not equal a good life. Need high return on time. Need to be irreplaceable, equity, and cash flow. Need leverage.
Need to start trading time for money at beginning.
For leverage, need network of investors and talent. Need skills. Need cash flow and capital as soon as possible without stress.
When you have no leverage, you have to do business with a holes and customers and partners and vendors. but when you have leverage, you can negotiate more for yourself and you aren’t a commodity anymore. When you get better, business gets easier.
Does this career or hour you’re doing create passive income and leverage for yourself?
If you have leverage and time, can build ideal schedule. How will you invest your time?
Speed is important. 250 customers or bust for proof of concept. Entrepreneurial career is about time. If business can’t support lifestyle, move on. If not profitable within 6 months, do something else. Aim and fire. Analysis paralysis. Execution is more important than idea. Business is race.
Preparation should be correlated with investment. Low risk, go ahead.
Somewhere.com , hire offshore talent for 80% cheaper. Filipinos.
Collect $500 this weekend, get sweaty. Need to ask for money immediately if not wealthy. No need for survey.
There are good and bad businesses. Self storage is better than moving, just more upfront cost.
Red flags for first business: venture capital, physical product, new idea without proven model. Less fun the business, the harder the better. Restaurants fail and passion projects fail. Fitness, gaming, sports are highly competitive with supply of entrepreneurs.
Want business with low status. AI is high status, new manufacturing product is high status. Boring is the better.
How strong is the competition, profit margins, failure rate.
Apps are bad business. Marketplace apps are brutal businesses with good operators and venture capital to fund losses.
Red ocean vs blue ocean. A lot of businesses make money without websites and don’t answer, home services companies.
Businesses are games, you should play games that are easy. No more points for doing hard stuff. Not Goggins. Copy what is working. Same for career.
For every business , estimate daily or weekly revenue and expenses. How would I run this more efficiently? How would I use technology? Which are good businesses? Which are complex and low margin and high turnover?
Online business has worldwide competition. Local biz has moat. Close computer and open eyes.
Competitive advantage: speed, quality, price. Need one. Pick two. Fast and great usually works for high price.
Call potential competitors. Cost per man hour, digital marketing, speed
Execution matters. Texas Roadhouse. CEOs have to sell and manage and strategize. Operators are who build business.
Get comfortable with volatility and hard stuff.
Frankenstein business, copy from competitors.
Sales are most important, need to help client. Manage expectations, build trust and expertise, add value first, bill later.
Build expertise and pitch, and then flip it. Build scarcity and protect the downside, be honest with the risks and the downside, let the candidates and clients sell themselves. What can go wrong?
Guerilla marketing, not scalable and sexy, but it works. Marketing books are wrong with small business.
Be scarce with time. Important and urgent. Delegate and recruit. 80-20, high leverage activities like new opportunities, hiring, and delegating.
Cultivate resiliency and personal ownership, the world and economy is the best it ever is.
Had to pitch 100 investors and banks, only a few accepted.
Ignore passion, follow what the market is telling you.
For networking,be someone of value. People want to help people that can help them.
Always Be Recruiting - bill customer 2-3x what you pay an employee an hour, for healthy margin
Hire overseas- 80% of employees are offshore, $800 an hour. Cheaper by 80% as well. English and work ethic are incredible. Small business should benefit from offshoring, just like big business. Extra $40K savings than hiring $50K in states. Hiring engineers for $1500 a month starting salary. Somewhere.com to recruit talent.
Employees like structure and do things given clear benchmarks and set up to succeed. Tell them what to do and hold them accountable.
Practice delegation with low value repetitive tasks first, then can do more delegation.
October 2, 2025
The core idea of The Sweaty Startup is that building a profitable business doesn’t require a groundbreaking or “cool” idea. In fact, many of the most successful businesses are considered “boring”—things like storage rentals, laundromats, or maintenance services. These industries might not sound glamorous, but they solve real problems and generate steady profits.
The author emphasizes that business is less about creating a rocket-science startup and more about execution, consistency, and spotting opportunities in areas that others ignore. A key point is that entrepreneurs should pay attention to inefficiencies in established markets. Often, industries run by older generations are full of outdated practices, such as requiring faxes or taking several business days to respond to emails. By entering such industries and optimizing them with modern tools and faster service, younger entrepreneurs can carve out a strong competitive edge.
