Scale Your Ideas 10X Faster
Exponential Organizations: New Organizations Are Ten Times Better, Faster, and Cheaper Than Yours (and What to Do About It)
by Salim Ismail, Michael S. Malone, Yuri van Geest
Business
TL;DR
This book spills the tea on how to build a company that scales like crazy without actually owning a ton of stuff. It's all about having a Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP) that gets everyone hyped, then leveraging external resources like freelancers and the crowd instead of hiring a million full-timers. You gotta be data-obsessed, constantly experimenting with new ideas, and giving your teams autonomy to make decisions. Basically, stop hoarding assets and start orchestrating networks to achieve insane growth. It's about being a conductor, not a factory owner.
Action Items
Grab a beer, sit down, and ask yourself: If my company was a superhero, what world-changing problem would it solve? Write down the most audacious, inspiring answer you can think of.
Look at one recurring task or asset your business uses. Can you outsource it or rent it instead of owning/employing it full-time? Find one thing you can "milk" instead of "owning the cow."
Pick one small idea you've been thinking about for your business or project. Design a super quick, cheap way to test if it has any merit. Do it today, even if it's just asking 5 people for feedback.
Identify one key metric for your current project or task. Find a simple way to track it (even a spreadsheet) and commit to checking it daily for a week.
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Key Chapter
Chapter - The Power of a Massive Transformative Purpose
Okay, so imagine your company is a band. Most bands just wanna play gigs and make some cash, right? That's cool, but an ExO band? They're not just playing gigs; they're trying to change the entire music industry with a new sound or a revolutionary way to connect with fans. That's your Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP). It's not just a mission statement; it's the big, audacious 'why' that makes everyone, from your interns to your CEO, jump out of bed. It's the North Star that keeps you from getting bogged down in boring daily tasks and instead pushes you to think bigger, move faster, and actually make a dent in the universe. Without it, you're just another cover band.
Key Methods and Approaches
Your Company's North Star
(AKA: Massive Transformative Purpose)
Description:
Figure out one huge, inspiring goal that makes everyone wanna join your cult... I mean, company.
Explanation:
Look, most companies have a mission statement that sounds like it was written by a robot in a beige cubicle. "Maximize shareholder value"? Yawn. An MTP is like the ultimate party theme for your business. It's not "make money"; it's "end global hunger" or "make space travel accessible to everyone." It's so big and bold that it attracts talent and customers like flies to honey, because who doesn't want to be part of something epic? It's the reason people will work their asses off for you, even when things get tough.
Examples:
Netflix: Entertain the world. (Not just "rent DVDs.")
Google: Organize the world's information. (Not just "build a search engine.")
Tesla: Accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. (Not just "sell electric cars.")
Today's Action:
Grab a beer, sit down, and ask yourself: If my company was a superhero, what world-changing problem would it solve? Write down the most audacious, inspiring answer you can think of.
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