Table of Contents
Fundamentals are fundamentals. Whether youre an entrepreneur or an executive at a Fortune 50 company, this book will help you succeed.
John Mang, Vice President of Japan Fabric & Home Care, Procter & Gamble
This book goes far beyond business: I used the marketing, sales, and communication principles in this book to complete my PhD and land a highly competitive postdoc and professorship at a world-class research university. Whatever you do for a living, this book will help you do it even better.
Dr. Zachary Gagnon, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
If youre thinking of starting a business, this book will radically increase your confidence. If youre already running a business, this book will help you identify weaknesses in your systems to get better results. If youre thinking about plunging yourself into debt to get an MBA, this book will challenge you to your core. Are you more interested in becoming a better businessperson, or having a document to hang on your wall to impress people?
Daniel Joshua Rubin, Playwright and Portrait Artist
I graduated with an MBA in 2005 before I encountered The Personal MBA, but I still felt like I didnt know anything about business. In retrospect, I wish I had read this book before enrolling in an MBA programit wouldve helped me be more mindful while completing my degree. Who knows... I might have skipped the MBA completely. This is easily the best foundational business book available.
Roger Hui, Technical Account Manager, RedHat, Inc.
I used the mental models in this book to create a profitable business in less than four weeks. Josh quickly dispels many mistaken beliefs about entrepreneurship, and his guidance has made me vastly more productive and successful, and my life more fulfilling.
Evan Deaubl, President and CEO, Tic Tac Code LLC
These concepts really work: Im booked solid with clients, making eight times more money, feeling far less overwhelmed, and having a lot more fun. If you want to live up to our potential, you cant afford to miss this book.
Tim Grahl, Founder and CEO, Out:Think Group
After one hour with Josh, I immediately used his advice to bring in an extra $120,000 this year. These simple principles are astoundingly effective.
Dan Portnoy, Founder and CEO, Portnoy Media Group
PORTFOLIO / PENGUIN
Published by the Penguin Group
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First published in 2010 by Portfolio / Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Copyright Worldly Wisdom Ventures LLC, 2010 All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kaufman, Josh.
The personal MBA : a world-class business education in a single volume / Josh Kaufman. p. cm.
Includes index.
eISBN: 9781101455722
1. Management. 2. ManagementStudy and teaching. 3. Business.
4. Commerce. I. Title.
HD31.K343 2010
650dc22 2010027919
Set in Adobe Caslon Pro
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To the millions of business professionals worldwide who work to make peoples lives better, in ways large and small.
WHY READ THIS BOOK?
Just what the world needs... another business book!
U.S. CUSTOMS AGENT AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AFTER ASKING ABOUT MY OCCUPATION
Lifes tough. Its tougher if youre stupid.
JOHN WAYNE, WESTERN FILM ICON
S ince youre reading this book, chances are you want to make something Since youre reading this book, chances are you want to make something important happen: start a business, get a promotion, or create something new in the world. Its also likely that a few things are holding you back from achieving your dream:
Business Angst .The feeling that you dont know much about business and therefore could never start your own company or take more responsibility in your current position. Better to maintain the status quo than face the fear of the unknown.
Certification Intimidation .The idea that business is really complicated and is a subject best left to highly trained experts. If you dont have an MBA or similar expensive credentials, who are you to say you know what to do?
Impostor Syndrome .The fear that youre already in over your head and its only a matter of time before youre unmasked as a total fraud. No one likes a phony, right?
Heres the good news: everyone has these unfounded fears, and they can be eliminated quickly. All you need to do is learn a few simple concepts that will change the way you think about how business works. Once youve conquered your fears, you can accomplish anything.
If youre an entrepreneur, designer, student, programmer, or professional who wants to master the fundamentals of sound business practice, this book is for you. No matter who you are or what youre trying to do, youre about to discover a useful new way of looking at business that will help you spend less time fighting your fears and more time doing things that make a difference.
You Dont Need to Know It All
As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON, ESSAYIST AND POET
O ne of the beautiful things about learning any subject is the fact that you dont need to know everything you only need to understand a few critically important concepts that provide most of the value. Once you have a solid scaffold of core principles to work from, building upon your knowledge and making progress becomes much easier.
