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No Experience Necessary: Why Betting on Yourself in Your Twenties Is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make
An upcoming book to be published by Penguin Random House.
- GenresBusiness
288 pages, Hardcover
Published July 14, 2026
About the author
Ronnen Harary
1 book9 followersRonnen Harary is the cofounder and chairman of Spin Master, the global children’s entertainment company behind PAW Patrol, Bakugan, Melissa & Doug, Rubik’s Cube, and Toca Boca. He is the founder of the Toy Movement, a global effort that delivers toys to children in underserved communities, and he leads philanthropic initiatives through the Ronnen Harary Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
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June 11, 2026No Experience Necessary was a great read! It was digestible, inspiring, and informative. It is part memoir, part business book, and part personal experience from someone who has built a very public company while staying quite private. Even though I am far from my 20s, I found it insightful and loved the read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read No Experience Necessary in less time than it would take to binge a Netflix show, and it had a lot more nutritional value.
What I loved about this book is that it does not read like a traditional memoir. It is part business book, part self-help, part personal reflection, but it is carried by genuinely fun storytelling. Ronnen uses the stories from his own life and career not to say, “Look what I did,” but to pull out lessons that feel useful, adaptable, and encouraging for someone else’s journey.
As someone in my 40s, I still found myself energized by his perspective. I kept pausing to text quotes and passages to my adult nieces and nephews, and to younger people in my life who are trying to figure out what comes next. The book speaks directly to that feeling of being underprepared, stuck, unsure, or surrounded by people telling you to take the safer, more traditional path.
What makes it work is the sincerity. Ronnen is clearly writing from lived experience, but he does not present his path as a formula anyone can copy. Instead, the stories become a way into bigger ideas about risk, youth, failure, effort, curiosity, and the importance of not talking yourself out of your own potential before you even begin.
It is an easy, enjoyable read, but it is packed with real insight and encouragement.
This is a great book for anyone graduating, entering their 20s, starting a career, building something, or feeling the pull to create something. It is also a great book for parents, mentors, or anyone close to a young person who may need a reminder that experience is not always the starting point. Sometimes the starting point is energy, openness, and being naive, and learning from doing, mistakes and all.
What I loved about this book is that it does not read like a traditional memoir. It is part business book, part self-help, part personal reflection, but it is carried by genuinely fun storytelling. Ronnen uses the stories from his own life and career not to say, “Look what I did,” but to pull out lessons that feel useful, adaptable, and encouraging for someone else’s journey.
As someone in my 40s, I still found myself energized by his perspective. I kept pausing to text quotes and passages to my adult nieces and nephews, and to younger people in my life who are trying to figure out what comes next. The book speaks directly to that feeling of being underprepared, stuck, unsure, or surrounded by people telling you to take the safer, more traditional path.
What makes it work is the sincerity. Ronnen is clearly writing from lived experience, but he does not present his path as a formula anyone can copy. Instead, the stories become a way into bigger ideas about risk, youth, failure, effort, curiosity, and the importance of not talking yourself out of your own potential before you even begin.
It is an easy, enjoyable read, but it is packed with real insight and encouragement.
This is a great book for anyone graduating, entering their 20s, starting a career, building something, or feeling the pull to create something. It is also a great book for parents, mentors, or anyone close to a young person who may need a reminder that experience is not always the starting point. Sometimes the starting point is energy, openness, and being naive, and learning from doing, mistakes and all.
Review of advance copy received from Author
No Experience Necessary is the perfect book for anyone thinking seriously about how to improve their own life, start a business, or understand what it really takes to build something meaningful.
Ronnen shares personal anecdotes from his earliest business, Earth Buddies, all the way through the beginnings of an iconic global brand like PAW Patrol. What makes the book so enjoyable is how easy it is to read. Ronnen tells the story not as a distant business legend, but as a real person sharing moments of success, failure, vulnerability, persistence, and transformation.
One of the things that struck me most was how quickly I read it. I finished it in about a week, which is fast for me. That says a lot about the pacing and the accessibility of the writing. It feels like a business book, but also like a personal story you want to keep following.
The story that stayed with me most was when Ronnen wanted a contract so badly that he wouldn’t even leave the office for lunch because he didn’t want to miss the chance at a meeting. That kind of detail is exactly what makes the book relatable. It shows the hunger, patience, and commitment behind the polished success stories we usually hear about later.
