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A review by sipho_md
Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School by Richard Branson
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.