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adityam's review against another edition
4.0
An easy and good read full of insights about the business world, specifically about what it means to be an entrepreneur and what different scenarios are plausible if you happen to start your own company, and why everyone must try doing it, at whatever scale possible.
Favourite line: Your own company is a playground for your business ideas. You can create your own rules, and make the utopian workplace you always think of.
Favourite line: Your own company is a playground for your business ideas. You can create your own rules, and make the utopian workplace you always think of.
singuyen's review against another edition
5.0
I learned a lot from reading this little book about starting and running a business, and about finding your purpose and what makes you happy, which to be honest, I did not expect to get out of it just by reading the title. The book is a collection of lessons and Derek Sivers learned over 10 years of running his business, CDBaby. I loved how he reminded me to never do anything just for the money; instead, do something that I enjoy and that could help other people.
This book isn't about growing your business, in fact, Sivers was trying to keep his company small but it just kept growing as more customers demanded his services. He placed a strong emphasis on bringing value to customers and would turn down opportunities that came his way if they were to challenge his core purpose.
You can start and finish the book in one sitting, but the lessons are there to stay with you for much longer. In my opinion, even if you don't have an intention to create a business, this book will still offer you life lessons on knowing when you have had enough, and how you can be happy.
This book isn't about growing your business, in fact, Sivers was trying to keep his company small but it just kept growing as more customers demanded his services. He placed a strong emphasis on bringing value to customers and would turn down opportunities that came his way if they were to challenge his core purpose.
You can start and finish the book in one sitting, but the lessons are there to stay with you for much longer. In my opinion, even if you don't have an intention to create a business, this book will still offer you life lessons on knowing when you have had enough, and how you can be happy.
kstumpf's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, quick read. I had never heard of CD Baby, but to learn about an entrepreneur starting a business and selling in a relatively short period of time for $22M was interesting.
g4v3uevryth1ng's review
4.0
Anything You Want is a whistle-stop tour of advice for potential entrepreneurs, giving motivation as well as context. Sivers does a great job of doing this while also talking about the journey of starting CDBaby by chance to eventually selling it off.
ginalucia's review against another edition
3.0
The book in 3 sentences/summary:
Lessons from a successful businessman who did things his own way.
Put your customers before yourself.
10 years of experience in 1 hour.
My impressions:
This book holds very clear and actionable insight into the business journey of Derek Sivers. It’s a short read but is packed full of valuable advice coupled with genuine life stories to back that advice up.
Derek’s main focus is for you to create a business that suits you and above all else, benefits your customers and puts them first.
Success is in this achievement, not the money you make or the status you gain.
Should you read it? (who would benefit from this):
Anyone running or starting a business. It’s not long so can be read in a day even without a challenge and holds some valuable lessons anyone can take away.
What I personally got from the book:
There are a few key lessons I’m taking away from this book.
Success comes from persistently improving and inventing, not from persistently promoting what’s not working.
It’s okay to have no vision, mission or master plan. You can still build a business without one.
Lessons from a successful businessman who did things his own way.
Put your customers before yourself.
10 years of experience in 1 hour.
My impressions:
This book holds very clear and actionable insight into the business journey of Derek Sivers. It’s a short read but is packed full of valuable advice coupled with genuine life stories to back that advice up.
Derek’s main focus is for you to create a business that suits you and above all else, benefits your customers and puts them first.
Success is in this achievement, not the money you make or the status you gain.
Should you read it? (who would benefit from this):
Anyone running or starting a business. It’s not long so can be read in a day even without a challenge and holds some valuable lessons anyone can take away.
What I personally got from the book:
There are a few key lessons I’m taking away from this book.
Success comes from persistently improving and inventing, not from persistently promoting what’s not working.
It’s okay to have no vision, mission or master plan. You can still build a business without one.
jldavis's review against another edition
3.0
I like Derek Sivers a lot. He has fantastic stories and has great advice. I love to read his stuff.
However, reading this book made me realize that he is more of a product of survivorship bias.
This book was filled with two types of lessons: good business advice and then advice that happened to work for Derek Sivers.
I couldn’t tell the two apart.
However, reading this book made me realize that he is more of a product of survivorship bias.
This book was filled with two types of lessons: good business advice and then advice that happened to work for Derek Sivers.
I couldn’t tell the two apart.