“People used to expect companies to take care of them,” he said. “Now you’re in charge of your own destiny, for better or worse.” -From a recent article about the decline of the app-making industry as a road to riches.Read More
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I said recently that I felt frustrated with myself due to poor focus and lack of attention to “big things.” Of course, whining doesn't get us anywhere—action is much better. Complete with built-in accountability, this post outlines a few things I'm working on. It's also a public commitment to correct my shortcomings through the process of continuous improvement.
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The post on unnecessary traffic lights generated a heated debate about rules, laws, and traffic cameras. When I let go of concerns that exist for no good reason, life becomes much easier. When I focus on outcomes and define success on my own terms, I'm able to accomplish goals quicker and more effectively.
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Let's do this one more time, because it's important. Micro-entrepreneurship is changing the world. The best opportunities in the new economy are centered on creating your own assets. It doesn't matter who wins the U.S. election this fall, at least not in terms of how the economy affects you. No matter what happens, the unemployment rolls will continue to be full. Perhaps even worse, many people will remain underemployed by working at jobs that offer few benefits and little opportunities for advancement.
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I'm back on the road to meet readers of The $100 Startup! After a summer break where I hosted WDS 2012 with a great team, traveled to Yemen and Congo, and began work on an upcoming business project, I'm glad to be hanging out with readers again and talking about freedom almost every night. If you've read the book already, you might recognize the great illustrations that accompany the text. These were created by Mike Rohde, a Milwaukee-based artist.
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I'm excited to make an (early) announcement about our first business project in more than a year. This project is all about helping people improve their business—or create a successful new one—by understanding why people buy, and what they really want. If you're just getting started, you can spend a grand total of $13 and pick up a copy of The $100 Startup, which now has more than 100,000 copies in print around the world ...
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For every self-employed person, there are a lot more people who would like to be. But many of these people already have jobs, and everyone is busy. Here's an idea: if you're working a regular job and want to be on your own someday, don't wait for a career break that may never come. Instead, start the business now ... without waiting to quit or take a leave of absence. Why would you want to do this? Two good reasons: opportunity and security.
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Most people want at least one of these things:
a) more freedom
b) more money
Whether you want to quit your job as soon as possible or just establish an additional source of income to have more freedom, you have to take specific action. This post will show you how.
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I don't often discuss news articles or reblog things from elsewhere, but I loved a recent article on an independent musician who recently raised $1.2M through Kickstarter for her new album.
A couple of things struck me from this story.
Point #1: “It doesn’t feel like a windfall,” Ms. Palmer said in an interview before the party. “It feels like the accumulated reward for years and years of work.”Read More
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Greetings, friends and readers. This week I'll be in Milwaukee and Columbus, then flying over to London for the first international stop of the new tour. I hope to see many of you on the road! Dates and schedule here.
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Greetings, friends and readers. I've been on the road for 10 days, meeting people in 7 cities and counting so far.
We kicked things off in New York City with a great crowd.
The next day I rode Amtrak up to Boston for a return visit to the Harvard Coop, where I was 18 months ago for The Art of Non-Conformity tour.
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One week down, many weeks to go. I've met 700 people on the $100 Startup tour so far, and looking forward to seeing many more.
This week: Chapel Hill, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, and Denver.
And have I mentioned ... THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I'm extremely grateful.
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The book is out, and I'm on the road!
The launch party in New York was extremely fun. Last night I was in Boston at the Harvard Coop, and tonight I'm heading down to Washington, DC. We're hitting a new city almost every day for the next four weeks. Tour dates here. And by the way ... THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! It's going very well so far, and we hope to keep it going for a long time.
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Greetings from midtown Manhattan, where a large amount of coffee is about to be consumed in a corner room at the Doubletree hotel.
Today is the day.
After three years of research and writing, it's finally here.
The $100 Startup is going out to the world!
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Greetings from East 42nd Street in New York City. I'm here to begin a new journey as The $100 Startup goes out to the world tomorrow. Here are a few notes on the early beginnings. It all started back in 2009. I had established the blog and began a new way of life: writing for a living. Or mostly, writing because it was what I wanted to do more than anything else ...
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