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irfan3's review against another edition
3.0
This book contains full of ready-to-practice advice from Sir Richard Branson himself. He shared his experience in building one of the most widely recognized brands worldwide, Virgin. He often repeated his stories, but I know it only existed to emphasize several key points in building successful business. Don't expect too much from this book, but if you really want to see entrepreneurship from the perspective of a 40-years-in-business practitioner, read this book. :)
jurgenappelo's review against another edition
3.0
A bit repetitive, and no new insights. But still plenty of good advice.
machielse's review
2.0
Believe it or not, they do teach you to differentiate yourself when entering a mature market in business school. While not a waste of time, I have found other comparable business books more insightful than Mr. Branson's.
thejpeffect's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.0
I relate to book highly as it was only a few years ago I was too, a Virgin
Written by Sir Richard Branson in which he shares his personal experiences and insights on entrepreneurship and business success. The book covers topics such as taking risks, developing a strong company culture, and the importance of staying true to one's values. I would say this is a little outdated but still worth the motivational Value from someone who is such and inspirational billionaire
Written by Sir Richard Branson in which he shares his personal experiences and insights on entrepreneurship and business success. The book covers topics such as taking risks, developing a strong company culture, and the importance of staying true to one's values. I would say this is a little outdated but still worth the motivational Value from someone who is such and inspirational billionaire
frankiebarette's review
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
sipho_md's review
2.0
Sir Richard Branson is the billionaire founder of the Virgin group of companies and one of the world's foremost business icons. As such, I expected a lot from this book touted to be full of "secrets" that you won't learn at business school. I was disappointed.
The book is made up of what feels like hundreds of short chapters, that read very much like blog posts. Although Branson does give a few actionable insights, most of the book is personal anecdotes from his own experience. Not bad necessarily, just not what I signed up for!
Key takeaways
If you are starting a business, make sure you are either doing something that has never been done or doing something better than the current providers are. Good customer service is a gap that can be filled in many industries.
People are the biggest asset of any business. Treat them well by listening to them and giving them the tools to succeed.
Intrapreneurs drive a company forward with ongoing innovations. Encourage people to pursue their visions, so they feel like they’re building their own company, rather than simply working for one.
Keep a notebook with you to jot down ideas or questions.
What I liked about the book
Simple to read.
The chapters were short enough to digest the main points easily.
What I didn't like about the book
The format is strange - the chapters are not connected to each other. One could be about raising capital and the next about climate change. Also the prose stops half way through the book and Branson starts answering questions that come out of the blue.
The book doesn't really give you any "secrets" per se. Most of the advice is not unique to Branson.
Repetitive.
Conclusion
It was unfortunate that this is the first book I have read by Richard Branson. It doesn't encourage me to read his others - which I have heard to be quite good.
In short, this book is a hard pass. Unless you're a hardcore fan of Virgin and/or Richard Branson. There really is little that is new or groundbreaking here.
The book is made up of what feels like hundreds of short chapters, that read very much like blog posts. Although Branson does give a few actionable insights, most of the book is personal anecdotes from his own experience. Not bad necessarily, just not what I signed up for!
Key takeaways
If you are starting a business, make sure you are either doing something that has never been done or doing something better than the current providers are. Good customer service is a gap that can be filled in many industries.
People are the biggest asset of any business. Treat them well by listening to them and giving them the tools to succeed.
Intrapreneurs drive a company forward with ongoing innovations. Encourage people to pursue their visions, so they feel like they’re building their own company, rather than simply working for one.
Keep a notebook with you to jot down ideas or questions.
What I liked about the book
Simple to read.
The chapters were short enough to digest the main points easily.
What I didn't like about the book
The format is strange - the chapters are not connected to each other. One could be about raising capital and the next about climate change. Also the prose stops half way through the book and Branson starts answering questions that come out of the blue.
The book doesn't really give you any "secrets" per se. Most of the advice is not unique to Branson.
Repetitive.
Conclusion
It was unfortunate that this is the first book I have read by Richard Branson. It doesn't encourage me to read his others - which I have heard to be quite good.
In short, this book is a hard pass. Unless you're a hardcore fan of Virgin and/or Richard Branson. There really is little that is new or groundbreaking here.
jnnnnn's review
2.0
I took away advice that boiled down to a couple of key points:
Listen to your people. Make it safe for them to speak as this allows them to use initiative. Do this by forgiving mistakes, not openly criticizing anyone, applauding good work, allowing risk.
Don't work with unfriendly people, as this will drive good people away.
Listen to your people. Make it safe for them to speak as this allows them to use initiative. Do this by forgiving mistakes, not openly criticizing anyone, applauding good work, allowing risk.
Don't work with unfriendly people, as this will drive good people away.
louisefbooks96's review against another edition
2.0
This book felt like it was going on forever and not in a good way it follows too much of his previous books so it feels like you know it all already very boring sadly