A Practical Way to Get Rich...and Die Trying

A Memoir About Risking It All

De: John Roa

Narrado por: John Roa

"A scathingly honest memoir of entrepreneurship's dark reality... I would advise every entrepreneur - or anyone who dreams of becoming one - to read this book." (Eric Schurenberg, CEO, Fast Company and Inc.)

A young tech entrepreneur's memoir of building his hugely successful company and the mental and physical price he paid for it

At the age of 26, John Roa was an aspiring but struggling entrepreneur. He was broke, racking up debt, and ready to give up on his dream of being self-made. In a final effort, he founded the design firm ÄKTA, which quickly became one of the fastest growing startups in America, and just five years later, he sold it for a fortune to Salesforce, the largest company in San Francisco.

This is his account of rising from a self-described below-average student to becoming a poster boy for the successful young entrepreneur, while nearly destroying himself in the process. His journey is an absurd, twisting, and often comical story of talent, luck, rapidly changing technology, larger-than-life personalities, sex, gambling, and excessive alcohol and drug consumption - which ultimately took their toll, resulting in a spectacular burnout that he almost didn’t survive. As he healed in the aftermath, he began to question the ethos that had brought him to that dark place, and over time, came to realize how common these debilitating issues are in entrepreneurship, even if they are rarely discussed openly.

Rather than another glamorous rags-to-riches saga, A Practical Way to Get Rich...and Die Trying is a cautionary and deeply honest memoir about the price of success for ambitious young people, who are so often unprepared for the adversity, mental health issues, and abuse that can come along with "making it". It also serves as the foundation for a campaign of honesty and vulnerability, in an industry that currently lacks both.

©2020 John Roa (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A Practical Way to Get Rich and Die Trying is a scathingly honest memoir of entrepreneurship’s dark reality - the crushing stress, the minuscule odds of success, the trauma of failure that is always peering over most founders' shoulders. As editor of Inc. magazine, I followed John Roa's successful rise at ÄKTA. To learn from this book what was really going on in his heart and his company at that time is powerful and sobering. I would advise every entrepreneur - or anyone who dreams of becoming one - to read this book. There’s no better way to understand how immensely challenging the entrepreneurial path really is, and what heroes the people who undertake that journey truly are." (Eric Schurenberg, CEO, Fast Company and Inc.)

"I thought I would be reading a story about a friend and successful entrepreneur. What I got instead was One of the most honest and well-articulated narratives that I've ever read on the rollercoaster that comes along with success in our modern culture. John's vulnerability and security shine through as he gives a genuine insight into his journey of success that also reflects upon the necessary resilience to persevere through tough times as a leader, and make the journey all the more rewarding. I would encourage every leader, entrepreneur and coach to read this immediately." (Sean McVay, head coach, LA Rams)

"Business memoirs are so often heroic accounts of innovation, growth, and crushing the competition that it’s gratifying to encounter a book like Roa's A Practical Way to Get Rich, which turns the standard narrative on its head by looking at the personal costs of success rather than just its benefits. Roa's deep but hilarious look at his own failures and missteps can serve as a caution and inspiration to a generation of upcoming entrepreneurs." (Mario Lopez, actor and TV host)

Great story from an unsympathetic character

This is an entertaining story as told by a stereotypical "soy boy" Millennial "tech bro." While most entrepreneurs, particularly younger ones, will find useful elements, the author comes across as a wimpy, "poor little man couldn't handle the pressures of success." I tuned out as soon as he started whining about "toxic masculinity" and finished the book strictly for entertainment value.

Felt This.

This was an amazing story!! Heard of John on a Podcast I follow and was super intrigued about his story. So glad I got the audible version to listen to him tell it. While I can't relate on the scale of his journey I can relate to the amount of personal sacrifice in a personal and career journey. Emotional, funny and honest. Great Read!

Spot on!

The is an amazing story, no detail left out. As an entrepreneur, it hits home as well as addresses the importance of mental health and self care in a very subtle way at the end. I was captivated and couldn’t stop reading/listening. I read chapters in the book and listened to other chapters while
driving.

Dive Deep

Refreshing take on the shadows of business success. Understand the message beyond the narrative. Wild stories were necessary.

I discovered John from a podcast ad and jumped into his story. After two episodes I had to read the book. Highly recommend if you are business thirsty or have been plagued by mental fatigue from your working world

Love this book so much! So raw and real

This book is finally the breath of fresh air that I have been looking for! As a startup founder, I am so sick of the world trying to create this vision of how an entrepreneur should act and feel. Literally it has been isolating and frustrating! Finally someone is really to share the mental health battle, the deep down fears, and the emotional battles. It’s exactly what I need to read instead of all of these books that glamorize entrepreneurship.

John thank you for truly taking the time to write a book that captures the REAL truths of running and business and not that “work and grind til you die motivational read!”

Insight into a world unknown

As a small business owner I’m interested in the entrepreneurs of these fast growing companies. Mr. Roa shares his story in depth. I appreciate his candor though he speaks of the ugly parts of his past with a bit of ego. This is a straight narrative from the beginning of his entrepreneurial life to the sale of his business. The biggest issue I have is that Roa isn’t a great audiobook narrator. He accents odd words and emphasizes most words. A different narrator would have been easier to follow and would have kept me a bit more invested. Overall though, I’m happy to have heard this story.

a very down to earth tale

about some meteoric and astronomical circumstances and catapults to riches. I'm glad the book wasn't filled with anecdotes and successtories quotes, but I would have liked to have heard more about the doubts and times that weren't great. I appreciate the highlight that stress can have on someone in their life and what pursuing the Almighty dollar can do to somebody.. thanks for telling the story.

If you are an entrepreneur...

If you are an entrepreneur stop reading this and buy the book. As one myself I wish I had read this book in the first year of starting my company. John Roa unveils the ugly truth of entrepreneurship while providing you practical advice on how to handle major key decisions and the mental weight of entrepreneurship. It’s not all butterflies and roses. I’m not saying this book will suddenly turn you into a amazing CEO, what I am saying is this book provides a lot of life experience of someone who has been there and was able to exit with millions. He shares his insights on how he made decisions and the weight of those decisions had on his mental state. The nuggets of gold in this book are more like diamonds. 10 out of 10 recommend.

Use caution with my review...

...because I held out as long as I could giving this book a chance. Ultimately unable to make it through the first quarter of this book.

Gave this book a chance

Nothing great or unusual here. Just another 'poor' me from a rich kid who never really had to work for it.