Anything you want

I finished reading Derek Siver’s book Anything you want. It’s a super short read, maybe 90 minutes tops, and contains 40 lessons learned starting, running, and then selling CD Baby. I had never heard of CD Baby, but in the early 2000s, it was THE place to buy independent music online.

There were a few things I really liked about it:

1. It was refreshing to read someone who had achieved “relatable” success. By that, I mean that while CD Baby was a success (Siver’s sold in 2008 for $22m, zero outside investment), but CD Baby isn’t an Uber, or Apple, or Google level business. He created a fun company that he enjoyed, paid himself and those around him a good wage, and helped him support independent musicians. He achieved all his goals, and for 99% of people, that is what they want. Being in the Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimond tier is super unappealing compared to having enough money to be comfortable, never have to worry about money, and remain entirely anonymous about it all.
2. There were a few quotes that stood out:
   • If you want to create something useful, you can always start now, with only 1 percent of what you have in your grand vision. It’ll be a humble prototype version of your grand vision, but you’ll be in the game. You’ll be ahead of the rest because you actually started, while others are waiting for the finish line to magically appear at the starting line.
   • In the end, it’s about what you want to be, not what you want to have. To have something (a business, million dollars) is the means, not the end. To be something (a skilled entrepreneur, or just plain happy) is the real point. When you sign up to run a marathon, you don’t want a taxi to take you to the finish line.
   • “The real point of doing anything is to be happy, so do only what makes you happy”
3. As with all business books, or life books for that matter, there is a long series of mistake, mistake, mistake, something positive happens, mistake, massive mistake, a bit of upward trajectory, things are looking up, take off, “overnight sensation”.

Would recommend, especially as it is so short.