If you want to give yourself a personal MBA (in 6 months), read these books:
Hi, I’m Ben.
I received an MBA from Cornell.
I’ve also read 300+ business books.
Trust me: You can get 90% of the knowledge from reading books
(and without spending $150k).
So, I put together a 6-month personal MBA for you...
The 6-month curriculum is 12 books
(you’ll read 2 books every month).
Subjects:
Strategy
Entrepreneurship
Accounting/Finance
Personal Finance
Marketing
Operations
Systems Thinking
Public Speaking
Negotiation
Networking
Leadership
Productivity/Effectiveness
Here we go...
Zero to One
by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Subject: Strategy
Lessons:
• Escape competition
• Contrarian approaches create value
• Go from “0 to 1,” not “from 1 to n”
The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries
Subject: Entrepreneurship
Lessons:
• Build minimum viable products
• When in doubt, simplify
• Win by getting feedback + learning fast
Financial Intelligence
by Karen Berman, Joe Knight, John Case
Subject: Accounting/Finance
Lessons:
• Learn to read financial statements
(Income, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow)
• Fund projects based on expected ROI
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
by Ramit Sethi
Subject: Personal Finance
Lessons:
• Get clear about your ‘Rich Life’
• Save and invest money before you ever see it
• Create an automated money system
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
by Al Ries
Subject: Marketing
Lessons:
• Perception is reality
• Own a word/category to boost brand
• Follow the 22 law checklist
The Goal
by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Subject: Operations
Lessons:
• Identify and exploit bottlenecks
• Increase net profit + increase ROI + increase cash flow
Thinking in Systems
by Donella Meadows
Subject: Systems Thinking
Lessons:
• To change any system, focus on 12 points of leverage
• Purposes are deduced from behavior, not words
• Create feedback loops
Steal the Show
by Michael Port
Subject: Public Speaking
Lessons:
• Cut out filler words by practicing material
• Use pauses for impact
• Act “as if” to build confidence
Never Split the Difference
by Chris Voss
Subject: Negotiation
Lessons:
• Prepare your best-alternative-option in advance
• Let your counterpart make the first offer
• Be prepared for extremes
• Ask open-ended questions
How to Be a Power Connector
by Judy Robinett
Subject: Networking
Lessons:
• Your network is your net worth
• Choose your environment wisely (find power centers)
• Build depth and diversity in your network
• Follow the 5+50+100 Rule
Teams of Teams
by General Stanley A. McChrystal
Subject: Leadership
Lessons:
• The world is complex and chaotic
• Resiliency and adaptability are crucial to success
• Leaders create more leaders, not followers
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
by Eric Jorgenson
Subject: Productivity and Effectiveness
Lessons:
• Money and happiness are skills
• Productize yourself
• A good reputation is invaluable
• Play long-term iterated games, compound your growth
• And much, much more...
That was a 6-month personal MBA.
All it takes to complete? Read 30 mins/day.
If you enjoyed this thread, please RT the first tweet and follow me @SystemSunday
This account exists to help you:
• Learn systems + mental models
• Become your best self
Cheers,
Ben
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