021 The Automatic Customer by John Warrillow

The Lean Startup introduces a revolutionary approach to building and scaling businesses, emphasizing continuous innovation, customer feedback, and scientific experimentation. Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. The book advocates for 'validated learning,' rapid experimentation, and the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop to shorten product development cycles and measure actual progress. It also stresses the importance of pivoting or persevering based on data and customer needs, making it an essential read for anyone involved in starting or growing a business.

In 'Finish Big', Bo Burlingham addresses the often-overlooked topic of how business owners can exit their companies successfully. The book is based on dozens of interviews with entrepreneurs across various industries and identifies key factors that distinguish happy exits from unhappy ones. Burlingham outlines a four-stage process for exit planning: exploration, strategy, execution, and transition. He emphasizes the importance of starting early, building a sellable company, and preparing for the emotional challenges of leaving a business. The book also introduces the Sensibility Scale, a tool to help owners view their companies objectively from different perspectives.

In 'Built to Sell', John Warrillow provides practical advice on creating a business that can operate independently of its owner. The book is structured around a story where a business owner, Alex, is guided by his mentor Ted to transform his marketing agency into a sellable business. Key lessons include running the company as if it will last forever but being ready to sell at any moment, focusing on a specific, non-customizable product or service, creating a positive cash flow cycle, and hiring a sales team to remove the owner from the sales process. The book emphasizes the importance of making the business repeatable, valuable, and teachable to attract potential buyers.