Summary: How to Succeed in Business by Breaking All the Rules

Book excerpt: The must-read summary of Dan S. Kennedy's book: "How to Succeed in Business by Breaking all the Rules: A Plan for Entrepreneurs". This complete summary of the ideas from Dan S. Kennedy's book "How to Succeed in Business by Breaking all the Rules" points out that most business books give “rules for success”. However, the research suggests that in fact, people should do the opposite: you can actually achieve more by ignoring conventional wisdom than you’ll ever achieve simply by following the masses. Eschewing these conventional wisdoms takes bravery, arrogance, and an understanding that you alone are responsible for your own destiny, but the rewards can exceed your greatest expectations. This summary highlights some myths propagated by business books and demonstrates their flaws. Positive thinking, for example, isn’t the cure-all many believe it to be, especially if it breeds blind optimism and stops people from doing their research. Creativity should be valued, but it’s important to realise that you need to make money – sometimes it’s best to base your ideas on ones in the past. Even the most inventive films, such as Star Wars, are founded on old ideas (in this case, Westerns). Prevailing wisdom says that winners never quit, but actually, winners know when to jettison things that aren’t working. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand the key concepts • Increase your business knowledge To learn more, read "How to Succeed in Business by Breaking all the Rules" and start thinking for yourself!