Ronnen is one of the most influential people in 21st-century media and children’s entertainment, but this book works because it is not just about the outcome. It is about the journey: the uncertainty, the work, the failures, the timing, and the belief required to build something iconic.
Ronnen shares personal anecdotes from his earliest business, Earth Buddies, all the way through the beginnings of an iconic global brand like PAW Patrol. What makes the book so enjoyable is how easy it is to read. Ronnen tells the story not as a distant business legend, but as a real person sharing moments of success, failure, vulnerability, persistence, and transformation.
One of the things that struck me most was how quickly I read it. I finished it in about a week, which is fast for me. That says a lot about the pacing and the accessibility of the writing. It feels like a business book, but also like a personal story you want to keep following.
The story that stayed with me most was when Ronnen wanted a contract so badly that he wouldn’t even leave the office for lunch because he didn’t want to miss the chance at a meeting. That kind of detail is exactly what makes the book relatable. It shows the hunger, patience, and commitment behind the polished success stories we usually hear about later.
Ronnen is one of the most influential people in 21st-century media and children’s entertainment, but this book works because it is not just about the outcome. It is about the journey: the uncertainty, the work, the failures, the timing, and the belief required to build something iconic.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow. As a 33-year-old who's still dreaming about starting my own business, this book gave me the push I didn't know I needed.
So many of us spend years waiting for the "right" moment- believing that one day we'll finally have enough experience, enough knowledge, enough confidence to take the leap. No Experience Necessary completely challenged that mindset.
Ronnen Harary makes a compelling case that when we're younger, people are often rooting for us. We have fewer responsibilities, less to lose, and more opportunities to take risks and learn from them. Instead of seeing inexperience as a disadvantage, he reframes it as one of our greatest assets.
This book left me feeling like it's showtime. Waiting for the perfect moment only makes the leap harder. If you have an idea, the best time to start is probably sooner than you think.
I highly recommend this book to any aspiring entrepreneur -especially if you're trying to find the courage to bet on yourself and finally get started.
So many of us spend years waiting for the "right" moment- believing that one day we'll finally have enough experience, enough knowledge, enough confidence to take the leap. No Experience Necessary completely challenged that mindset.
Ronnen Harary makes a compelling case that when we're younger, people are often rooting for us. We have fewer responsibilities, less to lose, and more opportunities to take risks and learn from them. Instead of seeing inexperience as a disadvantage, he reframes it as one of our greatest assets.
This book left me feeling like it's showtime. Waiting for the perfect moment only makes the leap harder. If you have an idea, the best time to start is probably sooner than you think.
I highly recommend this book to any aspiring entrepreneur -especially if you're trying to find the courage to bet on yourself and finally get started.
July 20, 2026
No Experience Necessary was a fantastic book. From start to finish, I could hardly put it down. As an entrepreneur myself, I would highly recommend reading it.
It reminded me of some of my all-time favorite business books, and I would put it in the category of Shoe Dog and Richard Branson's Losing My Virginity. Ronnen's journey is similarly full of adventurous stories, close calls, and big risks. From his early days selling Earth Buddies and Devil Sticks to building globally recognized brands like Air Hogs, Bakugan, Paw Patrol, and many more at Spin Master, it is an incredibly inspiring tale.
The book details the risks he took and the lessons he learned in a way that few other business books get right. This is partly because it's written as a mix of a business guide and personal stories. I find a lot of books go too far into the personal story side with overly long stories, or not far enough. This book gets it right.
I highly recommend this book to any aspiring entrepreneur, and it's found a permanent spot on my shelf of favorites!
It reminded me of some of my all-time favorite business books, and I would put it in the category of Shoe Dog and Richard Branson's Losing My Virginity. Ronnen's journey is similarly full of adventurous stories, close calls, and big risks. From his early days selling Earth Buddies and Devil Sticks to building globally recognized brands like Air Hogs, Bakugan, Paw Patrol, and many more at Spin Master, it is an incredibly inspiring tale.
The book details the risks he took and the lessons he learned in a way that few other business books get right. This is partly because it's written as a mix of a business guide and personal stories. I find a lot of books go too far into the personal story side with overly long stories, or not far enough. This book gets it right.
I highly recommend this book to any aspiring entrepreneur, and it's found a permanent spot on my shelf of favorites!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
As someone who has always been curious about entrepreneurship, and who eventually took the leap to start my own business, I genuinely wish I had read this book sooner.
