This post is about the book You Have To Be A Little Crazy by Barry Moltz.
Here are the two things I appreciate most about Barry’s book…
First, he wrote about some of the “ugliness” of the entrepreneurial experience in a way most entrepreneurs hide after they’ve “become successful.”
Second, there are far too few books written by entrepreneurs who have “been there, done that.” It is readily apparent that a boatload of “business books” are written by folks who have no experience in the belly of the beast. Just like the advice from your Uncle Morty who once had a friend who owned a business and wants to give you advice, I generally recommend ignoring it. For giving another view of “real life” as an entrepreneur … Barry should be praised and thanked.
For The Would-Be Entrepreneur…
…this book serves as a fantastic grounding and commitment check. Consider it a trial before the trial of running your business. You aren’t going to learn how to start a business, run a business, or succeed in business here. You aren’t going to find checklists or roadmaps. With a little honest introspection, you will discover whether pursuing the goal is for you or not. No matter how great an entrepreneur you turn out to be, you will experience some… probably most… of the situations Barry describes. If thinking about yourself in those situations makes you sick to your stomach or makes you question your resolve, entrepreneurship may not be for you.
For The Entrepreneur…
You will find an honest description of the trials you have or will experience along your journey, and solid advice and solutions about how to solve or avoid them. You also will find lessons contained in the stories that most entrepreneurs don’t realize after years of business. Some of the best lessons are NOT made explicit. In other words, you have to work to “get” them. (Something I like and appreciate, BTW.) Those lessons are going to be the springboard for a few of my blog entries this week.
Stay tuned…
P.S. I don’t agree with everything Barry says, which is fine. I get nervous when I (or others) profess 100% adherence to a book, person, or set of ideas.
Bottom line?
If you are in business or thinking about going into business, get the book. Read it interactively – asking yourself how you would handle that situation, what solutions you might come up with, how you might avoid it in the first place, and so on – and you will be well rewarded.
Buy the book You Have To Be A Little Crazy, and be sure to check out Barry’s blog.
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