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Make No Small Plans: Lessons on Thinking Big, Chasing Dreams, and Building Community
From the founders of the acclaimed Summit event series and community comes the story of their unconventional journey to business success and the hard lessons they learned along the way.
In 2008, with no event production experience and two college degrees between the four of them, Elliott Bisnow, Jeff Rosenthal, Brett Leve, and Jeremy Schwartz became business partners and set out to build a global events company. With passion and tenacity, they began cold calling as many inspiring company founders as they could and tried to convince them to attend their first event. In the beginning, only nineteen people said yes.
Since then, they have grown Summit into a global community with events all over the world, hosting luminaries including Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Shonda Rhimes, Brené Brown, Kendrick Lamar, and Al Gore. In 2013, the Summit founders acquired the largest ski resort in the United States, Powder Mountain, with a dream of building a mountaintop town of the future.
In Make No Small Plans, they reveal the triumphs, mistakes, and cornerstone lessons from their journey, which began during The Great Recession and continues through today. Alongside teachings from some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs of our time, the authors offer takeaways such as:
No Idea Should Go Unspoken
Reputations Are Earned by the Drop and Lost by the Bucket
The Road to Success Is Always Under Construction
Become a Favor Economy Millionaire
Entertaining and empowering, Make No Small Plans shows that anyone can think big and—with a thirst for knowledge, a talented team, and a little humility—accomplish the impossible.
In 2008, with no event production experience and two college degrees between the four of them, Elliott Bisnow, Jeff Rosenthal, Brett Leve, and Jeremy Schwartz became business partners and set out to build a global events company. With passion and tenacity, they began cold calling as many inspiring company founders as they could and tried to convince them to attend their first event. In the beginning, only nineteen people said yes.
Since then, they have grown Summit into a global community with events all over the world, hosting luminaries including Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Shonda Rhimes, Brené Brown, Kendrick Lamar, and Al Gore. In 2013, the Summit founders acquired the largest ski resort in the United States, Powder Mountain, with a dream of building a mountaintop town of the future.
In Make No Small Plans, they reveal the triumphs, mistakes, and cornerstone lessons from their journey, which began during The Great Recession and continues through today. Alongside teachings from some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs of our time, the authors offer takeaways such as:
No Idea Should Go Unspoken
Reputations Are Earned by the Drop and Lost by the Bucket
The Road to Success Is Always Under Construction
Become a Favor Economy Millionaire
Entertaining and empowering, Make No Small Plans shows that anyone can think big and—with a thirst for knowledge, a talented team, and a little humility—accomplish the impossible.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2022
55 people are currently reading
2059 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 9, 2023
Meh, it's not a bad read, but it isn't overly insightful. It mainly feels like a self-congratulatory pat on the back for the authors.
October 19, 2022
A great story, but reading how these companies are starting up makes me realize how unrealistic it is for normal people to even be a part of that culture.
A great book and amazing people, but very elitist. It bothers me that they never make events for regular people without money. Their whole concept implies that without fame or money you have nothing to offer. It’s motivating and demotivating at the same time.
A great book and amazing people, but very elitist. It bothers me that they never make events for regular people without money. Their whole concept implies that without fame or money you have nothing to offer. It’s motivating and demotivating at the same time.
April 16, 2022
Could not say enough about how much I love this community, book, and message.
Gift it to all your entrepreneurial friends, immediately.
Gift it to all your entrepreneurial friends, immediately.
August 10, 2025
Quite inspiring!
April 14, 2022
Awesome book by the founders of the acclaimed Summit event series and community. They packaged their wild journey into their new book: Make No Small Plans and it was a very captivating read for me.
Summit is a community filled with the most ambitious and creative entrepreneurs that I have had my eyes set on for nearly 6 years now.
I enjoyed every second of reading this book and can’t wait to attend their in-person flagship event in November in California! (If you are going, let me know!)
Make No Small Plans explains how they created this massive community despite the odds and shows how others can think big and accomplish more.
These four brave, strong guys envision positive change for artists, startup founders, teachers, nurses, mechanics, parents, and every one of us who wants to make the most of where they are right now!
A super powerful mission if you ask me.
This mission is shown through the community as a whole and through the writing of their first book.
They have brought prolific entrepreneurs and thought leaders under the same roof like Blake Mycoskie, Tim Ferriss, President Bill Clinton, and many more!
If you read this whole review then you should 100% get this book.
Summit is a community filled with the most ambitious and creative entrepreneurs that I have had my eyes set on for nearly 6 years now.
I enjoyed every second of reading this book and can’t wait to attend their in-person flagship event in November in California! (If you are going, let me know!)
Make No Small Plans explains how they created this massive community despite the odds and shows how others can think big and accomplish more.
These four brave, strong guys envision positive change for artists, startup founders, teachers, nurses, mechanics, parents, and every one of us who wants to make the most of where they are right now!
