The $100 Startup

Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

By: Chris Guillebeau

Narrated by: Chris Guillebeau, Thomas Vincent Kelly

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau tells you how to lead of life of adventure, meaning and purpose - and earn a good living.

Still in his early 30s, Chris is on the verge of completing a tour of every country on earth - he's already visited more than 175 nations - and yet he’s never held a "real job" or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.

There are many others like Chris - those who've found ways to opt out of traditional employment and create the time and income to pursue what they find meaningful. Sometimes, achieving that perfect blend of passion and income doesn't depend on shelving what you currently do. You can start small with your venture, committing little time or money, and wait to take the real plunge when you're sure it's successful.

In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and from that group he’s chosen to focus on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment.

Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your "expertise" - even if you don’t consider it such - and what other people will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid.

Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick. Among Chris’s key principles: if you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish - sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins.

In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives. And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.

©2012 Chris Guillebeau (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.” (Gretchen Rubin, author of the number-one New York Times best seller The Happiness Project)

"The $100 Startup is a twofer: It's a kick in the pants to get started on your dream and a road map for finding your way once you begin. If you're not ready to launch your own business after reading this book, you need to go back and read it again!" (Daniel H. Pink, New York Times best-selling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind)

"In this valuable guide Chris Guillebeau shows that transforming an idea into a successful business can be easier than you think…. You are in charge of which ideas deserve your time, and this book can help you wake up every morning eager to progress to the next step." (Tony Hsieh, New York Times best-selling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com)

Great Book

Whether you're ready to make the leap in starting up your own business or not this book has great tips and is a highly motivating.

4 hours workweek equivalent

If you could sum up The $100 Startup in three words, what would they be?

Uplifting. Motivating. NOW.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Michael Hanna of Mattress Lot bike delivery. From corporate career to an accidental business person. Use of low cost and green delivery method and pass saving back to their customers. I have read reviews from their customer about their excellent delivery response time and their customer service. Michael and Mary are the kind of people offering the missing piece of modern day capitalism. Think win-win, green and profit.

What does Chris Guillebeau and Thomas Vincent Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I travel a lot by driving inter-provincial. This book in audio format offers the kind of continuity (hours of material) in a single sitting that I cannot get in printed format. The stories are interestingly interlaced and yet would not be so digressed that the main points are missed. If you like 4 hours workweek by Tim Ferriss, you will love this one too.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Stop whining about your job (or lack of it). Forget being a boss. Think micro business.

Any additional comments?

People who didn't read this book don't know what they are forfeiting for the rest of their life.

A good listen for inspiration and motivation

Would you consider the audio edition of The $100 Startup to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but intend to acquire it as the audio version appears to refer to useful tables in the print version. So, no, the print version is not necessarily better than the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

That successful businesses do not require debt, lost equity, or huge sums of money and that everyone knows how to do something.

What does Chris Guillebeau and Thomas Vincent Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hearing the author read their own work removes most of the consideration of performance from the presentation, which is useful in a non-fiction work. The presentation is easier to consume.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I experienced no extreme reaction; no laughing, no crying

Any additional comments?

This is a good book that contains, many useful ideas, hints, tips, and insights. It was worth the buy and listen and served to move me forward on creating the life I want. Also, it made me aware of the risk of buying a job, which is not what I want.

Great book with lots of detail!

This is pretty much a step by step instruction guide to following your passions and have someone pay you for it. By the time I was done with the book, I had my steps laid out to start 4 different ventures. (One of the exercises even showed me which one I should start with and the order for the remaining ventures). Step #1 is the most important: TAKE ACTION!

The book did get a bit repetitive, highlighting the best of the authors 1,500 case studies several times. Surprising, considering he had over 1,500 stories to choose from and include.

All in all, a great read, filled with plenty of insight into the microenterprise world. Highly recommended for anyone looking to step away from their J.O.B., whether it's voluntarily or not.

motivating

Great examples and I really liked the personal stories. I hope to some day start my own business.

Great mind developer for starting a business.

I enjoyed this book every minute of the way . I was hooked since the beginning.

Perfect guide for my situation

Just needed that extra boost right now. This was exactly the right time for a book like this. Well done.

Gggrreeeaaat book

I may have to get this in paper back to be able to take notes. The narrator was a little dead in the voice but overall it’s so far the best book I’ve “read”. Will be listening to again to take notes etc. i actually feel like there was genuine helpful advice and suggestions rather than the typical “just do it” type of attitude a lot of other books have. It gave real world situations and then advice. Good good good read.

Must read if thinking to start a small business

The book teaches lots of inside knowledge of how and why to start small business. It outlines all the necessary steps and skills that are required to be on top of it. Highly recommend!

Great content, tough to listen to.

I'm sorry but the narrator is just so boring to listen to! This book came highly recommend. It provides such great insight, but I had to stop listening and purchased the paperback to finish it.