Another important lesson from the book is about hiring. The author warns entrepreneurs not to become the bottleneck in their own company’s growth. When the workload becomes too much for one person, or when your involvement slows things down, it’s time to hire people. The mindset shift is that hiring is not just about cost—it’s about removing yourself as a barrier so the business can scale.
The book also talks about the concept of “red ocean” businesses, which are markets full of competition. Many people avoid these, thinking they need to find a “blue ocean” with no rivals. But the author argues that it’s fine to operate in a red ocean if you bring improvements, speed, or reliability. For example, replacing outdated competitors with efficient systems can make even a crowded market highly profitable.
Finally, the book highlights a warning: avoid “customer-hungry businesses.” These are businesses where competition is so fierce that service providers bend over backward to satisfy customers, often at unsustainable costs. You can usually identify such businesses if:
Competitors reply within hours.
They fulfill orders within 24 hours.
Their schedules and payments are extremely flexible.
They will go to great lengths—“over mountains and rivers”—just to close a sale.
These conditions usually indicate a market that is exhausting, low-margin, and difficult to sustain. The author encourages entrepreneurs to look instead for businesses that allow more control over pricing, scheduling, and service quality.
Overall, The Sweaty Startup flips the common idea of entrepreneurship on its head. Instead of searching for flashy, high-tech, billion-dollar startup ideas, the book teaches that focusing on overlooked, “boring” businesses—and running them efficiently—can lead to lasting success.
The author emphasizes that business is less about creating a rocket-science startup and more about execution, consistency, and spotting opportunities in areas that others ignore. A key point is that entrepreneurs should pay attention to inefficiencies in established markets. Often, industries run by older generations are full of outdated practices, such as requiring faxes or taking several business days to respond to emails. By entering such industries and optimizing them with modern tools and faster service, younger entrepreneurs can carve out a strong competitive edge.
Another important lesson from the book is about hiring. The author warns entrepreneurs not to become the bottleneck in their own company’s growth. When the workload becomes too much for one person, or when your involvement slows things down, it’s time to hire people. The mindset shift is that hiring is not just about cost—it’s about removing yourself as a barrier so the business can scale.
The book also talks about the concept of “red ocean” businesses, which are markets full of competition. Many people avoid these, thinking they need to find a “blue ocean” with no rivals. But the author argues that it’s fine to operate in a red ocean if you bring improvements, speed, or reliability. For example, replacing outdated competitors with efficient systems can make even a crowded market highly profitable.
Finally, the book highlights a warning: avoid “customer-hungry businesses.” These are businesses where competition is so fierce that service providers bend over backward to satisfy customers, often at unsustainable costs. You can usually identify such businesses if:
Competitors reply within hours.
They fulfill orders within 24 hours.
Their schedules and payments are extremely flexible.
They will go to great lengths—“over mountains and rivers”—just to close a sale.
These conditions usually indicate a market that is exhausting, low-margin, and difficult to sustain. The author encourages entrepreneurs to look instead for businesses that allow more control over pricing, scheduling, and service quality.
Overall, The Sweaty Startup flips the common idea of entrepreneurship on its head. Instead of searching for flashy, high-tech, billion-dollar startup ideas, the book teaches that focusing on overlooked, “boring” businesses—and running them efficiently—can lead to lasting success.
April 29, 2025
Where do I even begin with this joke of a book? I've read cereal boxes with more profound business insights. The writing style can only be described as a painful combination of a middle-school business report and those insufferable LinkedIn hustle-culture posts. Every chapter follows the same tired formula: obvious advice dressed up as "secret knowledge" that apparently only Huber has discovered.
The case studies? Cherry-picked success stories that conveniently ignore the thousands who followed similar paths and failed miserably. The financial calculations? Hilariously optimistic, assuming everything goes perfectly in your favor with zero competition or setbacks.
I actually tried highlighting the useful parts of this book, but my highlighter remained untouched throughout. My dog chewed on the corner, and honestly, he extracted more value from it than I did.
If you're looking to "get rich," save your money by not buying this book. That's already step one accomplished. For step two, literally do ANYTHING other than following Huber's advice. Collecting bottle caps would be a more profitable use of your time.
One star is generous. If negative stars were an option, this review would break the rating system.
