Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel KahnemanYour quick, intuitive judgments are often wrong in predictable ways. Slow down for decisions that matter, and check the outside view.
Applied in: The Dossier Method →■ · About
The Bookshelf
The books behind the ideas in this manual. Each one has a one-line takeaway in our own words and a link to the page where we put it to work.
These are summaries of ideas, not substitutes for the books. If one of these takeaways helps, read the original. The authors explain their ideas far better and in far more depth than a one-line summary can.
30 books · 7 topics
Decisions and thinking
Decisive
Chip Heath & Dan HeathWiden your options, test your assumptions, get distance before deciding, and prepare to be wrong with tripwires.
Applied in: Tough Calls →Thinking in Bets
Annie DukeA good decision can have a bad outcome. Judge your reasoning, not just your results.
Applied in: The Decision Quality Grid →The Checklist Manifesto
Atul GawandeExperts still skip steps under pressure. Simple checklists prevent the most common failures.
Applied in: Tight Ship →Strategy and growth
Traction
Gino WickmanRun a small company on a simple system: a clear vision, a few quarterly priorities, a weekly scorecard and a weekly meeting.
Applied in: The One-Page Plan →Good to Great
Jim CollinsGet the right people first, face the hard facts honestly, and focus on what you can be best at and what pays.
Applied in: Where You Compete →Scaling Up
Verne HarnishGrowth needs the right people, a clear strategy, disciplined execution and enough cash, all at once.
Applied in: Grow Without Breaking →Blue Ocean Strategy
W. Chan Kim & Renée MauborgneInstead of beating competitors at the same game, change what customers compare by eliminating, reducing, raising and creating.
Applied in: Where You Compete →Positioning
Al Ries & Jack TroutThe battle happens in the customer's mind. A clear, simple, specific position beats a broad one.
Applied in: Where You Compete →Built to Sell
John WarrillowA business that runs without its owner, sells a standard product and has recurring revenue is worth far more.
Applied in: Worth Selling →Customers and sales
$100M Offers
Alex HormoziMake offers more valuable by raising the result and the customer's confidence, and cutting the time and effort it takes.
Applied in: Your Offer →Building a StoryBrand
Donald MillerThe customer is the hero of the story. Your business is the guide with a plan.
Applied in: Your Offer →SPIN Selling
Neil RackhamIn larger sales, asking about the buyer's problems and their cost beats pitching your product.
Applied in: A Simple Sales Process →The Mom Test
Rob FitzpatrickPeople will be polite about your idea. Ask about what they actually did in the past, not what they think they'd do.
Applied in: A Simple Sales Process →Setting the Table
Danny MeyerService is doing the work right. Hospitality is how people feel while you do it. Clients stay for the second.
Applied in: Keep Your Clients →Money
Profit First
Mike MichalowiczTake profit first and run the business on what's left, using separate accounts so the money is protected.
Applied in: Profit First →Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs
Karen Berman & Joe KnightOwners don't need to be accountants, but they need to understand what the three statements say and where the numbers come from.
Applied in: Cash Flow →Operations
The E-Myth Revisited
Michael GerberWork on your business, not just in it. Build it as if you'd copy it, with every important task documented.
Applied in: Systems & Procedures →The Goal
Eliyahu GoldrattA process is only as fast as its slowest step. Find the bottleneck and fix it before anything else.
Applied in: Systems & Procedures →The Effective Executive
Peter DruckerKnow where your time goes, focus on your contribution, and do first things first.
Applied in: The Owner's Time →Extreme Ownership
Jocko Willink & Leif BabinThe leader owns everything in their world, including the failures. No excuses, no blaming.
Applied in: Tight Ship →People and leadership
High Output Management
Andy GroveA manager's output is the output of their team. One-on-ones, meetings and training are the manager's main tools.
Applied in: Meetings & Reviews →Who
Geoff Smart & Randy StreetStart every hire with a scorecard of outcomes, then use structured interviews and real reference checks.
Applied in: Hiring Like a Detective →The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Patrick LencioniTeams fail in layers: no trust, fear of conflict, weak commitment, avoided accountability, ignored results.
Applied in: Team, Trust & Culture →Radical Candor
Kim ScottGood feedback means caring personally and challenging directly, at the same time.
Applied in: Team, Trust & Culture →The Fearless Organization
Amy EdmondsonTeams learn and perform better when people feel safe to speak up, ask questions and admit mistakes.
Applied in: Team, Trust & Culture →Getting to Yes
Roger Fisher & William UryFocus on interests, not positions, and know your best alternative before you negotiate.
Applied in: Negotiation →Never Split the Difference
Chris VossPeople agree more readily when they feel understood. Label emotions and ask calibrated questions.
Applied in: Negotiation →Hard times
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Ben HorowitzThere's no recipe for the hardest moments. Face them directly, tell people the truth and keep moving.
Applied in: Crisis Mode →The Lean Startup
Eric RiesTest ideas small, measure what happens and be ready to pivot when the evidence says so.
Applied in: Pivot to Survive →How to read a business book like an owner
- Read for one idea, not every idea. Finish each book with the single change you'll actually make.
- Test it before you adopt it. Every author's advice comes from their own context. Treat it as a theory and try it small.
- Write it as a commitment. Turn the idea into "I will… by…" in your next consulting engagement.