A super powerful mission if you ask me.
This mission is shown through the community as a whole and through the writing of their first book.
They have brought prolific entrepreneurs and thought leaders under the same roof like Blake Mycoskie, Tim Ferriss, President Bill Clinton, and many more!
If you read this whole review then you should 100% get this book.
February 14, 2023
I was at my local bookstore when I first stumbled upon this book in the business section. I never heard of Summit or knew anything about these founders. I was just browsing and was attracted by the book cover, it wasn't long till I started googling the ratings. I was on the fence on purchasing the book but a friend of mine ended up buying the book for me. This book was different with the other biographies/memoirs written by other CEO's/Founding companies I've read.
Much of what I've read prior to this book was just on their own personal business ventures and internal company dynamics. However, Summit was a company based on involving other company leaders to take an active part of their brand's trajectory. It was definitely something new for me and I would recommend this book to other entrepreneurs. Although amongst these business books consisted tropes highlighting importances of:
1. Execution: Ideas are nothing, starting is the hardest part and most people (if not everyone) struggles. Execution is key and will become the starting momentum for your drive in life.
2. Adaptability: Even if you have been doing business for a year or two, new obstacles emerge and the ability to adapt is great skill. Understand that mistakes will happen and it is part of the learning curve.
3. Culture & Mission: You need investors, your team, and customers that believe in your business. They are all essential parts of your company's success. Most importantly, you need to believe in yourself that you can manage what you deliver.
Companies evolve over time and the core mission of the company may not be the same as what it first started off as because it can improve into something greater and better. It's the "creative change" that takes place not just the change of numbers on an excel. If you know you want to start something but have no idea, I'd say just start executing. The first product or service you promote won't be the best but it is what you need to do to know what you can improve.
Much of what I've read prior to this book was just on their own personal business ventures and internal company dynamics. However, Summit was a company based on involving other company leaders to take an active part of their brand's trajectory. It was definitely something new for me and I would recommend this book to other entrepreneurs. Although amongst these business books consisted tropes highlighting importances of:
1. Execution: Ideas are nothing, starting is the hardest part and most people (if not everyone) struggles. Execution is key and will become the starting momentum for your drive in life.
2. Adaptability: Even if you have been doing business for a year or two, new obstacles emerge and the ability to adapt is great skill. Understand that mistakes will happen and it is part of the learning curve.
3. Culture & Mission: You need investors, your team, and customers that believe in your business. They are all essential parts of your company's success. Most importantly, you need to believe in yourself that you can manage what you deliver.
Companies evolve over time and the core mission of the company may not be the same as what it first started off as because it can improve into something greater and better. It's the "creative change" that takes place not just the change of numbers on an excel. If you know you want to start something but have no idea, I'd say just start executing. The first product or service you promote won't be the best but it is what you need to do to know what you can improve.
May 21, 2023
I got interested in Summit during the pandemic, on the hunt for what do next in life, and thinking they were on to something. Online they give off certain vibes, but you get the sinking feeling that there's not much substance under the slick surface. Maybe it's just another un-conference full of tech bros talking about how they're going to change the world through connections and synergy, signifying nothing. I was hoping this book would give them space to tell their story more fully, and reveal something more, but I was wrong.
It's a group of entitled young white dudes, moving fast and breaking stuff, asking for forgiveness rather than asking permission, full of themselves and their own story. There's no real explanation of their success. It's a lot of bluster and promises and name dropping. Don't believe me? Read these terrible chapter titles:
- Bite off more than you can chew. You can figure out how to chew later.
- Don't worry about making mistakes when you're making history
- When you have the right opportunity, it's always the right time
- Spaceships Don't Come Equipped with Rear-View Mirrors
It's a group of entitled young white dudes, moving fast and breaking stuff, asking for forgiveness rather than asking permission, full of themselves and their own story. There's no real explanation of their success. It's a lot of bluster and promises and name dropping. Don't believe me? Read these terrible chapter titles:
- Bite off more than you can chew. You can figure out how to chew later.
- Don't worry about making mistakes when you're making history
- When you have the right opportunity, it's always the right time
- Spaceships Don't Come Equipped with Rear-View Mirrors
September 3, 2022
This is the story of four audacious entrepreneurs with nothing left to lose, who pushed each other to reach for the stars and keep trying even when everyone said no. They took some crazy risks, which they freely admit were crazy, and worked hard enough to make just about every one of them actually work. What is possible is far more than most of us believe. If you never try, you’ll never achieve it.
If you want a shot of adrenaline and are willing to rethink your steady, cautious plan, then read this book. If you are in the influencer or event industry, then there are actually some really fascinating tactical things you can get from this book, too.
If you want a shot of adrenaline and are willing to rethink your steady, cautious plan, then read this book. If you are in the influencer or event industry, then there are actually some really fascinating tactical things you can get from this book, too.