The case studies? Cherry-picked success stories that conveniently ignore the thousands who followed similar paths and failed miserably. The financial calculations? Hilariously optimistic, assuming everything goes perfectly in your favor with zero competition or setbacks.
I actually tried highlighting the useful parts of this book, but my highlighter remained untouched throughout. My dog chewed on the corner, and honestly, he extracted more value from it than I did.
If you're looking to "get rich," save your money by not buying this book. That's already step one accomplished. For step two, literally do ANYTHING other than following Huber's advice. Collecting bottle caps would be a more profitable use of your time.
One star is generous. If negative stars were an option, this review would break the rating system.
July 13, 2025
Appreciated this book because it is true that I always thought business had to be a new innovative idea and anything that has been done for years was not worth doing. That’s the biggest lesson I learned is that is simply not true. Looking forward to starting this holiday lighting business this winter after resistance because of this book.
This said, a lot of the examples were based on his experience in the storage space. he did bring out other business ideas, but it would’ve been helpful to have some more in depth, such as anecdotes and lessons from a few more different types of industries he does mention some other types of businesses such as lawn, mowing or painting, but the majority of the book her lessons from his storage business. Not a huge issue, would just be helpful if maybe a couple other people were interviewed or had some in-depth examples to help understand ways to get business in different channels. Or how it matched a market.
Also, the chapter on marketing was pretty short .
Overall, really good inspiring to not worry about the type of business, just about sustainable wants ran really well
This said, a lot of the examples were based on his experience in the storage space. he did bring out other business ideas, but it would’ve been helpful to have some more in depth, such as anecdotes and lessons from a few more different types of industries he does mention some other types of businesses such as lawn, mowing or painting, but the majority of the book her lessons from his storage business. Not a huge issue, would just be helpful if maybe a couple other people were interviewed or had some in-depth examples to help understand ways to get business in different channels. Or how it matched a market.
Also, the chapter on marketing was pretty short .
Overall, really good inspiring to not worry about the type of business, just about sustainable wants ran really well
August 23, 2025
Growing up in the 90's/2000's, I was inundated with media that made me think the only way to be an entrepreneur was to go to Silicon valley, develop a 'brand new idea', work 18 hour days, risk it all, and hope to make a billion dollars sometime well in the future.
Over time, I realized that wasn't the only way to run businesses but this book was extremely validating on that front, backed up by objective data and tons of actionable steps I can immediately apply to my businesses.
Unlike most business books which seem to have 1 theme and then hammer this theme home with way too many unnecessary, cherry picked examples, this book was the opposite. Short, concise, no fluff, no cherry picking of examples...all real value in easy-to-read story-backed form.
Definitely goes into my 're-read every 1-2 years' pile. 5 stars.
If you are looking for 'CRAZY/MIND BLOWING' things, don't read this book. If you're looking for a lot of 'I already deeply felt/knew this but seeing it in writing justifies me to embrace it more' style business lessons...this is the book for you.
Over time, I realized that wasn't the only way to run businesses but this book was extremely validating on that front, backed up by objective data and tons of actionable steps I can immediately apply to my businesses.
Unlike most business books which seem to have 1 theme and then hammer this theme home with way too many unnecessary, cherry picked examples, this book was the opposite. Short, concise, no fluff, no cherry picking of examples...all real value in easy-to-read story-backed form.
Definitely goes into my 're-read every 1-2 years' pile. 5 stars.
If you are looking for 'CRAZY/MIND BLOWING' things, don't read this book. If you're looking for a lot of 'I already deeply felt/knew this but seeing it in writing justifies me to embrace it more' style business lessons...this is the book for you.
May 21, 2025
This was a great book. Highly recommended.
The ideas are unconventional and well thought out. Most books say to do something different and follow your passion. This book argues you’re much more likely to succeed by improving on what already works rather than reinventing the wheel. Having been in the tech startup world for years, I find this perspective a breath of fresh air, clearly articulating opinions I’ve been gradually forming on my own.
The first and third parts of the book stand out as the most useful to me. The first section explains how to choose a business and why “sweaty startups” are the way to go. Approaches like the ten-minute drill and the Grandma test seem incredibly effective at cutting through the noise to help you evaluate a business idea.
The third section, on recruiting, hiring, and working with people, could be its own book (I hope it becomes one someday). Nick shares his philosophy and offers simple, practical, and unconventional advice.
