The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche Book Summary - The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche Book explained in key points
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The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche summary

Dave Jilk and Brad Feld

A Book for Disruptors

4 (88 ratings)
21 mins

What is The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche about?

The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche (2021) is a how-to guide for disruptors, examining the surprising ways in which this nineteenth-century philosopher can instruct and inspire twenty-first-century entrepreneurs. From business pitches to pride, and from victory to progress, it offers food for thought from an unfamiliar but stimulating perspective.

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    The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche
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    Friedrich Nietzsche was a grade-A disruptor.

    Telling entrepreneurs to follow the advice of Friedrich Nietzsche sounds strange. First, the man was a nineteenth-century philosopher: his writings focus on art, ethics, and politics – not on how to manage a successful start-up, or come up with exciting new business ventures.

    Second, Nietzsche wasn’t a big fan of businesspeople. He tended to look down on the world of commerce as a whole, viewing merchants and manufacturers as grubby, small-minded, and unambitious people. Could a man like that really have something to say to twenty-first-century entrepreneurs?

    Well, yes.

    The key message here is: Friedrich Nietzsche was a grade-A disruptor.

    You see, like all great entrepreneurs, Nietzsche made disruption his life’s work. But instead of trying to shake up stale and unimaginative industries, Nietzsche set his sights on outdated attitudes, beliefs, and ways of thinking.

    Nietzsche’s philosophical mission was nothing less than “the revaluation of all values.” Equipped only with his eloquence and a powerful mind, Nietzsche aimed to unsettle moral judgments that had gone unchallenged for millennia: like any true entrepreneur, then, Nietzsche saw himself as an ally of the future rather than a defender of the past.

    One of the things that made Nietzsche’s attacks on traditional beliefs so effective was his keen understanding of human nature. Compared to many of his predecessors, Nietzsche’s claims about morality can seem cynical and harsh – but more often than not, they’re also pretty convincing.

    Those sharp psychological insights are another reason every entrepreneur should brush up on Nietzsche. After all, a frank and accurate understanding of human nature is vital for any entrepreneur. You need to know what motivates your customers. You need to know what they want and why they want it. You have to grasp what makes people stay loyal to existing brands, and what makes them likely to budge.

    Of course, Nietzsche doesn’t deal with these problems explicitly. He never wrote any books on management styles or business strategies. But he did leave a body of work that’s proved far more disruptive than anyone else’s – making him mandatory reading for all entrepreneurs, from seasoned vets to hesitant first-timers.

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    About the Author

    Dave Jilk is a former serial entrepreneur. He now spends his time writing on entrepreneurship and AI, as well as composing poetry and dabbling in philosophy.

    Brad Feld is an investor and entrepreneur. He’s a partner at the venture capital firm Foundry Group and cofounder of Techstars, a global platform for investment and innovation. He’s also written several books on venture capital and entrepreneurship.

    Who should read The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche?

    • Entrepreneurs hoping to expand their conceptual toolkits
    • Businesspeople looking for a fresh perspective on innovation
    • All those interested in making practical use of philosophy

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