Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Remarkable summary
David Kronfeld
Proven Insights to Accelerate Your Career
19 mins
Brief summary
Remarkable by David Kronfeld explores what sets successful people apart. Through interviews with exceptionally talented individuals, Kronfeld uncovers common traits and habits that can inspire us all to reach our full potential.
Table of Contents
Remarkable
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
You need experience, not genius, to be successful in business.
Intelligence takes many different forms. Some people find it easy to pick up on social dynamics, for instance. Others have a gift for languages, music, or logic. Yet early on in life, nearly everyone is taught to measure intelligence by a single yardstick: academic achievement.
Excelling in school is all about absorbing complicated ideas. It’s a never-ending cycle, with each new concept building on the last. In this environment, the standard measure of intellectual ability, IQ, is a pretty good predictor of success.
Business, however, is different. To thrive in this environment, you need to grasp a limited number of basic concepts. Once you’ve learned them, you can apply them time and again. Business intelligence isn’t about mastering theoretical insights – it’s the fruit of experience. In other words, IQ isn’t a predictor of success.
The key message here is: You need experience, not genius, to be successful in business.
In schools and universities, success comes down to a single skill: the ability to master lots of new information and integrate it into increasingly complex abstract models. IQ is a measure of this mental faculty, so it’s no surprise that in academic settings, people with higher IQs outperform their peers with lower ones.
But many of the problems you learn to solve in school have black-and-white solutions – if all the angles of a triangle don’t add up to 180 degrees, you’ve made a mistake. In the business world, on the other hand, there are lots of shades of gray. There’s rarely a “right” or a “wrong” answer. Instead, there are risks and rewards – few of which can be fully understood in advance. As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding.
“Book smarts” alone won’t cut it in this environment. Instead, you need to integrate lots of different skills to achieve success. What kind of skills, though?
Well, you need to be good with people – and for that, you need interpersonal and communication skills. You also need leadership skills, which enable you to articulate your goals and motivate people. Finally, you have to be committed, dedicated, knowledgeable, and creative. These skills are hard to teach because they’re honed over the course of a career spanning years, not semesters. Business, in short, is all about learning by doing.
Put differently, there’s no shortcut around hard-won practical experience. But here’s the good news: you can expedite the learning process. And these blinks will help you do just that.
Want to see all full key ideas from Remarkable?
Key ideas in Remarkable
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 Remarkable about?
Remarkable (2021) is a playbook for professionals looking to advance their careers. It’s not about getting ahead by any means, though. Covering topics like self-promotion, mistakes, and disagreements, it makes a compelling case that the best way to move forward is by staying humble and working with – and for – your team.
Remarkable Review
Remarkable (2022) by David Kronfeld is a book that explores the power of unconventional thinking and creativity. Here's why this book is worth a read:
- It offers inspiring stories of individuals who achieved remarkable success by challenging norms and thinking outside the box.
- The book provides practical strategies and techniques to foster creativity and innovation in various aspects of life, from business to personal relationships.
- With its fascinating examples and thought-provoking insights, the book keeps readers engaged, ensuring that it is anything but boring.
Who should read Remarkable?
- Managers and leaders
- Entrepreneurs and self-starters
- Team players
Categories with Remarkable
Book summaries like Remarkable
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.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
31 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Remarkable FAQs
What is the main message of Remarkable?
The main message of Remarkable is the power of embracing our unique talents and strengths to achieve extraordinary results.
How long does it take to read Remarkable?
The reading time for Remarkable varies, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Remarkable a good book? Is it worth reading?
Remarkable is worth reading for its inspiring stories and practical advice on unleashing our potential. It offers valuable insights into achieving greatness.
Who is the author of Remarkable?
The author of Remarkable is David Kronfeld.
What to read after Remarkable?
If you're wondering what to read next after Remarkable, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Mastering the Game by Sharon E. Jones with Sudheer R. Poluru
- Ask For It by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
- Catalyst by Chandramouli Venkatesan
- Big Potential by Shawn Achor
- Rising Strong by Brené Brown
- The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett
- Secrets of Power Negotiating by Roger Dawson
- The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
- The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Positive Communication for Leaders by Julien C. Mirivel & Alexander Lyon