Growing a business
by Paul Hawken · first published 1987
82% recommend18% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Sincere, practical advice on starting a business and letting it grow naturally, from being a hands-on learner to building company culture. Its 1988 advice still holds up, and it suits first-time founders.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Nearly everyone harbors a secret dream of starting or owning a business. In fact, 1,000,000 businesses start in the United Sates every year. Many of them fail, but enough succeed so that small businesses are now adding millions of jobs to the economy at the same time that the Fortune 500 companies are actually losing jobs. Paul Hawken-entrepreneur, environmentalist, and bestselling author-wrote Growing a Business for those who have set out to make their dream a reality. He knows what he's talking about: In the early 1970s, while he was still in his twenties, he founded Erewhon, the largest dis
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One of my favorite business books is 'Growing a Business' by Paul Hawken. It's from the 80ies, but much of his advice would look quite at home in a blog post by 37signals or some such.
on “How to think like an entrepreneur, wherever you are” ↗For those of you interested in growing a business, read Paul Hawken's, "Growing a Business": http://www.amazon.com/dp/0671671642 For those of you arguing for or against, read Joel's Strategy Letter I: Ben and Jerry's vs. Amazon: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000056.html…
on “Start a business, not a startup” ↗…like to read: * How to Read a Book - http://amazon.com/dp/0671212095 * Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - http://amazon.com/dp/006124189X * Liar's Poker - http://amazon.com/dp/0140143459 * Growing a Business - http://amazon.com/dp/0671671642
on “Ask YC: Let's start a Hacker News book club” ↗I think "Growing a Business" by Paul Hawken is pretty good.
on “Ask HN: Good 'classic' book for tech people to learn about building businesses ?” ↗I'm reading a good book at the moment - Growing a Business by Paul Hawken. He has this to say about ideas: "The idea itself is just the tip of the iceberg. The iceberg is your life. Don't worry about anyone stealing your idea, because they can't steal your…
on “Ask YC: Pitching your ideas here on YC news a good idea?” ↗Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks teaches great lessons about managing programmers and programming as a team. On a less technical note, Growing a Business by Paul Hawken is great book about letting a company grow naturally.
on “Ask YC: Entrepreneurial/Startup Reading List?” ↗"Growing a Business" by Paul Hawken? (http://www.amazon.com/o/asin/0671671642/pchristensen-20 ) I haven't read that book but I have read other books by Hawken and I highly recommend his work. GaB is probably just as good…
on “How Not To Sell Out: Talk by Matt Haughey of MeFi on growing a site into a small business” ↗"Growing a Business" by Paul Hawken - hands down one of the best books on starting a business I have read. Don't let yourself be scared away by the release date 1988, the advice in there is timeless. Lots of the author's…
on “Ask HN: Good books on the nuts and bolts of starting up” ↗Books by Paul Hawken, like "Growing a Business" http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Business-Paul-Hawken/dp/067167...
on “Ask YC: Business books actually worth reading?” ↗…problem. The E-Myth Revisited kinda starts where the above one ends in that it points out the tragic flaw in many entrepreneurs: they want to practice their "craft" to the detriment of the actual business. Growing A Business my copy of this disappeared over 10 years ago, but I still consider it one of the most important business books I've ever read. And pick up one of the many editions of The Portable MBA at a used bookstore.…
on “Ask HN: What's the best first business book for a programmer?” ↗I agree about Jim "Business Guru" Collins: his books seem a bit like "empty calories" to me. I was left without much of a sense of any practical takeaways. My favorite business book, I think, is "Growing a Business" by Paul Hawken. Pretty down to earth and he says a lot of things you'll see by people like 37 signals, except he said them back in the 80ies: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0671671642?tag=dedasys-20
on “Business Books are for the Birds” ↗Growing a Business by Paul Hawken
on “Ask HN: What's the best first business book for a programmer?” ↗Pick up the book "Growing a Business", by Paul Hawken.
on “Ask HN: How do you create a consumer facing company that cares?” ↗…E-Myth Revisited" -- How-to create a business not a job. "Permission Marketing" -- The greatest marketing asset your startup can build is the permission to market to your customers and prospects. "Growing a Business" -- Sincere advice for creating a company culture that your team and customers will love. "The Cluetrain Manifesto" -- Successful marketing is a conversation. "Bottom-up Marketing" -- Pure bottoms-up…
on “Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read” ↗> The 37signals lessons are still fresh; they're operating in the current business climate. The book "Growing a Business", written in the '80ies, about a gardening catalog company of all things, has a lot of the same lessons as "getting real", and to boot comes with its very own ISBN. Here's my summary of it (but go buy…
on “It Doesn't Have To Be All Or Nothing With A Startup” ↗