January 4, 2024
This book will totally change what you think thinking big is. It'll take you from dreaming about a career promotion or fancy house to imaging buying a ski resort and calling Richard Branson. This book has the enthusiasm of Gary V without all the bravado and masculinity. It feels authentic and inspiring and only a tad entitled. Highly recommend to read this in addition to a few other books such as "Dream Big" by Bob Goff, "Finding my Virginity" by Richard Branson and "The Ride of a Lifetime" by Robert Iger.
July 17, 2022
Great page turner. Felt their excitement and fears easily.
Wanted a bit more of the details in terms of trials, trip ups, and thinking. Hence one star Deducted.
Would be curious to learn more of their story which I hope is available in interviews / talks elsewhere.
Wanted a bit more of the details in terms of trials, trip ups, and thinking. Hence one star Deducted.
Would be curious to learn more of their story which I hope is available in interviews / talks elsewhere.
Read
July 1, 2022Summit’s philosophy is that interesting things happen when interesting people get together and start talking. And that’s really at the heart of what the company does: it provides a forum for people to collaborate on big plans. And it’s also how Summit itself works. It’s the founders’ commitment to nurturing ideas, creative problem solving, and – above all – collaboration that’s made Summit so successful.
If you’re feeling a bit uninspired or at a dead end, consider going to a conference, finding or founding a group of people interested in trading ideas, and seeking out those that can open your mind to new ways of thinking.
---
Follow your authentic interests but hedge your bets.
Let’s rewind to 2008. The economy is crashing and the future is uncertain. Elliott, one of Summit’s founders, is in college. He’s not happy, though. Something is missing.
One day, while walking to campus, he finds himself caught up in a large crowd of students. Everyone is streaming in the same direction, toward the library, to read the same textbooks and study the same problems. Problems last year’s students solved. All so they can compete for the same jobs in the same labor market that’s being wrecked by the greatest recession since the ’30s. For Elliott, it doesn’t add up.
He doesn’t want to do that. He wants to work on his own problems, not his professors’. He doesn’t want to study – he wants to build something. In short, he’s just discovered something important about himself: a sense of where his authentic interests lie and what he wants to do with his life.
The word authenticity can sound like a big and intimidating, existential kind of thing. That’s because we often think of it in all-or-nothing terms: being authentic or being inauthentic. But you don’t have to go all in right away. Take it from Elliott.
He’s realized he wants to set and solve his own problems. To work for himself. To be an entrepreneur. His first thought? Take the plunge. Quit college.
His dad, luckily, is a sensible guy. Down to earth. Practical. Here’s what he says. There are risks, and then there are risks. The question to think about is how far you can fall. Dropping out of college and spending all your savings is very risky. If things don’t pan out, you’ll be in a tough situation that’s hard to get out of. So what if you spend some of your savings and stay in college while working on what you really care about? If it doesn’t work out, you’ll have a bruised ego but you’ll still have options and half your savings. Same reward, different risks. Simply put, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
What was Elliott’s response? He listened. He didn’t drop out of college. He started selling ads in an online newsletter in his spare time. He didn’t spend all his savings. And he didn’t try to persuade his family to remortgage the house to support his business idea. And that, too, is part of the Summit story. It was the cold calls he placed from his college dorm room that taught him the skills he’d need to launch the company.
So here’s the lesson: acting authentically doesn’t mean being reckless. You’re not charging headlong into the unknown – you’re slowly pushing open doors to new opportunities.
That process begins with a single question: What am I interested in? Sometimes, the answer will present itself serendipitously – it just hits you one day, like it did Elliott. But you can also be more deliberate about it. Sit with that question a while and then write your answers down. Maybe it’s cooking, or fitness, or finance, or learning a language. And then? Well, you make time to do those things. You start cooking. Take that class. Get that certificate. Enroll in that course.
So many big journeys start with this shift from a passive wish to active engagement. But remember: it’s not all or nothing. Don’t make small plans, but do start small!
If you’re feeling a bit uninspired or at a dead end, consider going to a conference, finding or founding a group of people interested in trading ideas, and seeking out those that can open your mind to new ways of thinking.
---
Follow your authentic interests but hedge your bets.
Let’s rewind to 2008. The economy is crashing and the future is uncertain. Elliott, one of Summit’s founders, is in college. He’s not happy, though. Something is missing.
One day, while walking to campus, he finds himself caught up in a large crowd of students. Everyone is streaming in the same direction, toward the library, to read the same textbooks and study the same problems. Problems last year’s students solved. All so they can compete for the same jobs in the same labor market that’s being wrecked by the greatest recession since the ’30s. For Elliott, it doesn’t add up.
He doesn’t want to do that. He wants to work on his own problems, not his professors’. He doesn’t want to study – he wants to build something. In short, he’s just discovered something important about himself: a sense of where his authentic interests lie and what he wants to do with his life.
