business – Page 3 – Marlo Yonocruz

Book notes: The Startup Checklist by David Rose

The Startup Checklist David S. Rose book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business by David S. Rose

Synopsis: “The Startup Checklist is the entrepreneur’s essential companion. While most entrepreneurship books focus on strategy, this invaluable guide provides the concrete steps that will get your new business off to a strong start. You’ll learn the ins and outs of startup execution, management, legal issues, and practical processes throughout the launch and growth phases and how to avoid the critical missteps that threaten the foundation of your business. If you’re ready to do big things, this book has you covered from the first business card to the eventual exit.

The typical American startup costs over $30,000 and requires working with over two dozen professionals and service providers before it even opens for business – and the process is so complex that few founders do it correctly. Their startups’ errors often go unnoticed until the founder tries to seek outside capital, at which point they can cost thousands of dollars to fix…or even completely derail an investment. The Startup Checklist helps you avoid these problems and lay a strong foundation, so you can focus on building your business.” -Amazon

Opening Thoughts:

I picked up this book mostly to help give me an idea of how to start my own startup, which is currently in the works. I was looking to have this book balance out the others I had selected for the month because it seemed more tactical and step-by-step compared to Born a Crime and Linchpin.

Key Notes:

Book notes: Linchpin by Seth Godin

Linchpin Seth Godin book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

Synopsis: “There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there’s a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there’s no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.

Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. Like the small piece of hardware that keeps a wheel from falling off its axle, they may not be famous but they’re indispensable. And in today’s world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom. Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn’t reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back.” -Amazon

Opening Thoughts:

I’ve heard a lot about Seth Godin from Tim Ferriss and Ramit Sethi, but have never been exposed to his work directly. From what I remember, Seth is supposed to be somewhat of a writing guru and an well-known entrepreneur. If I’m not mistaken, Ramit credits Seth as being a mentor of his. I’ve had Seth’s other book Tribes in my to-read list for a while, and right as I was about to buy that book for this month, I came across this book in the recommended reads. It had even better and more reviews so I decided to go with this book as my first exposure to Seth.

Key Notes:

Book notes: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

The E Myth book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Synopsis: “In this first new and totally revised edition of the 150,000-copy underground bestseller, The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed. He then shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have read The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.” -Amazon

Opening thoughts:

I believe I heard this book recommended on the Tim Ferriss Show podcast a couple times so it has been on my list for a while now. I just finished reading 40 Rules for Internet Business Success in January and thought this would be a great follow up. I am in the process of starting my own online business so this book seemed like a great book to add to this month’s queue.

Key notes/ideas:

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Book notes: The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson

The One Minute Manager book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson

Synopsis:

“For decades The One Minute Manager has helped millions achieve more successful professional and personal lives. While the principles it lays out are timeless, our world has changed drastically since the book’s publication. The exponential rise of technology, global flattening of markets, instant communication, and pressures on corporate workforces to do more with less – including resources, funding, and staff – have all revolutionized the world in which we live and work.

Now Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson have updated The One Minute Manger to introduce the book’s powerful, important lessons to a new generation. In their concise, easy-to-understand story, they teach listeners three very practical secrets about leading others and explain why these techniques continue to work so well.” -Amazon

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Opening thoughts:

This was another one of those personal development classics I’ve heard about several times. I’m a huge fan of anything which has a great longevity in its value. Even though this book might be dated, I’m sure the principles would still be relevant to challenges in today’s world. Moreover, it’s another short read, just like Spencer Johnson’s book I just finished Who Moved My Cheese? and I needed a short book to stay on schedule for my monthly reading.

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Book notes: Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

Pitch Anything book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff

Synopsis:

“When it comes to delivering a pitch, Oren Klaff has unparalleled credentials. Over the past 13 years, he has used his one-of-a-kind method to raise more than $400 million – and now, for the first time, he describes his formula to help you deliver a winning pitch in any business situation.

