People Over Profit Book Summary - People Over Profit Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

People Over Profit summary

Name: People Over Profit
Rating: 4.5 (31 reviews)
Author: Dale Partridge

Dale Partridge

Break The System, Live With Purpose, Be More Successful

4.5 (31 ratings)

17 mins

Table of Contents

People Over Profit
summarized in 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Be like Google and “don’t be evil.”

Take a few seconds and try to think of some companies you really hate, ones that – you think – make the world a worse place.

How many did you think of? Probably quite a few; there are probably some fast food companies in there, maybe a few energy providers and definitely a few cellphone contractors!

Truth be told, many companies seem to drift toward the “dark side,” becoming disliked by customers for various reasons, be it the quality of their products, their dreadful customer service or their policies toward the environment and the developing world.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! These blinks show you why companies seem to turn “bad” and how they can avoid doing so. In fact, no company needs to get on our bad side – they just need to know what to do to remain our friends.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

why McDonald's lost their reputation for serving quality products;
how Toyota reacted to its cars having a lethal malfunction; and
why giving things away for free can lead to greater success.

Corporations aren’t inherently good or evil, they just go through different phases.

From banking to food, fashion to advertising, there’s no shortage of examples of how ugly, greedy and ruthless capitalism can become. Most of us just accept it as part of doing business. But did you ever really think about why companies go bad?

Of course, the story of corporations sacrificing their integrity for profit is as old as capitalism itself; very few corporations manage to maintain a clean reputation for their entire lifespan. The reality is that no company has ever been born either good or evil and stayed that way forever. Rather, most companies get caught up in an endless cycle.

So what does this cycle look like? Most companies move through predictable, successive stages of honesty, then efficiency, then deception and, ultimately, redemption – that is, if the business is fortunate enough to last that long.

In fact, many “bad companies” were actually industry leaders in their early days, but then lost sight of their clients’ interests somewhere along the way. A perfect example of this phenomenon is McDonald’s. Founded in 1950, the company’s motto was (believe it or not) “Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value.”

Yes, quality stood at the core of the company’s priorities, and it even drove the immediate success of the brand. Yet today, McDonald’s fights scandal after scandal, regularly sued by customers who blame hamburgers and French fries for their excessive weight.

What happened? Well, somewhere along the way, the company moved into the efficiency section of the cycle and pushed quality and service into the background.

Even so, most good companies are either still in their early stages and haven’t become twisted yet, or are old horses attempting to redeem a tattered public image.

Looking at things this way, we can see that McDonald’s might not be dead and buried just yet. It could yet turn its image around and revert to its once-forgotten focus on quality. In the following blinks, we’ll investigate the phases that companies go through more closely, starting with their virtuous beginnings.

Companies begin their cycle by being honest and efficient.

Since companies indeed go through cycles, it means that no company starts out inherently bad – not even the corporation you hate most in the world. In fact, corporations begin their life cycle in a first stage called the honest era.

Think of it this way: a newborn company is just like a baby – young, innocent and also quite weak. To survive its first years, the company can’t afford to play dirty; it has to convince its employees that the business is worth their efforts, and convince its consumers to give up their time and money.

Companies eventually become deceptive, and then try to apologize for it.

Keeping your company steady during the efficient era is all well and good, but, as time goes by, it becomes all to tempting to drift over to the dark side. This is exactly what happens when a company enters the deceptive era.

This is typically when companies decide to relocate production to developing countries (turning to child labor if necessary), implement misleading advertising campaigns, employ deceptive tactics, offer exorbitant salaries to executives and so on.

Honest businesses don’t mess with their customers, or the truth.

The good news is there’s a way to remain in the honest era. How? Well, the companies who do manage to stay honest share seven core beliefs. The next blinks will break each of them down one by one.

First off, people count. As obvious as it may seem, companies are made of people, not parts; these people are valuable and deserve to be treated with respect. To remain in the honest era, companies must treat three kinds of stakeholders right.

To stay honest, be transparent, authentic and generous.

Another important step toward keeping your business honest is, unsurprisingly, becoming more transparent. Sure, transparency can be tough, but you’ll be doing yourself a favor! Why? Because transparency is an act of liberation.

Opting for full transparency is freeing. You can reinvest the time you’d otherwise spend concocting schemes and hiding secrets into optimizing your business. And consumers also are set free; they can engage with the company without speculating about its honesty, or lack thereof.

Quality will forge a connection with customers, and courage will push you forward.

There are two core values that every honest company needs, and the first one is a commitment to high quality. If you can achieve this, you’ll have a competitive edge, because quality speaks for itself.