So much of entrepreneurship is navigating fear, doubt, uncertainty, and the feeling that everyone else somehow knows what they’re doing more than you do. This book feels like having a supportive friend reminding you that you don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin and to have the courage to keep figuring it out.
What I appreciated most is that it doesn’t romanticize the process. It encourages you to start anyway, to trust your ideas, your instincts, and your ability to learn as you go.
Even now in my thirties, this book inspired me to keep creating, keep building, and keep betting on myself. A refreshing, encouraging, and honest read for anyone at the beginning of their journey, or even in the middle of reinventing themselves.
So much of entrepreneurship is navigating fear, doubt, uncertainty, and the feeling that everyone else somehow knows what they’re doing more than you do. This book feels like having a supportive friend reminding you that you don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin and to have the courage to keep figuring it out.
What I appreciated most is that it doesn’t romanticize the process. It encourages you to start anyway, to trust your ideas, your instincts, and your ability to learn as you go.
Even now in my thirties, this book inspired me to keep creating, keep building, and keep betting on myself. A refreshing, encouraging, and honest read for anyone at the beginning of their journey, or even in the middle of reinventing themselves.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved this one. It's the rare business-memoir-self-help book that dosen't feel like one. Ronnen Harary writes the way a good friend talks: honest, genuine, nonlinear, and completely unpretentious. Zero preachiness. The book moves through his career and personal growth the way memory actually works, as if you're sitting together in a conversation, fluid and alive, full of "you can't make this stuff up" moments. I started my artistic career in my early twenties and I wish I had read this book then, to help me battle my doubts (and my parents eyebrows!). I also wish so many people I know, who gave up their dreams and joined the rat race, had read it too. It's genuinely encouraging, in a way that feels earned, and makes you want to go out and just do it. If you have a dream and you're still figuring out how to bet on yourself, this is the book for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The book delivers a provocative insight based on a lifetime of entrepreneurial success. I thought it seamlessly weaved together entertaining anecdotes with practical business advice, and even the occasional life lesson. If you're a twenty-something, or even a little younger or older, you'll be inspired by the opportunities that are revealed simply by thinking differently about this particular stage of life. It's not just that you're young enough the world is still there for the taking. The book explains a way of looking at your world that's essential to realizing your full potential. It's a mind-expanding read. With all the fun and entertainment you'd expect from a guy who makes toys, video games and movies for kids!
July 27, 2026
No Experience Necessary is the incredible story of how Ronnen Harary and his partners built Spin Master from zero to billions in annual revenue.
What makes the book remarkable is its honesty about how that success was achieved: identifying white space, creating opportunities, learning from mistakes and continuing forward when doubt could easily have stopped the momentum.
Ronnen’s idea that “doubt is the anti-luck” is one to remember. Luck is not something that simply happens, but as something we can help create by putting ourselves in motion and having the confidence to act when opportunity appears.
An important read for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders looking to build and scale their business.
What makes the book remarkable is its honesty about how that success was achieved: identifying white space, creating opportunities, learning from mistakes and continuing forward when doubt could easily have stopped the momentum.
Ronnen’s idea that “doubt is the anti-luck” is one to remember. Luck is not something that simply happens, but as something we can help create by putting ourselves in motion and having the confidence to act when opportunity appears.
An important read for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders looking to build and scale their business.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A fantastic read for anyone interested in the realities of building a business from the ground up!
It is incredibly fun to pull back the curtain and learn about the entrepreneur behind some of the world's most iconic toys. Ronnen Harary manages to make this book accessible and engaging, yet it's no less impactful in the advice it offers.
What sets this apart from other great entrepreneurship books is how it highlights the integration of timing and experience as core pillars of the journey. It's a vital, under-represented lesson that usually gets overlooked in business books. Great book!
It is incredibly fun to pull back the curtain and learn about the entrepreneur behind some of the world's most iconic toys. Ronnen Harary manages to make this book accessible and engaging, yet it's no less impactful in the advice it offers.
What sets this apart from other great entrepreneurship books is how it highlights the integration of timing and experience as core pillars of the journey. It's a vital, under-represented lesson that usually gets overlooked in business books. Great book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book needs to be in the hands of teens and college students across the globe. It's everything that's missing from college curriculums.
First: that betting on yourself is often the safer path (and that starting in your 20s helps). This is even more true in today's AI-driven world.
Second: how to become more comfortable with risk, failure, and trusting your gut.
