Company of One
by Paul Jarvis · first published 2019
65% recommend30% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, quick read arguing that staying small can be a strategic advantage and that growth is a means to an end. Suits solo founders and bootstrappers wanting a sustainable, profitable business over blitzscaling.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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Company of One by Paul Jarvis is a nice short read. Not SaaS-specific, though.
on “Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?” ↗…that. Slow is great. Slow is thoughtful. Slow is mindful. Slow is calm. Recently a book came out about companies who challenge this concept. Companies who say that growth doesn't just mean "more": "Company of One" by Paul Jarvis. The idea isn't necessarily new, but it's definitely challenging the status quo. I'd love to change that, but these companies, by definition, don't hire often. Unfortunately, it still…
on “A job board for companies and people focused on slow growth” ↗This might be off topic or contrarian but I've been reading _Company_of_One_ by Paul Jarvis and I really enjoy his thesis that not all tech companies need to grow into large businesses. You can just have a small single operator business that focuses on making a better product…
on “Founder Books” ↗I highly recommend reading the book "Company of One" by Paul Jarvis if you are considering going the entrepreneurship route
on “Ask HN: Should I find a job or try to build a profitable project?” ↗Nonfiction I’ve read this year and enjoyed greatly: - How to change your mind by Michael Pollan - The Lean Startup - Company of One
on “Ask HN: Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2019?” ↗I would recommend Company of One by Paul Jarvis. Very quick to read and filled will strong advices from a successful solo contractor/counselor
on “Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?” ↗"Company of One", by Paul Jarvis, the co-founder of Fathom Analytics he goes through lots of stories and anecdotes from companies, consultants, and agencies who found that staying small can be a strategic advantage…
on “Ask HN: Suggest good books on bootstrapping a startup” ↗…comment. Wanted to add that, for me personally, effort _has_ to follow fun, and only then it's efficient, and, most importantly, sustainable. This post was partially inspired by an awesome book called Company of One by Paul Jarvis, btw.
on “I start taking English classes at the age of 46” ↗…about it. I also like the Tropical MBA podcast. They get stories from entrepreneurs outside the shiny bubble (agency owners, Amazon FBA, SEO software, affiliates, etc) Books that might interest you : Company of one by Paul Jarvis ; Profit First by Mike Michalowicz ; Other good resources for entrepreneurs: - Seth Godin & Robert Cialdini for marketing - The Mom Test (how to talk to your users) - Made to Stick (how…
on “Ask HN: Best resources on starting a lifestyle business?” ↗Start Small, Stay Small by Rob Walling Company of One by Paul Jarvis
on “Ask HN: What books helped you in your entrepreneurship journey?” ↗Right on! I am enjoying the book “A Company of One” right now and the author makes the same point of only doing what it takes to provide great service to a few customers. Another point is to spend more effort servicing existing customers than spending…
on “You Don’t Need All That Complex/Expensive/Distracting Infrastructure” ↗I am reading a newly published book "Company of One" that promotes a mindset of serving a smaller number of customers very well vs. growing and going for quality in everything your business does. Recommended.
on “Reddit's user uprising against China because Tencent will invest in the platform” ↗…(all of which give me good value for my money for GSuite, books, movies, gear, compute services) I am kind down on mega corporations right now. As a result I am more inspired right now by books like A Company of One than by books like Blitzscaling. As consumers and business people I think it is in our interests to favor small local businesses. We do vote with our wallets and can have some affect on the future of…
on “Book Summary: Blitzscaling, by Reid Hoffman” ↗A SaaS-specific version of "Company of One" would be awesome. I liked that book, but it was a bit generic in its recommendations (which PJ acknowledges as a limitation of the book upfront, so that's not a criticism).
on “Ask HN: Books giving practical advice on starting a solo SaaS business?” ↗…to aim for a small, profitable business within the first 3 months and a low 7 figure exit. If you can't figure out how to do this, work for someone else until you do. That is basically what the book Company of One says, yes. Zero to Sold is also another good book in the same vein.
on “A Company of One” ↗