When you make high-quality products, it’s clear that your company values its customers. And quality also builds credibility. A well-designed website, the packaging of products or the choice of paper for a business card may all seem trivial, but each one contributes to the image that customers have of an organization. Customers are likely to think to themselves, “If they care that much about such details, I can trust that they’ll care about me as a client.”

Go from consumer to company founder and create the change you want to see.

Now that we know how to do good, where do we begin? Start by acknowledging that the most powerful people are customers – and this means you are powerful. To break the cycle of good companies becoming bad, we have to learn to behave as consumers.

Think of your last trip to the grocery store. Did you pay attention to the origins of goods? What about sustainable packaging? If your eyes were only focused on the price tags, it’s time to make a change.

Want to see all full key ideas from People Over Profit?

Key ideas in People Over Profit

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is People Over Profit about?

People Over Profit (2015) is your guide to capitalism, past, present and future. These blinks explain what really creates evil companies, and the principles that’ll guide you to create and grow a business with integrity.

Who should read People Over Profit?

Entrepreneurs hoping to shift their business activity onto a more ethical path
Consumers who intend to make their opinions count in the marketplace
Anyone eager to learn more about socially responsible business practices

About the Author

Dale Partridge is an expert on branding, consumer psychology and business trends. He is also a social entrepreneur, founder of Sevenly.org and StartupCamp.com.

Categories with People Over Profit

Communication Skills Corporate Culture

Books like People Over Profit

Do the KIND Thing

Daniel Lubetzky

Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, Live Passionately

Social Entrepreneurship and the New Bottom Line

15 min

4.1

Let My People Go Surfing

Yvon Chouinard

The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

How to Test Your Next Business Idea so You Don't Waste Your Time and Money

17 min

4.2

Nail It then Scale It

Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation

16 min

4.2

Dear Founder

Maynard Webb and Carlye Adler

Letters of Advice for Anyone Who Leads, Manages, or Wants to Start a Business

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks

18 min

4.3

Never Split the Difference (New Version)

Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

19 min

4.5

The Business Romantic

Tim Leberecht

Give Everything, Quantify Nothing and Create Something Greater Than Yourself

What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money – That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!

The Nine Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds

21 min

4.6

The Power of Discipline

Daniel Walter

How to Use Self Control and Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals

How to Build Habit-Forming Products

21 min

4.6

The Psychology of Money

Morgan Housel

Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

22 min

4.4

The Happiness Advantage

Shawn Achor

The Seven Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work

24 min

4.6

The Science of Intelligent Achievement

Isaiah Hankel

How Smart People Focus, Create and Grow Their Way to Success

The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum

13 min

3.7

Smart People Should Build Things

Andrew Yang

How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America

Fire Your Boss, Do What You Love and Work Better to Live More

Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life

19 min

4.6

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

Amy Morin

Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

40 min

4.6

Everyday Millionaires

Chris Hogan

How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth – and How You Can Too

Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done

11 min

3.8

Employee to Entrepreneur

Steve Glaveski

How to Earn Your Freedom and Do Work that Matters

19 min

4.5

The Art Of Thinking Clearly

Rolf Dobelli

The "hiccups" in our everyday thinking.

Finding Inspiration from Entrepreneurs Who Do the Most with the Least

18 min

4.2

The Psychology of Selling

Brian Tracy

Increase your sales faster and easier than you ever thought possible

11 min

4.2

Rewire Your Anxious Brain

Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle

How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

17 min

4.7

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

The most influential economic book of all time

11 min

4.3

Cooking Up a Business

Rachel Hofstetter

Lessons from Food Lovers Who Turned Their Passion into a Career and How You Can, Too

14 min

4.2

Peak Performance

Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness

Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, And Thrive With The New Science of Success

366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature

What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country

Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business

How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs

Secrets for Powerful Speaking and Listening

15 min

3.7

Reinventing Organizations

Frederic Laloux

A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness

And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

How to Fuel Success, Create Happiness, and Conquer Anything

Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones For Success

14 min

4.6

Good Morning, Monster

Catherine Gildiner

A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Journeys to Emotional Recovery

Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe

23 min

4.1

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

Dr. Daniel G. Amen

The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness

14 min

4.2

Building Social Business

Muhammad Yunus

The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs

11 min

4.0

The Power of Bad

John Tierney and Roy Baumeister

How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It

31 min

4.5

The Achievement Habit

Bernard Roth

Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life

13 min

4.2

15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management

Kevin Kruse

The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs.

Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More

The Story of Ideas That Fly

11 min

4.2

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.