Grinding It Out
the making of McDonald's
by Ray Kroc · first published 1977
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Ray Kroc's first-person account of building McDonald's, including his life before the founding. Readers praise it as a candid, clearly written business autobiography for founders and the curious.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Few entrepreneurs can claim to have actually changed the way we live, but Ray Kroc is one of them. His revolutions in food service automation, franchising, shared national training and advertising have earned him a place beside the men who founded not merely businesses but entire new industries. But even more interesting than Ray Kroc the business legend is Ray Kroc the man. Not your typical self-made tycoon, Kroc was 52 when he met the McDonald brothers and opened his first franchise. Now meet Ray Kroc, the man behind the business legend, in his own words. Irrepressible enthusiast, per
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If you enjoyed this, then you might also enjoy 'Grinding It Out' by Ray Kroc, and also 'Walt Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination' by Neal Gabler.
on “The Real Colonel Sanders (2015)” ↗Ray Kroc's book Grinding It Out is a fantastic account of his work creating McDonalds. He definitely did his best work later in life, and proof that you can make your mark at any point in your life. It's a great read. Frank Lloyd…
on “If I haven't succeeded in my mid 20s, could I be successful?” ↗It's never too late. Ray Kroc bought McDonalds and grew it to a massive empire when he was 61. Read his book Grinding it Out. Frank Lloyd Wright was broke several times in his life and considered through by the architectural establishment. He was 68 when he designed Fallingwater, one of the great homes every built.
on “Is 31 too old for startup?” ↗'Grinding It Out' by Ray Kroc is without a doubt the best business founder autobiography I have ever read.
on “The Story of How McDonald’s First Got Its Start” ↗Grinding it Out, it’s really Ray Kroc’s autobiography. Very interesting to hear about his life before “founding” McDonalds. Very clearly written and easy to understand.
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023” ↗…stories: 4. The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson 5. The Founders by Jimmy Soni 6. The Upstarts by Brad Stone 7. Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton 8. That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph 9. Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's by Ray Kroc Can't skip: 10. Zero To One by Peter Thiel
on “Ask HN: What books helped you in your entrepreneurship journey?” ↗I worked at McDonalds long ago, and I am a huge fan. If you are interested in understanding why they are so incredible, make sure to read "Grinding It Out" which is the story of McDonalds told by Ray Croc, who turned a small local store into one of the greatest franchises the world has ever known. He was in his mid-50s when he stated, and the whole thing…
on “How to make McDonalds french fries” ↗Ray Kroc who is arguably more transformative bought McDonalds at age 59 and turned it into the empire it is now. His autobiography Grinding It Out is an inspiring read.
on “The Stroke of Genius Strikes Later in Modern Life” ↗1. Dan Lyons: Disrupted 2. Stephen King: Joyland 3. Ray Kroc: Grinding it Out 4. Antonio Garcia Martinez: Chaos Monkeys 5. Jonah Berger: Contagious 6. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Finding Flow 7. Calum Chase: Surviving A.I. 8. Dan Ariely: Payoff
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗I am curious -- how does this book "Behind the Arches" compare to another book on McDonald's story: "Grinding it out"?
on “The Story of How McDonald’s First Got Its Start” ↗