Whether you’re selling ideas to investors, pitching a client for new business, or even negotiating for a higher salary, Pitch Anything will transform the way you position your ideas.

According to Klaff, creating and presenting a great pitch isn’t an art – it’s a simple science. Applying the latest findings in the field of neuroeconomics, while sharing eye-opening stories of his method in action, Klaff describes how the brain makes decisions and responds to pitches. With this information, you’ll remain in complete control of every stage of the pitch process.” -Amazon

~If you enjoy my summary, please consider buying me a coffee via my Ko-Fi link (click the button below) or become a recurring donor as a YBC Scholar! 📖 🎓

I appreciate every donation as it goes directly to the maintenance costs of my blog and creation of new content. 😊

Book notes: 40 Rules for Internet Business Success by Matthew Paulson

40 Rules for Internet Business Success book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

40 Rules for Internet Business Success by Matthew Paulson

Synopsis: “Matthew Paulson, Founder of Analyst Ratings Network, Lightning Releases, and GoGo Photo Contest, has weathered the failures and triumphs of being an entrepreneur for nearly a decade. 40 Rules for Internet Business Success is his collection of core principles and strategies he used to grow his business.

By listening to this audiobook, you will learn to:

Throw away your business plan! Create a scalable business model that actually works.
Identify a target market that is desperate for your company’s products and services.
Launch your first product or service faster by building a minimum viable business.
Create a reliable and repeatable marketing strategy to keep new customers coming.
Build systems that make your business run like a well-oiled machine.
Maximize your company’s earnings potential with the three keys of revenue growth.” -Amazon

Opening thoughts: I’ve been meaning to pick up a book pertaining to online marketing or business for a while. I stumbled upon this while browsing similar books on online business. It had good reviews and seemed like a solid book with hard tactics so I was sold. I think one of the best venues to start a side project to create additional income streams would be an online, mobile business. I’m sure I would learn some solid nuggets from this one.

Key ideas/notes:

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Book notes: Influence by Robert Cialdini

Influence book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

Influence: Science and Practice, ePub, 5th Edition by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.

Synopsis: “Influence: Science and Practice is an examination of the psychology of compliance (i.e. uncovering which factors cause a person to say “yes” to another’s request).

Written in a narrative style combined with scholarly research, Cialdini combines evidence from experimental work with the techniques and strategies he gathered while working as a salesperson, fundraiser, advertiser, and in other positions inside organizations that commonly use compliance tactics to get us to say “yes.” Widely used in classes, as well as sold to people operating successfully in the business world, the eagerly awaited revision of Influence reminds the listener of the power of persuasion.

Cialdini organizes compliance techniques into six categories based on psychological principles that direct human behavior: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity.” – Amazon

Opening thoughts:

Another book that was recommended by Ramit Sethi in one of the Tim Ferriss podcasts I was listening to. Based on the synopsis, I figured it would be one of those books that discusses a topic with scientific and anecdotal support. Most likely, it would cover the key ideas that surround what influences people as it might relate to marketing and sales. At least, I’m sure the insights Ramit got from it could be applied to sales and marketing.

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Book notes: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

The Hard Thing About Hard Things book summary by Marlo Yonocruz

The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Synopsis: Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley’s most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup – practical wisdom for managing the toughest problems business school doesn’t cover, based on his popular ben’s blog.

While many people talk about how great it is to start a business, very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. Ben Horowitz analyzes the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights he’s gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in, and supervising technology companies. A lifelong rap fanatic, he amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favorite songs, telling it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in.

Filled with his trademark humor and straight talk, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures, drawing from Horowitz’s personal and often humbling experiences.

Opening thoughts:

Again, I found this book through listening to Tim Ferriss’s podcast when he interviewed Mark Andreessen and this book came up. The reviews looked good and so far all of the books I’ve read from the podcast were great. It definitely had a weird title, but I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

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