The Victory Project: Six Steps to Peak Potential

by Saurabh Mukherjea, Anupam Gupta

India's economy has tripled in size over the past twenty years. And yet, the generation that propelled this growth is facing rising levels of stress and depression. Furthermore, the new generation entering the workforce today dreams big but faces a highly competitive work environment. How can both these generations fire on all cylinders and lead fulfilling lives? This book attempts to answer this question by using the principles of Simplicity, Specialization, Creativity and Collaboration. It delves into a treasure trove of material from global gurus as well as from highly successful Indian and American professionals, and it draws on the authors' own careers to show how readers can apply these principles to the fields of business and investment, even to life itself. The Victory Project is the ultimate guide to surviving and thriving in the professional and social domains, which are increasingly becoming tough, competitive, often cutthroat and deeply political.

Genres: Finance, Business, Self Help, Nonfiction, Economics, Entrepreneurship

304 pages, Hardcover

Published August 17, 2020

About the author

Saurabh Mukherjea is founder and chief investment officer of Marcellus Investment Managers. He is the former CEO of Ambit Capital and played a key role in Ambit’s rise as a broker and a wealth manager. When Mukherjea left Ambit in June 2018, assets under advisory were $800mn. Prior to Ambit, Saurabh was co-founder of Clear Capital, a London-based small-cap equity research firm that was created in 2003 and sold in 2008. He is a CFA charterholder with a BS in economics (with First Class Honours) and an MS in economics (with distinction in macroeconomics and microeconomics) from the London School of Economics.

Reviews

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Negatives
1) Cliche advice
2) Unabashed promotion of their investment company
3) Not everything is doable


Positives
1) Well researched
2) Easy read

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Title: The Victory Project
Author: Saurabh Mukherjea & Anupam Gupta
Format: Kindle

My Thoughts:
As the book blurb says, this book, The Victory Project is the culmination of two years of research by Anupam Gupta & Saurabh Mukherjea on the drivers of outsized professional success alongside personal fulfilment in professions as diverse as music, cinema, literature, psychology, manufacturing, investing and martial arts. The blurb gives a vivid description of what the book is about.

This book basically focuses on how to make space in mind and thoughts by decluttering. The word declutter is an important thing which over years and days people have been ignoring. Author Saurabh talks about tips and techniques in decluttering unwanted thoughts and re-develop a new mindset to achieve success. There are many practical examples through which Saurabh drags every reader's mind towards the theory of having good habits. He says ' having good habits make the most of our decision making '. When reading in-depth, this makes sense. In the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, where he focuses on little habits when imbibed with dedication will show a sure way to success.

I could draw some parallels between two the books but Saurabh's book mostly is inclined towards the management, corporate culture and investment sector instead of personal life and strategies to de-clutter.

Final Verdict
Extremely insightful and brilliantly informative

Rating:
3/5

[Monis Shakeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a relatively obscure book but I think it was pretty good. I picked it up because I am a Saurabh Mukherjee fan and I like his simplistic approach to investing and life in general.
This is relevant to the Indian context and it is rare to find good books that cater to Indian sensibilities. There are a lot of compelling arguments and a lot of references from some of the best books (perhaps to the extent that it sometimes acts as a summary of those books (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). I would recommend this.

[Ankur · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Victory Project is a bit of a remix of multiple other books published on similar topics.
It quotes heavily from iconic books like Deepwork, Outliers, Thinking Fast & Slow, Poor Charlie's Almanack etc. So much so, that it almost comes across as a summarised potpourri of all these books put together. Some people may like it, in case they haven't read all these books, but for somebody who has already read some/all of these books, it will be a disappointment.

[bookswithchaipai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Work responsibilities & unattainable goals are bogging you down? Looking for a way to maximize your savings & productivity? Want to maintain a balance between work & play to achieve the perfect life? This book gives solutions to all these woes and more!

Drawing examples from real-life instances, The Victory Project presents methods of being successful. As a layman, I can assure you, the solutions herein are not confined to professionals alone. The methods of achieving full potential presented can be utilised in all walks of life.

I loved the glimpses into the lives of successful people like Jane Austen, Murakami, and how they charted their days to make the most of it. There are tiny tidbits & breadcrumbs dispersed throughout the book, pertaining to incidents in famous lives, which made a serious subject entertaining and drove the point home.

Salient points of numerous books have been combed through and compiled to highlight why the solutions in this book are critical. Extensive research & prominent people have been interviewed to find out success stories. The case study's at the end of each chapter are riveting and enlightening.

Most of the popular books out there hold good for the US market. But this book is applicable to the Indian lifestyle & Investment construct, which makes the book stand out.

My takeaway -
- Train your brain to make a mind castle, much like what Holmes did, in order to prolong your memory. Multiple methods have been put forward to ingrain this technique.
- Extensive reading, isolation, decluttering and concentration are critical to success. Some of the brilliant minds read voraciously, which leads to concentration & immersion practices, and then decisions are made as to which data to retain or conveniently forget.
-The importance of minimizing social media, unnecessary interactions during work hours has been highlighted. A detailed day-to-day schedule is a must for maximum performance, wherein all gadgets are kept away & thus immersive work will follow.

This book is a repository of information. Instead of reading multiple books, I would suggest read just this one, it is equally enlightening and engaging and contains a storehouse of knowledge.

[Kanishk · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with other books by Saurabh, thoroughly well researched and simplified into a smoothly flowing book.

[Shailesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book probably has the best written foreword that I have read till date. The interview in the first chapter is quite disappointing & maybe because most of the clinical psychologist rely of western framework of mind & how to deal with it.

