$100 Startup Chapter 3
Let’s get down to business. Here I am, continuing on with my review of $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau. I have to be honest. Because that is what’s awesome about me. And it’s what you have come to expect and love.
I have mixed feelings about Chapter 3 of $100 Startup. It wasn’t my favorite section thus far. But that’s not to say I found nothing of value at all. You should totally still buy $100 Startup and you’ll never hear me say otherwise. Here is my brief summary, both pros cons.
1. Chapter 3 of $100 Startup was much shorter than the intro as well as each of the first two chapters — my personal notes for this chapter took up less than one page. It almost felt like filler material. But I have read past this chapter, so I know $100 Startup gets back on track and moves ahead. Besides, Chris Guillebeau’s writing style is such that I can read the same thing multiple times and still enjoy it.
2. The material in Chapter 3 of $100 Startup was somewhat repetitive:
“Pick something you love
that is interesting to the rest of the world,
and build a business around it.”
~~~x~~~
“In addition to passion,
you must develop a skill
that provides a solution to a problem.
Only when passion merges with a skill
that other people value
can you truly follow your passion to the bank.”
However, I can see somewhat why this message bears repeating. It serves as the “cover your ass” portion of the book. As in…
“Look folks, I tried to tell you, multiple times, that just because you like dropping the F-bomb passionately, that doesn’t mean you can expect to get paid for it. So don’t come crying to me if you quit your day job, follow your passion, and end up homeless because you found out too late that nobody wants to pay a dime for your fancy-pants cursing abilities.”
Well played, Chris Guillebeau. I see what you did there. Nicely done.
3. I did like how Chris Guillebeau keeps building on the simple equation presented toward the beginning of $100 Startup. At first we see it as such:
Passion / Skill + Usefulness = Profit
—OR—
Freedom + Value = Success
These two equations are actually the same, and combine to form a statement obvious only in retrospect.
Passion / Skill (which, when pursued, represent Freedom)
+
Usefulness (which means providing Value to others)
=
Profit (which is Success)
With the material in this chapter, short as it was, the equation has been expanded significantly.
[[[ Passion AND Skill (Freedom) ]]]
+
[[[ Usefulness via solution to a problem in the marketplace (Value) ]]]
=
[[[ Opportunity for Profit (Success) ]]]
4. I didn’t realize until Chapter 3 that $100 Startup has its own awesome website, which you should DEFINITELY check out if for no other reason than to get a quick summary of the book via the trailer. Oh hellz, I’ll just go ahead and include the trailer here because I know you are too lazy to click over. But you really should. Just sayin’.
Speaking of which… how cool is it that books now have their own trailers? I totally want one for *MY* book when I finally get around to publishing it. Think I can hire a zombie on retainer? Maybe I haven’t reached that chapter yet… I’ll have to skip ahead. Ah, there it is — $100 Startup Chapter DoesNotExist. Bugger.
5. Throughout $100 Startup are helpful charts and customizable forms and templates. Even better? If you visit the aforementioned website, you can print your own hard copies from which to work or take notes. The prompts are simple questions, yet answers will require entrepreneurs to really be in touch with what they are trying to sell.
I might have to rethink my F-bomb strategy, having read through the first questionnaire. I didn’t see any provisions for well-slung “douche-nuggets”. *DAMN*