Review Written by Silas Grant
In my continued effort to read a book every week for the second half of 2020, I finished Harvard Business Review (HBR) Entrepreneur’s Handbook as the second book in the list of books to complete.
The concept: This book intends on informing readers of virtually all that a person would need to be aware of when getting onto the entrepreneurial track. From deciding what you want to pursue, setting up the business plan, identifying the legal structure of the initiative, going public, valuations of the company, and being bought out…..the book covers it all from “soup to nuts”.
Key takeaways:
What motivated me to continue reading this book all week was the first portion of the book. Early in the book, the focus is on the Founder. If you are the Founder of a company, much of the investment in your company from others is contingent upon your reputation and how others feel about you. So I converted every lesson displayed in the book into who I am as a person. “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man” is a famous quote from Jay Z. But it is the truth. You are your first business. So if you aren’t an entrepreneur, this book can still relay important messages that are relevant to managing and owning your life.
Self-awareness and character were key points in the book as well. Do you know what state your business is in? Is it time to step aside? In terms of talent, do you know who or the kind of person/employee is missing?
This read was an insightful one. Every HBR book I’ve read has been well presented and laid out clearly. They provide fictional as well as real live case studies in all of their publications. They break the monotony of all text with graphics and exhibits for the purpose of showcasing examples to drive home the points within the books they publish.
There are appendices, a glossary, and a host of detailed descriptions of the nuts and bolts of business included in this book. I read the book within one week. However, it is a handbook. It is something that was created to be referenced multiple times. I bought the book well over a year ago and never cracked it open. I may have retained less than 40% of the book to memory or recollection from my read this week. 40% of the book is better than 0% simply because I didn’t take the time to read chapters consistently. It is a book meant to study from on a long term basis.
In conclusion, I think this book is a great pick up. As I stated early, I am committing to applying the lessons learned from this book to the first business I own; my life. If you want to be better at attracting new, great opportunities in your life, treat your life as if it’s a business and apply the knowledge given in this book.