I have read a reasonable amount of investment related books, but reading Charlie Munger critiquing Ben Graham was an amazing find.

The chapter on simplicity is really good & does bring in a fresh perspective even though I was aware of it.

Each chapter is well structured in sections, key takeaway points, an interview of a practitioner & the story of the authors. This gives a good hands on perspective.

This book can be a one book stop for anyone contemplating to chart their own financial plan.

[Aman Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been into reading New York Times bestseller books of American authors, at first I didn't expect it to be a good book.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

This book delves into the many highly acclaimed books like Outliers, The Power of Habit, Deep Work, Focus, Thinking Fast & Slow, just to name a few, and gives the recipe for the reader to apply it all.

Not just that, it gives an Indian context to such western wisdom, tailored for a working professional.

True to its name, it really is The Victory Project. It's highly practical, and written by a prolific author, a lifelong learner, and a working professional turned investment manager.

I highly recommend it. Anything Saurabh writes is worth reading.

[Vikas Garud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book. Authors have done great job in outlining the roadmap for us to lead a simple yet fulfilling life.
Authors have given a practical approach to simplify life in increasingly competitive world, things one should follow to excel in career by achieving peak potential.
Authors have drawn upon almost all the great works written on the topic & hence the book contains diverse ideas from many great thinkers along with personal experience of authors. So in a way the book is comprehensive guide for all those starting their careers to lead a meaningful life.

[Tall Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having reading other books on finance, this book basically indulges in the practices followed by successful people and in between the lines the author is also talking about his firm & their practices and what they follow.

In midst it seems a book to promote his own firm and the practices they follow based on other fund managers mantra.

What felt odd was the way credit was given to the co-author Anupam Gupta stating that much of the heavy lifting of the book was done by Saurabh & Anupam was happy to share the credit. Serious who mentions it in this way? It as good as stating that one had little to no contributions.

An ok book

[Udit Srivastava · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Victory Project is a self help book which borrows(with due credits) from a lot of other books and provides distilled ideas for success in the current world. The authors, instead of quoting platitudes have also shared the implementation of these ideas in their lives. The book talks about principles such as specializing, spirituality and meditation, Deep Work, Collaboration and simplicity which according to the authors are a gateway to success. A good book to get a flavor of such ideas.
Overall, a decent read- 3/5

[Rajesh BATTULA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saurabh Mukherjea's way of narrating is simple lucid and crisp. I like his books. When you read it you know what he is trying to say. It covers many concepts from different books and it presents good summary of different concepts.
I won't say this is a great book and must read but anyone who wants to know Indian context of businesses and Indian businessmen should read his books.
I have not read many books on Indian businesses. Perhaps in the future I will.

[Anjani Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half was quite relatable with one's day to day life and activities. The individual interviews at the end of each chapter was quite inspiring. The second half I didn't found very interesting. Was looking for more relevant content in investment related chapter.
But 1st half do gives enough reasons to read this book at least once.

[Shubham Goswami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book puts together a wide array of attributes and skills that are required to excel in one's field. It is evident that a lot of painstaking reasearch work has gone into making this possible. Surely I would like to keep revisiting this book in different phases of my career hoing forward. Highly recommend a read.

[Shrikant Pandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

We live in a World with lots of external distraction.Difficult to reach peak potential, this book guide us to align ourselves to reach peak potential in the World of Business and Investing. Books uses good leadership interviews at the end of each chapter.

[Karan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two biggest takeaways are Simplicity and Spirituality. This book has provided me a strong base to read more about Spirituality as I was never inclined to understand its importance. I also look forward to implementing simple living and its concepts to achieve my goals.

[Amit Acharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb book of the best selling author which deals with the psychological aspect of reaching peak potential. Though every concept is available elsewhere, but encompassing it all with lucidity makes this a must read

[Muthu Palani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the three books (Unusual Billionaires, Coffee Can Investing and The Victory Project) of Saurabh Mukherjea, I liked this one more because it has lot of reference to variety of books and most interestingly interview/conversation with leaders like Mr. Harsh Mariwala, Mrs Apurva Purohit, Prof Sanjay Bakshi. This book is a must read for those who want to invest into Indian Stock Market.

[Praveen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with some simple and practical steps to follow to increase one's peak potential. Well researched and has references to some great books. I have made a reading list on the basis of the recommendations which is going to keep me busy for the next few months :)

[Ashish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book is good

Book is ok, it includes selfhelp tips, investing and business related knowledge, as I like the thought process of Saurabh mukharjea sir, so I am looking forward to read his more books,
Over all book is good

[Aritra Mitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authors selected a tough topic and gave it their best shot. The amount of references across the book demonstrates the depth of research. In the end, I think it ended up being a generic read with a lots of ideas to pursue further.

[Debanjan 'deba' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly think one of the best books after a long time. Easily relatable and good references. This got me back to reading.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Ajinkya Lanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and helpful read

[Shravan Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading the book. It is written by extremely well read people and that came through. I particularly liked all the books referenced as that also gave a good list of books I am yet to read!

[Naveen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple life with minimal distractions and deep focus on whatever we work on… can help us to peak our potential to heights 🚀

[MEET TRIVEDI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book citing so many other great works around..

[Manish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've reached a point with most business books where I feel I'm reading the same 'gyan' again and again.

[Tejas Kulkarni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read book for everyone.

[Soham Naik · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Well researched book. A lot of the content is derived from various books.

- Provides a structure for people who wish to get the most from life.

- Super insights from some of the greatest minds in the world.

- Unabashed promotion of Marcellus investment philosophy.