The word authenticity can sound like a big and intimidating, existential kind of thing. That’s because we often think of it in all-or-nothing terms: being authentic or being inauthentic. But you don’t have to go all in right away. Take it from Elliott.
He’s realized he wants to set and solve his own problems. To work for himself. To be an entrepreneur. His first thought? Take the plunge. Quit college.
His dad, luckily, is a sensible guy. Down to earth. Practical. Here’s what he says. There are risks, and then there are risks. The question to think about is how far you can fall. Dropping out of college and spending all your savings is very risky. If things don’t pan out, you’ll be in a tough situation that’s hard to get out of. So what if you spend some of your savings and stay in college while working on what you really care about? If it doesn’t work out, you’ll have a bruised ego but you’ll still have options and half your savings. Same reward, different risks. Simply put, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
What was Elliott’s response? He listened. He didn’t drop out of college. He started selling ads in an online newsletter in his spare time. He didn’t spend all his savings. And he didn’t try to persuade his family to remortgage the house to support his business idea. And that, too, is part of the Summit story. It was the cold calls he placed from his college dorm room that taught him the skills he’d need to launch the company.
So here’s the lesson: acting authentically doesn’t mean being reckless. You’re not charging headlong into the unknown – you’re slowly pushing open doors to new opportunities.
That process begins with a single question: What am I interested in? Sometimes, the answer will present itself serendipitously – it just hits you one day, like it did Elliott. But you can also be more deliberate about it. Sit with that question a while and then write your answers down. Maybe it’s cooking, or fitness, or finance, or learning a language. And then? Well, you make time to do those things. You start cooking. Take that class. Get that certificate. Enroll in that course.
So many big journeys start with this shift from a passive wish to active engagement. But remember: it’s not all or nothing. Don’t make small plans, but do start small!
May 12, 2022
"If you've made small plans... what will you do when obstacles become monumental? It's too easy to walk away from something small that doesn't really mean that much to you
If your plans are so audacious, so outlandishly big... that if you succeed, you could change the life of your family, your community, and perhaps even the world"
My favorite part.
If your plans are so audacious, so outlandishly big... that if you succeed, you could change the life of your family, your community, and perhaps even the world"
My favorite part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2022
I love reading how business owners founded their business. Or how actors became famous celebrities. The “how” is very interesting to me. Got bored a bit in the middle, but they were explaining like a decade of building a business, so they faced a lot. Really good read!
December 7, 2022
I was optimistic about this book after reading Alex Banyan's "The Third Door." This book feels rushed and lacks good story-telling. While it makes up for some of this with its ideas, it needed some more work.
July 6, 2025
The stories were good but there was no irony to the authors that they were born on second base if not third. Tell me the story of the person who didn’t grow up in a major city with access to good schools and elite sports.
May 30, 2022
If you want to understand how to cultivate community and connection, read this.
June 30, 2022
Quick but solid read with good ideas for creative problem solving.
June 30, 2022
I absolutely love reading entrepreneurial journeys. The book has a lot of generally applicable and common wisdom, but also has a lot of specific stories from their journey that were really inspiring.
June 30, 2022
Want to read it fully
November 15, 2024
The name of Jeremy Schwartz’s band was Ice Nine Kills.
Need I say more.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Need I say more.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 25, 2025
Not much substance. Some good insights but instead of deep storytelling it felt more like just telling. Good starter book for entrepreneurs but was looking for a bit more.
February 12, 2023
This reminds me of The Third Door by Alex Banayan. One thing I didn't like is how is how in some ways this book seemed like one big humble brag. And another thing I didn't like that is related is how they just seemed to talk about how everything is the best, bigger, better, etc. I guess doing it any other way wouldn't make for an exciting story. Nevertheless, despite its flaw I still rate 5 stars. I like the third door better but this a solid story.
October 17, 2022
The thrilling story of the Summit group and what its founders learned along the way. Couldn't put this book down, great pace and great read.
Some notes I took:
We need people dreaming crazy ideas and pushing past their reservations
You reach should always exceed your grasp
Lead with generosity. Generosity creates trust. Trust creates productivity.
Reputations are earned by the drop and lost by the bucket
Opportunities can come from the unlikeliest of places
Mystery makes history
‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn’
You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that ratio
For more notes and quotes, see here - https://www.anichexperience.com/book-...
Some notes I took:
We need people dreaming crazy ideas and pushing past their reservations
You reach should always exceed your grasp
Lead with generosity. Generosity creates trust. Trust creates productivity.
Reputations are earned by the drop and lost by the bucket
Opportunities can come from the unlikeliest of places
Mystery makes history
‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn’
You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that ratio
For more notes and quotes, see here - https://www.anichexperience.com/book-...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews