In the span of a week, two people both recommended I check out the book Rework (Amazon affiliate link). That would normally be enough to get me to pick up the book all by itself, but when I found out it was written by the guys from 37 Signals, the developers of BaseCamp and other kick-ass web applications, I was sold.
Rework is a book of advice for new business owners. Somebody else I saw online said it has “Little gems of common sense.” I couldn’t agree more. Most of the topics in the book are things that, if you sat down and thought about it, you probably already new. You may even apply many of the tips to different parts of your day-to-day life, no matter if you own a business or not. But, for small business owner (like me), getting a reminder from time to time is never a bad thing.
For me, this book was all about timing. After recently quitting my job to start a new company, many of the topics covered in the book really hit home. That’s most likely why it was suggested to me by my friends.
One thing I really enjoyed was the real-world examples they gave, many of which had to do with things that took place in their own office. Hearing how they dealt with issues and how they came to decisions reminded me that our problems aren’t unique. We are facing some of the exact same issues they were. No company becomes successful over night, and seeing how other companies have struggled, but come out the other side to succeed is reassuring.
If you are looking to start your own company, or if you’re working in a start-up, you should check out Rework. You aren’t going to find any Earth shattering secrets, but you may just find a gem or two that helps you take that next big step.