The ideas are unconventional and well thought out. Most books say to do something different and follow your passion. This book argues you’re much more likely to succeed by improving on what already works rather than reinventing the wheel. Having been in the tech startup world for years, I find this perspective a breath of fresh air, clearly articulating opinions I’ve been gradually forming on my own.
The first and third parts of the book stand out as the most useful to me. The first section explains how to choose a business and why “sweaty startups” are the way to go. Approaches like the ten-minute drill and the Grandma test seem incredibly effective at cutting through the noise to help you evaluate a business idea.
The third section, on recruiting, hiring, and working with people, could be its own book (I hope it becomes one someday). Nick shares his philosophy and offers simple, practical, and unconventional advice.
January 1, 2026
Succinct, practical tips for being an entrepreneur
I loved the perspective of this book on entrepreneurship. While the entrepreneurial space is filled with advice about starting gimmicky online businesses like drop shipping, FBA, or Tshirt design, Nick Huber talks through the main-street side of entrepreneurship. I found his advice to be grounded and actionable on how to start your first business.
The most important take away I got from this book was the reduction of scale - focusing in on how entrepreneurship does not need to embody a world changing vision. Running a local business well, and with high competency can scale well into a comfortable lifestyle. Retaking entrepreneurship back from the influencers who live off vision to bring it back to dollars and value was exactly the kind of mindset I want to have.
Would recommend for anyone thinking about small business entrepreneurship!
I loved the perspective of this book on entrepreneurship. While the entrepreneurial space is filled with advice about starting gimmicky online businesses like drop shipping, FBA, or Tshirt design, Nick Huber talks through the main-street side of entrepreneurship. I found his advice to be grounded and actionable on how to start your first business.
The most important take away I got from this book was the reduction of scale - focusing in on how entrepreneurship does not need to embody a world changing vision. Running a local business well, and with high competency can scale well into a comfortable lifestyle. Retaking entrepreneurship back from the influencers who live off vision to bring it back to dollars and value was exactly the kind of mindset I want to have.
Would recommend for anyone thinking about small business entrepreneurship!
July 8, 2025
I like to read about non-sexy businesses, as I am currently in one as well. And I like quite a bit of what the book says. It's ok not to be the next Steve Jobs, people are important, having a personal life is important, delegation is crucial, you will go through hard times. And it's ok. There is money to be made from boring businesses, as people do need those boring services/products quite a bit.
Some good exercises to reevaluate where you stand and plan.
The only thing I agree with less is that the individual has entire control over their lives, which may work out in some countries with some backgrounds, but it's not really everyone's context. But it is a positive message to get people going I guess.
Not the regular mumbo-jumbo motivational book, but one you can get something out of.
Some good exercises to reevaluate where you stand and plan.
The only thing I agree with less is that the individual has entire control over their lives, which may work out in some countries with some backgrounds, but it's not really everyone's context. But it is a positive message to get people going I guess.
Not the regular mumbo-jumbo motivational book, but one you can get something out of.
May 18, 2025
Many self-help and business books are written by people who have never actually built or run a business themselves.
This book is different.
Nick has been in the business world since he was 13. Some lessons can only come from real experience, and in this book, Nick shares those hard-earned insights.
It is especially valuable for anyone currently starting or running a business.
From hiring and delegation to negotiations and customer interactions, Nick offers straightforward advice based on what has worked for him.
The writing is practical and to the point, though at times some ideas may be repeated more than necessary.
It is a short weekend read, but one you will want to revisit if you ever start a business of your own.
This book is different.
Nick has been in the business world since he was 13. Some lessons can only come from real experience, and in this book, Nick shares those hard-earned insights.
It is especially valuable for anyone currently starting or running a business.
From hiring and delegation to negotiations and customer interactions, Nick offers straightforward advice based on what has worked for him.
The writing is practical and to the point, though at times some ideas may be repeated more than necessary.
It is a short weekend read, but one you will want to revisit if you ever start a business of your own.
June 17, 2025
This book is good for several reasons. First, Nick is bucking much of the conventional wisdom about startups and business value generation. He persuasively argues that targeting a "blue ocean" is bad strategy because there is more risk there. Instead, he suggests making incremental improvements to already proven business models. Further, he has several highly practical tips about time management which I will definitely use in my daily life after reading this book -- such as taking a week to track your daily activity in order to focus on the activities that produce the most results. Overall, Nick is a very real and honest person who has real-life experience living the things he is talking about. I recommend this book.
