Henrik Haapala's Reviews > Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation

2023-08-16
One of the most positive books I own. Paperback not so great format so should buy hardback.

“To financially benefit from technology changes, you don’t need an engineering degree or an MBA. To survive in the era of endless innovation, you merely need to think like a disruptor.” 15

1) businesses- whether they make dog food or software - don’t sell products; they sell solutions.

2) all disruption starts with introspection.

“The self made billionaire in his 20s, and unheard of possibility a decade ago, now happens with the regular frequency. The start up company, with little funding and a small staff, displaces hundred year old companies with billions in revenues virtually overnight. The consultant, with no background in technology or operating a business, makes millions of dollars from teaching one course online.”

3) you have a choice; pursue your dreams or be hired by someone else to help them fulfill their dreams.

16) “Our dreams condition us to respond much the way to athletes conditions her body.”

Things to do now: 5 minute visualization per day.
I have been visualizing myself every night for the past four years standing on the podium having to go places around my neck said Megan Jendrick two-time Olympic gold medal winning swimmer.

1. What is the book about?

“Disrupt Yourself” is a 2015 business book by Jay Samit. Some of the content you can get a hint at from his TED-talk, or YouTube.
Disruption: a new technology (like DVR, telegraph or internet) comes and alters a market or system forever.
Those who adapt well to this change are going to be successful and thrive, those who don’t won’t.
Jay Samit has spent 30 years on learning how to look for opportunity in every obstacle and solving shared problems.
The book: Part inspiration by somebody embracing disruption and part practical mindset altering stories and strategies. This should be helpful to anybody.
Some questions:
• Why so many self made billionaires today?
• Would you rather work forty hours a week at a job you hate or eighty hours a week doing work you love?
• What can we learn to make us more able to make positive change happen?
• What is stopping you?
• How are you prepared for future disruption?

2. What problem was the author trying to solve?

One problem often heard about is people hating their jobs. This requires us to change and disrupt yourself. The feeling of being stuck is really status quo bias or learned helplessness. It’s difficult to change. But we want change ourselves. We must change.

3. What are the main arguments? Do I agree?

“Security (or illusion of security) robs ambition”
“The biggest risk is taking no risk”
“You will have more regrets about the things you didn’t try than the ones you tried and didn’t succeed at.”
“Whether because of ambition or circumstance, every career gets disrupted.”
“All the big famous people are no different than you are.”
So a good argument is that we have a limited time and a day will come when we might regret not trying. That’s what old people say. Taking a bit more risk should be rational there is time and ways to think so that you can always bounce back.

4. What did I learn?

”Disruption causes vast sums of money to flow from existing businesses and business models to new entrants”
“Disruption isn’t about what happens to you; it’s about how you respond to what happens to you.”
Pursue a purpose, don’t be just a replaceable cog in the system
35% of business owners have dyslexia - there must some advantage in thinking and acting different
Mantra: “today I can be better than yesterday and I have the power to make it so.”
“Everyone thinks of changing the world. No one thinks of changing himself.”
Find your unique vice and solve problems for others.
3D printing, self driving cars and office automation are some of the things that will disrupt business. It’s a good idea to be prepared.

5. Which three facts, ideas or principles do I want to remember the most?

• Solve for others to solve for you
• There is no running out of money - use OPM
• Your energy is a resource - use it wisely.

6. Which of my beliefs were challenged? 

Status quo bias and fear. The tendency not to take action even when you know what to do.

7. How did my life change by reading this book?

I’m more optimistic about challenges and positive about the opportunities that exist.

8. What are three action items I learned that I need to implement as soon as possible?

• Think about three problems a day that you have and if they are common problems needing solutions.
• Effectuation-process: first defining what you know about your new business and its underlying market. Second what value you can bring to or capture from the market, goals. Third, meeting with people in the target market.
• Ask “is my world perfect?” often, studying my daily frustrations. Is everything working smoothly for colleagues and friends? Gandhi says you must be the change you wish to see I the world. Most discoveries come from the simple act of identifying life’s problems. “Am I the only one with this problem?

9. What else did I like about the book?

It’s a gold mine - and one to reread many times.

10. Which other books or movies were mentioned or recommended?

A vast number references to and quotes form books and studies and movies and stories litter the book.

11. What were the most memorable quotes?

“We all start out life filled with big dreams and ambitions. Your future - our worlds future - is far more malleable and controllable than most people realize.”

“No one writes books about those who failed to take risks. History doesn’t remember those who maintained the status quo. The glory comes from being a disruptor. Every man and woman would like to leave their mark - some evidence of their existence - on this world. This is the self disruptors manifesto: to transform yourself, your business, and the world.”

12. What is the 20% that gives 80% of benefits of the book?

Zombie idea: speed to fail should be every entrepreneurs motto. When you finally find the one idea that can’t be killed, go with it.

13. Summary:

Less than 10% of big business survive - disruption happens. Why not change ourselves? If we take time to study how our business and social institutions are constructed, it is possible to determine how they can be disrupted. To successfully navigate today’s professional landscape, you must understand the dynamics of disruption. Why it happens, how you can adapt and thrive.

(Note: hardback is best for this book since you will want to highlight almost every other page.)