The Minimalist Entrepreneur

How Great Founders Do More with Less

By: Sahil Lavingia

Narrated by: Sahil Lavingia

Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

“Pay attention.” (Jason Fried)

A revolutionary road map for building start-ups that go the distance.

Now more than ever, you don’t need a fancy office, Ivy League degree, or millions of dollars in venture capital to launch a business that matters for the communities you care most about. Software, the internet, and remote work have made it possible for entrepreneurs to start for free, make a customer of anyone, and grow a profitable, sustainable company from anywhere.

Packed with hard-won, battle-tested lessons from Lavingia’s own journey of building Gumroad, a platform for creators to sell their work, The Minimalist Entrepreneur teaches founders how to:

• Start then learn
• Build a community, then solve a problem for them
• Charge for something even before you’ve built anything
• Avoid running out of money and, more importantly, energy
• Run a tight ship amid the rise of the gig economy and remote work
• Own a business without it owning you back

The Minimalist Entrepreneur is the manifesto for a new generation of founders who would rather build great companies than big ones. This is essential knowledge for every founder aspiring to build a business worth building.

©2021 Sahil Lavingia (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Sahil Lavingia's book changed the way I think about my life and my business, and opened my mind to possibilities for a different--and better--model for successful entrepreneurship. A brilliant, fascinating read." (John Green, cofounder of Complexly and author of The Fault in Our Stars and The Anthropocene Reviewed)

"Sahil knows not. He knows what not to do, what not to follow, how not to waste, and how not to get caught up in the hype. What's left is the yes - the stuff that really works, the things that actually matter. It's all in this book, and much of it only in this book. Pay attention." (Jason Fried, cofounder of Basecamp and coauthor of Rework)

"A must-read for any potential founder. Brilliant insights into starting something simply and sensibly. Best guide to the new world of starting from anywhere." (Derek Sivers, founder of CDBaby and author of Anything You Want)

Excellent resource and fuel for thoughts

I really enjoy the examples shared by other companies about their failures and what they had to do to become successful.

Great insight, perspective

Released me from the burden of having to build too large too soon and to focus on a solid foundation and meaningful future!!

Simple and good

This one is a quick but effective look into starting a low-cost, MVP-style business. On audio, it clocks in at just over four hours. To be honest, I kind of found that refreshing. It cuts out a lot of the fluff and just gets right into the meat of things.

I also loved the fact that it’s written by an entrepreneur who has really "done it" before. You know it’s legit since Lavingia has been in the trenches himself — and actually built a really solid business on top of this book's principles.

Sure, it’s simple at times, but I don’t think that’s actually a detractor here. Especially not in a short book that gives you what you need, then leaves you to it. Definitely worth picking up.

-Brian Sachetta
Author of “Get Out of Your Head”

Exceptional subject matter for any individual

One of the most meaningful books I have ever read. Reveals important life lessons regardless of profession or status in society. Excellent delivery of profound ideas.

One of the best book I read on entrepreneurship

All the essentials you need to run a start up


Very easy to read absolutely worth it

Amazing

I’m not joking when I say this book changed my life for the better. If you’re an entrepreneur, give this a listen!!

Great book on startups

Great book on startups! If you liked Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares's "Traction", you'll like The Minimalist Entrepreneur. Has a similar vibe.

A Story of America

I love the message that you don't have to be huge to be a huge success. That's certainly my story and not one I'm ashamed of. Nice to see it in print. Lots of reasonable suggestions but it's a little bit too much one size fits all. Seems geared more to web based or software business than say manufacturing, but still a lot applies. I personally liked Jarvis' Company of One a little more and suggest it for those that aren't doing online/ software businesses. I would love to have lunch with Sahil one of these days... I think it would be an interesting conversation.

Great advice for a small start up!

highly recommend.
Enjoyable listen.

Sound advice.

Wayyyyy Better than the majority of other ramblings about starting a business. Sahil was the author and reader, and was easy to listen to. He didn't add a bunch of useless filler.

5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

A Different Way of Doing And Starting A Startup

Although there are some things that I might have known, this book gives a different perspective of one can go about starting their business and being ok with it not being the *runaway hit Wonder Kid* of A Unicorn.
It really gave me some different ways of doing different aspects of a Starting a Business and I loved it.
It shows that Minimalism can lead to big things eventually.
But mostly emphasizes the need to learn to be patient, to be Steady, to be Consistent and believe in our Story.
The Author's persistence himself is commended because who knew that Gumroad would become more known and Bigger due to the Pandemic and the current state of Work - where his vision is doing exactly what it was meant to.
As a user of the Platform myself, I have to say that persistence and having that *Why?* for why we do the business we do is what will carry one forward. Doing it in a Minimal way is the way to go while aiming for the BIG way or growth. Great book! Listened to the Book fast and wanna make it one I reference hence buying the Physical book too!