And, of course, there are many other business lessons woven through the story of Ronnen and his partners and the impact they've made on kids everywhere with Spin Master.
First: that betting on yourself is often the safer path (and that starting in your 20s helps). This is even more true in today's AI-driven world.
Second: how to become more comfortable with risk, failure, and trusting your gut.
And, of course, there are many other business lessons woven through the story of Ronnen and his partners and the impact they've made on kids everywhere with Spin Master.
Review of advance copy
after reading countless business books, my indication was that they’re either trying to replicate a mathematical formula or a story which is very entertaining to the reader but without application. somehow, the author here manages to solve both problems, incredibly captivating story at times vulnerable, but I also have much tactical advice applicable in my career today. Incredible, very unique, the last time I felt this was reading shoe dog.
July 16, 2026
This is a wonderful book, and an inspiration for all young people setting out into the world. Harary melds fascinating biographical stories from his own entrepreneurial success in the toy industry with invaluable lessons to support his thesis, namely that the advantages of youth are a great asset. A perfect gift for high school, university, graduates, young entrepreneurs, and anyone else looking for motivation on their own entrepreneurial journey.
July 23, 2026
I loved this book!
It's a fun, engaging read—I devoured it in just two days. Far more entertaining than a typical business book, it's filled with great stories and personal anecdotes from an entrepreneur's journey, along with a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the toy industry.
This is a must-read for parents of children coming of age, aspiring entrepreneurs, or anyone who enjoys an inspiring founder story. It will make you think differently about entrepreneurship, resilience, and how we encourage the next generation to pursue their own path.
It's a fun, engaging read—I devoured it in just two days. Far more entertaining than a typical business book, it's filled with great stories and personal anecdotes from an entrepreneur's journey, along with a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the toy industry.
This is a must-read for parents of children coming of age, aspiring entrepreneurs, or anyone who enjoys an inspiring founder story. It will make you think differently about entrepreneurship, resilience, and how we encourage the next generation to pursue their own path.
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June 18, 2026Wow! I enjoyed every page and chapter. Ronnen’s story is truly inspiring, and it’s the kind of book that keeps you turning the pages until the very end. The book blends business insights with valuable life lessons, making it relevant for young people exploring career paths, as well as parents, educators, professors, and executives. Highly recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is a true north star for anyone who wants to start a business, not just young people. It gave me the feeling within myself that anything was possible and being open to what the universe has to give you! David
Review of advance copy received from Author
A wonderful and insightful take on bettering on yourself and going big from a guy who did it himself with a global toy empire. Solid insights and strong advice, both interesting and practical. A good read, especially for younger adults who are trying to find their way.
June 22, 2026
This is a great read to help any aspiring young entrepreneur to actually launch into action VS sitting on an idea that they might have waiting for the right moment or right set of experiences to come their way.
Sometimes, the best experience you need to have is no experience at all.
Sometimes, the best experience you need to have is no experience at all.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Was an absolutely killer read.
Hard to put down kind of book.
Few books have the energy and enthusiasm that Ronnen conveys in his book whilst reading.
For entrepreneurs looking to learn from the best this book is an absolute non- negotiable!!
Hard to put down kind of book.
Few books have the energy and enthusiasm that Ronnen conveys in his book whilst reading.
For entrepreneurs looking to learn from the best this book is an absolute non- negotiable!!
July 30, 2026
Only 33 reviews?! I can’t believe it. I loved hearing the authors story on how i built this podcast. This book covers their full backstory which is remarkable and great. I was so happy for them when K-Mart bought their product. Congrats
Review of advance copy
Inspiring!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Incredibly inspiring read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
One of the best business memoirs I've read. Ronnen's story is fascinating and his voice is authentic. Highly recommend. And looking forward to the sequel!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I have selected this book as Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 7/12, as it stands heads above other recently published books on this topic.
Review of advance copy received from Author
So relatable. As an entrepreneur, this book left me wondering why I didn’t start even earlier - back when I had even more chutzpah. Ronnen’s stories are honest, practical, and a great reminder that experience is often overrated compared to curiosity, grit, and a willingness to just begin.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was insightful and inspiring. It was digestible and easy to get through - not like other business books that tend to be heavy and dense. I wish I could have read this in my early twenties, although I still took a lot of learnings away from it. I loved reading the inner workings of how Spin Master was made and the journey it took the guys to get where they are now. Very easy read, highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews