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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Grid summary
Matt Watkinson
The Decision-Making Tool for Every Business (Including Yours)
24 mins
Brief summary
'The Grid' by Matt Watkinson is a business strategy book that challenges conventional thinking on decision-making. It presents a framework for understanding and prioritizing the needs of multiple stakeholders and creating successful solutions.
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The Grid
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
Businesses are like human bodies – they thrive when you treat them holistically.
If you’re open-minded and pay attention to what’s happening around you, you can discover important truths in the most unlikely situations. Take it from the author. One of the most impactful lessons about business he’s had in his life came from something deeply personal: his chronic knee pain.
He visited specialist after specialist, but none of them seemed able to cure his pain. There was a good reason for that – they were focused on treating his symptoms, not the underlying cause. Finally, after months of pain, the author agreed to surgery on both knees. But even this drastic measure brought no relief. His knees continued to make his life hell.
Six months after this surgery, he decided to try a different approach. He talked to physiotherapists and osteopaths and spent hours on foam rollers, but that didn’t help either. Then, just as he was about to call it quits and resign himself to a life of chronic pain, he met a sports rehabilitation expert called Nicole Parsons.
Unlike other specialists, Parsons didn’t just look at the author’s knees – she examined his whole body. It was this holistic approach that revealed the true cause of the problem: a muscle imbalance between his shoulders and his toes that knocked his hips out of alignment and placed extra pressure on his knees.
Having found the true cause of the author’s issues, Parsons was able to prescribe an effective remedy. After the author put in a couple of months’ work strengthening the rest of his body, his knees were no longer causing him pain, and he was able to start jogging again.
Now, these blinks aren’t about holistic medicine, but this example is deeply relevant when it comes to business. For a long time, there just weren’t any coaches specializing in the business equivalent of Parson’s holistic approach to sports injuries. Sure, there were plenty of experts who could tell you how to fix individual parts of a struggling business, but hardly anyone looked at the whole picture.
That’s a shame, because, just like human bodies, businesses thrive when you solve problems by looking at how different parts fit together and interact. That means it’s time to take a different approach to struggling businesses. In the following blinks, we’ll give you a tool to help you do just that.
Ready? Great, let’s find out about what the author calls the Grid – a holistic business analysis that sets out three goals, three factors, and nine elements applicable to all companies.
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Key ideas in The Grid
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What is The Grid about?
The Grid (2017) identifies a set of factors that can make or break businesses. Rooted in a holistic approach, these blinks will help you evaluate business ideas, anticipate the impact of your decisions, and take advantage of changes in the market. Apply these principles in your own company, and you’ll be able to identify the true causes of problems rather than simply treating the symptoms.
The Grid Review
The Grid (2017) takes readers on a journey through the complex world of business design and offers a fresh perspective on how companies can create superior customer experiences. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- By providing a step-by-step framework for understanding and improving customer interactions, it equips readers with practical tools to enhance their business strategies.
- Combining real-life case studies with insightful analysis, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in modern business design.
- With its engaging storytelling and thought-provoking ideas, The Grid ensures that readers are not only informed but also entertained throughout the journey.
Best quote from The Grid
People do not build their beliefs on a foundation of reason. They begin with certain beliefs, then find reasons to justify them. – Hungarian physicist Eugene P. Wigner.
—Matt Watkinson
Who should read The Grid?
- Entrepreneurs going through a sticky patch
- Managers looking for a new approach to problem-solving
- Business and economics students
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The Grid FAQs
What is the main message of The Grid?
The main message of The Grid is that successful businesses are built on a clear understanding of their customers' needs and desires.
How long does it take to read The Grid?
The reading time for The Grid varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Grid a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Grid offers valuable insights into creating customer-centric businesses. It is definitely worth reading for anyone interested in improving their strategic thinking.
Who is the author of The Grid?
The author of The Grid is Matt Watkinson.
What to read after The Grid?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Grid, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz
- 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
- How to Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
- How Highly Effective People Speak by Peter Andrei
- The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson
- See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar
- Rocket by Michael J. Silverstein
- Agile Selling by Jill Konrath