“Anything You Want” by Derek Sivers is a short book. It may be easy to miss this one on the shelf among the other titles with thick, shiny covers and sensational titles.

Don’t make a mistake of passing on this one though. This book is PACKED with wisdom.

It serves as a guide for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasising the importance of personal happiness and authenticity in business.

The author draws from his own experience founding CD Baby, highlighting key principles that challenge conventional business wisdom.

Here’s what I learned from Derek.

Key Takeaways From The Book

These are the most valuable nuggets of wisdom I found:

• A business reflects its creator's philosophy.

• Prioritise joy and authenticity.

• Business solves problems; customer focus is crucial.

• Simplicity and execution are key to starting a business.

• Continuous improvement and clear communication drive success.

• Effective delegation and preparation for growth are essential.

• Know when to let go and reassess what is enough.

Now let's get to the best lessons from the book. I’ve decided to segregate them into 4 sections that answer big questions:

1. Why Start a Business?

2. How to Start a Business?

3. How to Run the Business

4. How to Quit the Business?

I’ll finish with some actionable points at the end of this summary.

1. Why Start a Business?

👉 A business is a reflection of its creator's personal philosophy.
It's crucial to determine what makes you happy.
The ultimate goal of doing anything is to bring joy.
Learn and engage in activities that bring you lots of it.
If working alone makes you happiest, then do it.

Focus on what you want to be, not what you want to have.
Having a business is a means, not an end.
To be something, like a skilled entrepreneur, is the real goal.
👉 For instance, if you want to run a marathon, you wouldn't just take a taxi to the finish line.

Creating a company can improve the world and yourself.
Businesses start to solve problems.
Once a problem is truly solved, your business might no longer be needed.
Prioritise your customers' needs over your own.
Your company should be willing to "die" for its customers.

Engage in activities that excite you.
👉 If you're not saying "Hell yeah!" about something, say no.

Pay attention to when you're being your true self and when you're trying to impress an invisible audience.

Know what is enough for you and your business.
Are you helping people?
Are they happy?
Are you happy?
Are you profitable?

That might be enough.

2. How to Start a Business?

The best business plans start simple.

Spend only a few hours creating your business plan.
You won't know what people want until you start doing it.

Steve Blank said, “No business plan survives first contact with customers.”
Your initial idea is just one of many options.

Take an unrealistically utopian approach.
Imagine how your business would look to customers in a perfect world.
👉 Make it a dream for yourself, and it will be a dream come true for someone else too.
It won't feel like a revolution but will seem like uncommon sense.

Remember, you control all the laws of your company.
You can design your company and your role in it any way you want.
You don’t need funding to start a business.
To be big, an idea has to be useful.
Usefulness doesn't require funding.
👉 Without money to waste, you won’t waste money.
Set up your business as if you don’t need money, and people will be happier to pay you.

Read what you sign and don't neglect tiny details.
Small mistakes can cost you millions if you become successful.

👉 Remember, ideas are worthless unless executed.
Execution determines success or failure.

How to Run the Business?

Persistently improve and invent.
Success stems from continual improvement and innovation.

Even if you want to be a big business, never act like a big, boring company.
Make every decision based on what's best for your customers.
Thrill your existing customers, and they'll promote your business, attracting more customers.

Often, small gestures like goofy emails or little gifts thrill people.
👉 Find the smallest ways to make people smile; they will remember you for it.
Do whatever makes your customer happiest, as long as it’s not outrageous.

Serve thousands of people so you don't have to worry about any one customer leaving.

If someone wrongs you, remember the thousands who didn’t.
Resist punishing all customers for the wrongdoing of one.

Be clear about what you are not.
By doing so, you will win the hearts of those you want.
It’s a big world, and you can loudly leave out 99 percent of it.

Be a great communicator.
👉 Remember, behind each message is a real person.
Your messages should be clear and concise.

Hire and fire lightly.
👉 It’s hard to predict how someone will perform until they’re on the job for a few weeks.

Always be prepared for your business to double.
Establish scalable processes to accommodate more customers.

Make yourself unnecessary to the running of the company by delegating tasks you dislike.

Delegate effectively:

• gather people,

• answer questions,

• explain your philosophy,

• ensure understanding,

• have one person write a manual, and

• let everyone know they can decide without you next time.

Trust but verify - ensure people take good actions and decisions periodically.

Don’t over-delegate.
You don’t want to empower employees to the point of giving away all control.

How to Quit the Business?

Deciding when to let go is a significant learning and growing challenge.
Are you still excited about what your company does?
Revisit the question: what is enough?

If you have a big exit, consider if you need all the money.
Derek Sivers put more than $22 million into a trust he couldn’t access, receiving 5 percent of its value per year.

Having little net worth protects you from wrongful lawsuits.
Keeping money out of your hands prevents you from making impulsive decisions.

Actionable Points to Wrap This Up

Let’s finish with some action points.

The best thing about “Anything You Want” is that the ideas in the book can be adapted to any job you do. You don’t necessarily need to run a business, to make use of Derek’s experience.

• Determine what makes you happy and build a business around it.

• Start with a simple business plan and be prepared to adapt.

• Focus on solving a problem and serving customers exceptionally well.

• Continuously improve your business and prioritise customer happiness.

• Delegate tasks effectively and prepare for business growth.

• Regularly reassess your goals and know when it's time to exit.

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