May 11, 2025
This book is not rocket science, but I feel like it would be particularly good for the new college graduate in your life. How do you make money? You do the job that somebody doesn't want to do and you do it better than the other people are doing it. The author made his original money running a college moving and storage service. It is not glamorous, but he rightly points out that getting rich is not founding a social media giant for almost everyone. It is doing something basic, better, and efficiently. Money is not everything, but you do need some money to live, and the straightforward way this book talks about finding good jobs and starting good businesses is much better than most.
May 31, 2025
The author presents some very interesting points on how to start "boring" or blue-collar businesses. He also provides valuable exercises to help you evaluate business ideas. This is practical advice drawn from his own experience, but keep in mind that it is based on what worked for him. It won't necessarily work for everyone.
The book was interesting until the author gave the advice to "get married early and have more kids than you can afford." If that worked for the author, good for him, but correlating having three kids with business success is just a bad take.
The book was interesting until the author gave the advice to "get married early and have more kids than you can afford." If that worked for the author, good for him, but correlating having three kids with business success is just a bad take.
November 15, 2025
Straightforward, practical guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in “boring” businesses. Or, Nick Huber would argue, anyone interested in entrepreneurship in general (since his view is tried, proven industries are the easiest and lowest risk way to succeed in business). There’s a lot of really great stuff in here that I’ll be thinking about for a while. The last chapter felt a bit out of place but I guess he wanted to get in a larger message that wealth isn’t the end-all-be-all (your family, friends, and health are), and it’s important to maintain that perspective.
July 5, 2025
This was a decent business book. I like how it was short because some business focused books are much longer than they need to be. This book is not like that. if you're familiar with Nick Huber, nothing in this book will really be new. However, it's still a breath of fresh air in our tech-focused market.
July 23, 2025
This book is less about what the title says - it’s not about making money - but it’s a whole lot more. It’s a powerful book on life lessons and how to start a business, be good at it and enjoy that process.
Very prescriptive, but it’s not the ego that speaks, but it’s the experience. Great book and a must read
Very prescriptive, but it’s not the ego that speaks, but it’s the experience. Great book and a must read
October 1, 2025
What a powerful book - easily one of the best business books in today’s time, every entrepreneur should read this to realise the power of consistency, identifying and executing important and urgent tasks with a business and most importantly, not forgetting the point of entrepreneurship: gaining the freedom to take care of what matters the most - friendships, geography, parenthood and adventure.
February 2, 2026
Straightforward book about getting rich with “boring” small businesses instead of flashy startups. Very blunt and practical, sometimes repetitive and very US-focused. Still, it has many useful ideas about how to use your time, pick a realistic income goal, and choose better business ideas. Good reality check if you’re thinking about small, unsexy businesses.
May 14, 2025
Interesting read that got my brain thinking about so many business ideas and options. At the end of the day I disagree with him about physical vs. digital business- but still a good exercise for my brain!
May 29, 2025
Love this book.
If you consume a lot of Nick's content, you're likely to hear many of the same stories. That being said, there's something special about digesting his worldview comprehensively and seeing how all of the idea coalesce together.
If you consume a lot of Nick's content, you're likely to hear many of the same stories. That being said, there's something special about digesting his worldview comprehensively and seeing how all of the idea coalesce together.
July 29, 2025
“The Sweaty Startup” is a practical manifesto for the modern-day blue-collar capitalist. It shows that grit, systems, and smart service can outperform flashy pitches and high-tech dreams. If you’re looking to build a business that’s unsexy but unstoppable — this book is your blueprint.
September 22, 2025
Contrary take on making wealth
I need to make a million tomorrow books?, Huber’s take is solid and foundational. Delayed gratification is the secret to success, as it is the secret in this book. Highly recommended.
I need to make a million tomorrow books?, Huber’s take is solid and foundational. Delayed gratification is the secret to success, as it is the secret in this book. Highly recommended.
November 13, 2025
I loved reading this book and took muck value about entrepreneurship, its myths, and personal struggles and hard truths.
My favorite quote is the following: The more comfortable you can get in uncomfortable situations, the more effective you will be at everything in life
My favorite quote is the following: The more comfortable you can get in uncomfortable situations, the more effective you will be at everything in life
March 22, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed!
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