Book Review - The $100 Startup

The $100 Startup is the first physical book that I've actually finished in years, which is very high praise that I give to Chris Guillebeau and also a back handed insult that I give to myself.

The $100 Startup is a book for someone who likes listening to underdog stories or for an underdog who wants to create their own success story but isn't sure how to start. It has a step by step formula that it wishes to teach and despite a broad concept, the steps it lists feel very specific.

When reading, I constantly question the value of my time spent reading, hence the extremely low number of books that I have actually completed. The $100 Startup, provides valuable lessons in a clear list and an anecdotal fashion. One Saturday night I stayed up until 2:30am reading it before bed. I fell asleep with the book beside me. When I woke up it was 11:30am. I picked the book up and continued where I left off.

I am a novice in the world of business and that makes me The $100 Startup's target audience. I wouldn't recommend this book to a more seasoned business person the information contained might seem obvious or not specific enough.

The book seems to hit these elements in this priority.

1) Communicating that anyone can start a business from a salable passion.

2) Reinforcing the possibility that you can do this too. Motivating you to do it too.

3) Here are the steps and tips on how you can do it.

4) Visit my website for more product.

The lesson of, to maximize profit, you should sell to your customers more than once, is explained in the book but feeling it subtly being done to me was slightly uncomfortable. Never the less I continued the book and finished it satisfactorily.

Actually when I bought this book from The Book Depository I accidentally bought two copies. I was a bit "..oh geez" at first because I thought that this was a book that couldn't even easily be gifted, but having read it, I thoroughly recommend this to anyone wanting to change their life monetarily or not.


4.5/5 - Great read for a wanna be small time entrepreneur.
 -0.5 points as The $100 Startup seems to promote building a job for yourself as opposed to a business. I want my business to be a stepping stone to my freedom. This book doesn't teach me how to do that, but it does teach me how to start.