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Entrepreneurship for the Rest Us Lib/E: How to Create Innovation and Opportunity Everywhere
MP3 CD Format Today when the competition, technology, and the economy are evolving faster than ever before, organizations and the people like us who work in them need a proven approach to help us adapt—and succeed. The key, according to Paul B. Brown, is to think like an entrepreneur, no matter what your position or industry. What works for the most successful entrepreneurs will work for us, Brown argues, whether we want to stay employed working for someone else or are thinking of going off on our own. Based on extensive research, Entrepreneurship for the Rest of Us reveals the best practices of the most successful entrepreneurs, those who are adept at continually innovating and seeing opportunity where others do not. They do that by following a rigid approach. For They never start with a new idea, but by trying to solve a market need. Financing is an afterthought. They get started with the resources at hand (not only does that allow them to move quickly, if things don’t work out, they are not out much). Perfect is the enemy of good, it is much more important to get out into the marketplace with a prototype than to keep fiddling with what you have. In short, the entrepreneurial mindset is a protection against economic uncertainty, and Brown’s goal is to spread that thinking to individuals and large organizations alike. Though of course we won’t all start or run our own companies, we need to learn to think like entrepreneurs so that when uncertainty hits, as it will again and again, individuals and companies will be better prepared to not only survive but win.
- GenresBusiness
Audio CD
First published March 10, 2015
5 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Paul B. Brown
47 books5 followersPAUL B. BROWN is a long-time contributor to the New York Times and a former writer and editor for BusinessWeek,
Forbes, and Inc.
Forbes, and Inc.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 4, 2020
Entrepreneurship For the Rest of Us by Paul B. Brown
Brown begins his book very matter-of-factly: “Great entrepreneurs don’t write great books. In fact, they don’t write many books at all.”
I disagree.
I am a writer. I am a small press owner. I am a podcaster. A writer may be the ultimate entrepreneur. Anyone with a creative spark who wants to share it with the world, well, I am pretty sure that’s what an entrepreneur is.
Though Paul tries a simplistic and direct approach for the aspiring entrepreneur to follow, it fell flat for me. Reading a book for me is an investment. It takes time. The whole adage “time is money”, any entrepreneur could appreciate that. I could be doing a lot of other things like working on making my projects profitable. I was hoping this book would have helped me towards that goal, but sadly did not.
If I am reading someone’s book and get very little from it, it’s most likely my fault. My brain goes all over the place. After all, I am a thinker. But if I am starting to follow a writer, begin to get their message, then have to reread it because of constant unnecessary, incessant pronoun switches, incorrect agreements, or clunky sentences, on white pages, and then top it off spot two typos? Well, then is it my fault entirely? The typos, and overly clunky language could have been corrected by the editor. The choice of white pages instead of cream, well that’s just a style choice and is solely the publishing company’s decision. The tone of the book, and the message that Brown is trying to deliver, well that’s all Brown. Brown, a seasoned business writer for The New York Times and regular contributor to Inc. magazine, knows his stuff, but his writing style left me with little insight in what I can actually do with my particular ideas.
Maybe I am not the “Rest of Us”. But this book’s attractive bright blue cover does not deliver on its promise, stated: How to Create Innovation and Opportunity Everywhere. I walked away not uplifted but more wondering if my ideas are maybe too out of the ordinary. More questions and doubt were raised than answers. If only my ideas were as easy as starting a pizza parlor downtown.
I don’t know if I am necessarily alone on this one. I took this book out from the library, and the first two chapters were heavily marked, like whoever was reading this before was really into Paul’s take on just how to be an entrepreneur. You could tell whoever it was, was probably inspired, maybe even motivated to make some change in their life. Gradually the highlighter ceased to be. And I didn’t get it at the time, but now I do.
Jason’s take away: Attractive book design. Misleading title. Two typos.
2 stars.
Brown begins his book very matter-of-factly: “Great entrepreneurs don’t write great books. In fact, they don’t write many books at all.”
I disagree.
I am a writer. I am a small press owner. I am a podcaster. A writer may be the ultimate entrepreneur. Anyone with a creative spark who wants to share it with the world, well, I am pretty sure that’s what an entrepreneur is.
Though Paul tries a simplistic and direct approach for the aspiring entrepreneur to follow, it fell flat for me. Reading a book for me is an investment. It takes time. The whole adage “time is money”, any entrepreneur could appreciate that. I could be doing a lot of other things like working on making my projects profitable. I was hoping this book would have helped me towards that goal, but sadly did not.
If I am reading someone’s book and get very little from it, it’s most likely my fault. My brain goes all over the place. After all, I am a thinker. But if I am starting to follow a writer, begin to get their message, then have to reread it because of constant unnecessary, incessant pronoun switches, incorrect agreements, or clunky sentences, on white pages, and then top it off spot two typos? Well, then is it my fault entirely? The typos, and overly clunky language could have been corrected by the editor. The choice of white pages instead of cream, well that’s just a style choice and is solely the publishing company’s decision. The tone of the book, and the message that Brown is trying to deliver, well that’s all Brown. Brown, a seasoned business writer for The New York Times and regular contributor to Inc. magazine, knows his stuff, but his writing style left me with little insight in what I can actually do with my particular ideas.
Maybe I am not the “Rest of Us”. But this book’s attractive bright blue cover does not deliver on its promise, stated: How to Create Innovation and Opportunity Everywhere. I walked away not uplifted but more wondering if my ideas are maybe too out of the ordinary. More questions and doubt were raised than answers. If only my ideas were as easy as starting a pizza parlor downtown.
