How I Built This
By Guy Raz
(302 pages, nonfiction, 2020)
Ever wonder how successful businesses did it? What steps did they take in the early days to get them to where they are today? If you are an entrepreneur or you just like hearing the story behind the business, then this book is for you.
Guy Raz, from NPR, looks at the origin stories of big names like Airbnb, Five Guys, Southwest Airlines, and tons of other businesses. Get the juicy details of why they started their businesses, what they did differently that worked, and how they navigated the ups and downs to end up on top.
Building a business is like jumping off a cliff and assembling the airplane on your way down. A task some do better than others. So what does it take? Knowing information like what kind of airplane they are going to build and knowing how to pivot to meet changing conditions are just some of the things covered in this book. You’ll also hear about ways to build buzz around your business, how to dodge the competition, and how to fund the business when you don’t have big company money.
This book is full of stories and how-to information. Normally I skim business books, but this one I didn’t want to put down. The really good information is in the stories. It does a good job of tying everything together from one chapter to the next, so it feels whole and cohesive. What I really liked, is that if you’re in a hurry and just want the gist, he does a good job wrapping up each section in the last page of the chapter. You can get a lot of information just by reading those pages. Definitely a book you won’t want to miss.
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Amy Cornwell
