Taking a break from food for a hot second to discuss a must-read for anyone attempting to build her dream. My younger brother passed on Rework and in just a few pages in it was obvious as to why. Packed with the hard-learned lessons of 37signals, the company who started uber-useful web products like Basecamp, it’s a how-to manual for modern entrepreneurs. And, while my job does seem like a lot of play, I am, at the end of the day, an entrepreneur too.
Turns out I’ve been at odds with myself, but this book has set me right. With an academic background and a stint in business, I was taught to entrust business plans and mission statements. But the real world changes everything and working at a start-up like CHOW taught me that there are few one-size-fits-all solutions when trying to build a brand. This book distills the lessons of starting your own business into a digestible set of concepts that you can easily commit to memory. It’s the quickest 288 pages you’ll ever read, so carve out an hour or two to read it yourself; but, until you do, here are some of my favorite takeaways.
-Ignore the Real World-
As they point out, the real world is a place full of pessimistic naysayers most the time, so you might as well ignore what people say not to do and instead do what will make you tick.
-Make a Dent in the Universe-
This is exactly why I cook, because one meal at a time, one recipe at a time, I help to make people self-sufficient and happy. I know it’s a simple, small dent, but it’s one I feel passionate enough about to keep doing it for a long time.
-Scratch Your Own Itch-
My editor-in-chief at CHOW always said that we should write for ourselves so as to lead to the most authentic, interesting copy. Well, this is pretty much the same concept; do something you want to see out there and you’ll have the nerve and drive to see it through.
Yes, this is all obvious stuff, but it’s stuff that’s easy to forget it when you get caught up in everyday life. My brother just called and asked for the book back, and I was tempted to steal it and give it a permanent place on my bookshelf, if only he didn’t know where I live.
