Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur
Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, is not your typical entrepreneur. With no grand vision of building a business empire, he started CD Baby as a simple solution to help his musician friends sell their music online. Yet, this accidental venture grew into a multi-million-dollar company that redefined independent music distribution. In Anything You Want, Sivers distills his unique entrepreneurial journey into 40 concise lessons, challenging conventional wisdom and encouraging founders to prioritize personal values over societal expectations of success.
Building a Business with Purpose
- Sivers emphasizes that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to follow a cookie-cutter approach. He built CD Baby not to chase profits but to serve a specific community. This people-first philosophy resonates throughout the book, urging founders to align their businesses with their personal passions and values.
- Sivers highlights the importance of simplicity in decision-making, focusing on what feels right rather than what looks impressive on paper.
- He rejects the obsession with growth for growth’s sake, advocating for building a business that brings joy rather than stress.
Key Lessons from the CD Baby Journey
The book offers vivid anecdotes from Sivers' experience, illustrating his unorthodox methods and mindset:
- Customer Focus: Sivers prioritized customer delight, going the extra mile to create memorable experiences, such as personalized emails that became legendary.
- Self-Reliance: He resisted the allure of outside investment, choosing instead to bootstrap CD Baby to retain creative freedom.
- Knowing When to Let Go: Recognizing when his passion for CD Baby had waned, Sivers sold the company and donated the proceeds, demonstrating his commitment to purpose over profit.
The Power of Saying No
Sivers reflects on the importance of staying true to your goals by learning to say no to distractions, even when they appear to offer lucrative opportunities. For founders, this lesson underscores the value of clarity and focus in building a fulfilling business.
Conclusion
Anything You Want is a refreshing and heartfelt guide for entrepreneurs who want to build businesses that align with their values rather than chasing conventional success. Derek Sivers’ candid lessons from his CD Baby journey challenge traditional norms, emphasizing simplicity, purpose, and staying true to what truly matters. If this book inspires you, consider reading The Lean Startup by Eric Ries for insights on agility, Company of One by Paul Jarvis for sustainable business strategies, or Start with Why by Simon Sinek to explore the power of purpose-driven leadership.