I don’t know if I am necessarily alone on this one. I took this book out from the library, and the first two chapters were heavily marked, like whoever was reading this before was really into Paul’s take on just how to be an entrepreneur. You could tell whoever it was, was probably inspired, maybe even motivated to make some change in their life. Gradually the highlighter ceased to be. And I didn’t get it at the time, but now I do.
Jason’s take away: Attractive book design. Misleading title. Two typos.
2 stars.
September 12, 2021
Pretty good, but nothing particularly revolutionary vs. other books that I’ve read on this topic. I do think it emphasizes a few key things: just get started, it takes less money than you think, and the typical successful entrepreneur’s mindset.
January 1, 2019
Very easy read with great advice. Perfect for someone considering starting a business. I liked the simplistic but data based suggestions throughout the book.
January 15, 2023
Great starting point.
April 22, 2019
Gives an introduction to best business practices and is an easy read. However, it didn't provide me with enough details on how to accomplish a start up..
January 17, 2017
PROS
If you are thinking of starting your own company PLEASE read this book first. The content is accurate, in my experience. Brown discusses the Agile-like process that successful entrepreneurs actually use to start businesses (Act, Learn, Build, Repeat). So many "experts" focus on everything but trying out your idea and getting feedback from the market. I know people who have been attending Start Your Own Business seminars for 15 years and are still "planning their future business", but haven't done more than design their logo. The key, Brown notes, is to *take action* in small ways, assess, adjust, then repeat the cycle.
He also advises that you play to your strengths, focus on market needs rather than nifty ideas, and don't bet more than you can afford to lose. Time-worn advice, but not usually what is marketed to entrepreneurial wanna-be's.
CONS
This book could benefit from a good editor. Writing style is wordy, repetitive, with a mix of 2nd- and 3rd-person voice. Also, the book does not deliver on the title. It is solely for entrepreneurs. There is negligible instruction on how to apply Brown's advice within a large corporation.
Having said that, it's worth reading carefully if you are leaning toward entrepreneurship.
If you are thinking of starting your own company PLEASE read this book first. The content is accurate, in my experience. Brown discusses the Agile-like process that successful entrepreneurs actually use to start businesses (Act, Learn, Build, Repeat). So many "experts" focus on everything but trying out your idea and getting feedback from the market. I know people who have been attending Start Your Own Business seminars for 15 years and are still "planning their future business", but haven't done more than design their logo. The key, Brown notes, is to *take action* in small ways, assess, adjust, then repeat the cycle.
He also advises that you play to your strengths, focus on market needs rather than nifty ideas, and don't bet more than you can afford to lose. Time-worn advice, but not usually what is marketed to entrepreneurial wanna-be's.
CONS
This book could benefit from a good editor. Writing style is wordy, repetitive, with a mix of 2nd- and 3rd-person voice. Also, the book does not deliver on the title. It is solely for entrepreneurs. There is negligible instruction on how to apply Brown's advice within a large corporation.
Having said that, it's worth reading carefully if you are leaning toward entrepreneurship.
September 24, 2015
Brown gives us a very insightful look into how entreprenuers think and the similarities in how they go about getting their business enterprise off the ground.
He says that successful entreprenuers don’t spend too much time ‘planning or playing “what if” games. Instead they can be said to follow a formula: Act, Learn, Build, Repeat. This is what enables entreprenuers to act quickly and change their plans to respond to market needs.
He breaks the myth of entreprenuers having one perfect idea. Instead, according to him, the trick is to respond to a market need right from the beginning.
Brown also looks at how they build teams, create customer loyalty and stay ahead of the competition.
I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated Brown’s succint style, his insightful advice and the great examples he provided. This book would make a good resource to anyone starting or running a business.
http://birdsontheblog.co.uk/entrepren...
He says that successful entreprenuers don’t spend too much time ‘planning or playing “what if” games. Instead they can be said to follow a formula: Act, Learn, Build, Repeat. This is what enables entreprenuers to act quickly and change their plans to respond to market needs.
He breaks the myth of entreprenuers having one perfect idea. Instead, according to him, the trick is to respond to a market need right from the beginning.
Brown also looks at how they build teams, create customer loyalty and stay ahead of the competition.
I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated Brown’s succint style, his insightful advice and the great examples he provided. This book would make a good resource to anyone starting or running a business.
http://birdsontheblog.co.uk/entrepren...
October 22, 2019
I was looking for a book on entrepreneurship/business at the library last week and my criteria were: 1) Less than 200 pages [because I need to bring it during my travel, travel light]; 2) Hardcover [tough for my traveling bag]; 3) Easy-to-read [thus the subtitle]; and recently published [2015 is quite recent] – and so, I choose this one!
Surprisingly, I enjoy reading Paul Brown’s book and I have about a dozen ideas taken from this book ready for actions. I read on average one book per week and sometimes readers like me can get caught in the trap of consistently reading and never taking action on anything they read. I must make sure that if I found good ideas from a book, I will take notes (and write a review) and if it is applicable, I will test the wisdom and take actions accordingly.
To read my review of Paul B. Brown's Entrepreneur for the Rest of Us (2015), CLICK HERE: https://www.richardangelus.me/2019/01...
Surprisingly, I enjoy reading Paul Brown’s book and I have about a dozen ideas taken from this book ready for actions. I read on average one book per week and sometimes readers like me can get caught in the trap of consistently reading and never taking action on anything they read. I must make sure that if I found good ideas from a book, I will take notes (and write a review) and if it is applicable, I will test the wisdom and take actions accordingly.
To read my review of Paul B. Brown's Entrepreneur for the Rest of Us (2015), CLICK HERE: https://www.richardangelus.me/2019/01...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews