Rework - Jason Fried [2]
Now, let’s get on with it.
CHAPTER
FIRST
The new reality
This is a different kind of business book for different kinds of people—from those who have never dreamed of starting a business to those who already have a successful company up and running.
It’s for hard-core entrepreneurs, the Type A go-getters of the business world. People who feel like they were born to start, lead, and conquer.
It’s also for less intense small-business owners. People who may not be Type A but still have their business at the center of their lives. People who are looking for an edge that’ll help them do more, work smarter, and kick ass.
It’s even for people stuck in day jobs who have always dreamed about doing their own thing. Maybe they like what they do, but they don’t like their boss. Or maybe they’re just bored. They want to do something they love and get paid for it.
Finally, it’s for all those people who’ve never considered going out on their own and starting a business. Maybe they don’t think they’re cut out for it. Maybe they don’t think they have the time, money, or conviction to see it through. Maybe they’re just afraid of putting themselves on the line. Or maybe they just think business is a dirty word. Whatever the reason, this book is for them, too.
There’s a new reality. Today anyone can be in business. Tools that used to be out of reach are now easily accessible. Technology that cost thousands is now just a few bucks or even free. One person can do the job of two or three or, in some cases, an entire department. Stuff that was impossible just a few years ago is simple today.
You don’t have to work miserable 60/80/100-hour weeks to make it work. 10–40 hours a week is plenty. You don’t have to deplete your life savings or take on a boatload of risk. Starting a business on the side while keeping your day job can provide all the cash flow you need. You don’t even need an office. Today you can work from home or collaborate with people you’ve never met who live thousands of miles away.
It’s time to rework work. Let’s get started.
CHAPTER
TAKEDOWNS
Ignore the real world
“That would never work in the real world.” You hear it all the time when you tell people about a fresh idea.
This real world sounds like an awfully depressing place to live. It’s a place where new ideas, unfamiliar approaches, and foreign concepts always lose. The only things that win are what people already know and do, even if those things are flawed and inefficient.
Scratch the surface and you’ll find these “real world” inhabitants are filled with pessimism and despair. They expect fresh concepts to fail. They assume society isn’t ready for or capable of change.
Even worse, they want to drag others down into their tomb. If you’re hopeful and ambitious, they’ll try to convince you your ideas are impossible. They’ll say you’re wasting your time.
Don’t believe them. That world may be real for them, but it doesn’t mean you have to live in it.
We know because our company fails the real-world test in all kinds of ways. In the real world, you can’t have more than a dozen employees spread out in eight different cities on two continents. In the real world, you can’t attract millions of customers without any salespeople or advertising. In the real world, you can’t reveal your formula for success to the rest of the world. But we’ve done all those things and prospered.
The real world isn’t a place, it’s an excuse. It’s a justification for not trying. It has nothing to do with you.
Learning from mistakes is overrated
In the business world, failure has become an expected rite of passage. You hear all the time how nine out of ten new businesses fail. You hear that your business’s chances are slim to none. You hear that failure builds character.