I finally got around to reading Tim Ferris’ 4-Hour Work Week over the holidays. Considered a classic in lifestyle design, it’s a must-read for small business owners. Some of the ideas may seem difficult or even impossible to implement, but a lot of what Ferris says is fruit for the entrepreneur’s mind.
Ferris’ ideas revolve around automation, delegation, and minimization. From recommending an Indian virtual assistant, to batching communication, and culling your client list to maintain only those who cause the least headaches, Ferris has many insights on how to go from being a business operator, to being a business owner (read: not a employee of your own company). I can’t say I’m planning on trying everything, but his way of pointing out inefficiencies we business owners are guilty of is thought provoking.
The book is easy to read. Still, I couldn’t quite get myself to like the author. His tone is somewhere in Mike Zuckerberg’s neighborhood in The Social Network. I found myself actively disliking him at times. According to Ferris (in an interview), he writes primarily for a male audience. I can’t say this was a surprise. 4-Hour Work Weekspeaks with a male, and somewhat entitled audience in mind.
Love the tone or don’t, the ideas are important. In my opinion, Ferris deserves his place in the company of Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) and Tony Robbins.
As a sidebar, I was pleasantly surprised when I listened one of Ferris’ recent podcasts. He’s far more likable on audio than in writing. Then again, it’s possible that in the years between 4-Hour Work Week and the podcast, something changed.
Either way, for entrepreneurs and small business people, 4-Hour Work Week is a must-read.
If you’re looking to feed your business some good ideas in 2017, this is a great place to start.
You can check out the podcast here
