Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 Book Summary - Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 Book explained in key points
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Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 summary

Jim Collins and Bill Lazier

Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company

4.5 (140 ratings)
24 mins

Brief summary

Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 by Jim Collins and Bill Lazier is a business book that provides a roadmap for entrepreneurs looking to take their companies to the next level. It offers practical advice on how to build a sustainable business and create a culture of excellence.

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    Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0
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    Great business ideas don’t happen without great people.

    It’s hard to imagine now, but Apple wasn’t always the tech market leader. In 1997, when the company was floundering, its former co-founder Steve Jobs returned, ushering in the era of the iPod and iPhone. Surprisingly, Jobs’s strategy for reversing Apple’s fortunes wasn’t product-focused. It was people-focused.

    Think of it this way: starting a new enterprise is like buying a bus. Your first impulse might be to decide your destination. But really, the first thing you should decide is who’s going to fill the seats.

    Whether you’re a newly-fledged start-up or an established enterprise, you should always be asking: Are the right people on the bus?

    The key message here is: Great business ideas don’t happen without great people.

    Businesses measure their success by metrics, like sales, cash flow, and customer service. But the most important metric should be your people. Specifically, how many of your key roles – that is, roles which come with decision-making power – are filled with the right people? Ideally, the answer to this should be 100 percent.

    So, how do you hit that target? You can either develop, by skilling people up to suit their roles, or you can replace, by finding better candidates. Development is generally preferable, but there are times when replacement is the best option. If keeping someone in their role is costing you other employees, it’s probably best to replace them. The same is true when your staff consistently can’t work with or under someone.

    When someone sees their role as a job rather than a set of responsibilities, that’s also a good reason to replace them. After all, it’s a teacher’s “job” to stand in the classroom from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but simply standing around doesn’t fulfill the teacher’s responsibilities. And things are no different in the world of business.

    Replacement doesn’t need to be negative. In a dynamic company, both roles and employees are constantly evolving. If someone has outgrown their role, or the role has outgrown them, it’s time to replace or reassign them.

    Once your key roles are filled with the right people, switch your focus to retaining this talent, by creating a company culture where employees are given autonomy, responsibility, and recognition.

    When the right people are on your bus, it doesn’t matter where you’re going. You’re already halfway there.

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    What is Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 about?

    Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 (2020) updates Jim Collins and Bill Lazier’s essential 1992 business handbook, Beyond Entrepreneurship for the entrepreneurs, visionaries, and innovators of today. This new edition combines the timeless business advice and strategy of the original text, supplemented with cutting-edge insights and case studies pertinent to today’s business world.

    Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 Review

    Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 (2021) is a thought-provoking book that offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • Packed with practical strategies and actionable advice, it provides readers with a roadmap for building successful organizations.
    • Backed by extensive research and case studies, it offers tangible examples of companies that have thrived by embracing entrepreneurial thinking.
    • The book delves into the emotional and psychological aspects of entrepreneurship, shedding light on the personal journey and mindset required for success.

    Who should read Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0?

    • Office drones who want to break out of their nine-to-five
    • Fledgling start-up founders wondering where to, well, start
    • Successful entrepreneurs looking to scale up to the big time

    About the Author

    Bill Lazier was professor of business at Stanford and a path-breaking entrepreneur. He was also mentor to Jim Collins, now a sought-after consultant and best-selling author of leadership books, including Good to Great and Built to Last. Together, Collins and Lazier authored Beyond Entrepreneurship. Lazier passed away in 2005; Collins has now revised and updated this classic business text for today’s entrepreneur.

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    Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 FAQs 

    What is the main message of Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0?

    Embrace change, build a visionary company, and practice disciplined growth with Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0.

    How long does it take to read Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0?

    Reading time for Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 varies. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 is worth reading for its insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and strategic growth.

    Who is the author of Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0?

    The author of Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 is Jim Collins and Bill Lazier.

    What to read after Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0?

    If you're wondering what to read next after Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins
    • Making Work Human by Eric Mosley and Derek Irvine
    • Great by Choice by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
    • Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
    • The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett
    • The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
    • The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
    • How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman
    • Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker
    • Think Again by Adam Grant