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You probably already know how to think like a billionaire

I read *Think like a Billionaire* by Donald Trump over the weekend.

I have always enjoyed Trump’s books–their short reads with short chapters, and while they lack depth, they (usually) have plenty of little morsels (not quite enough to call food) for thought. Besides, it’s always interesting to hear a billionaire’s perspective–after all, he did something right. ;)

This book, though, just fell flat. I guess I was expecting more interesting insight into the billionaire mind, and there wasn’t much in there that I hadn’t already heard elsewhere. In fact, the ideas in the book were so redundant with other books about success, I found only two take-aways–and they were both given in the same chapter:

* “Expect the shit to hit the fan everday” and you’ll always be ready.
* “Always pretend that you’re working for yourself.”

The two hours I spent reading the book weren’t completely wasted, though. After all, it’s encouraging to think that, before even reading the book, I had all the knowledge needed to become a billionaire. Now, I just need to get off my ass and put that knowledge to work.

This entry was posted Monday, May 9th, 2005 at 4:10 pm and is filed under Books, Entrepreneurship, Success. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 2 Comments

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    Hey Marc, this is really great stuff from Trump. When he sticks to this kind of advice, he's spot on.
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    I don't think that I'd ever want to go into business with Trump, but he does have some very good points - and more importantly, he has enough money that people listen (or watch his show as the case may be). I stole this from someones blog whom I unfortunately failed to credit, but I kept it because it made a lot of sense to me:

    "(My notes from attending a speech given by Mr. Trump at The Learning Annex in NYC on 2/11/2002)

    Donald Trump’s Rules For Success

    1. Think Big – The effort for projects with big payoffs is usually equal to the effort of projects with small payoffs, so you might as well go for the projects with the big payoffs.
    2. Stay Focused – Get your ass in gear. Do not let distractions trip you up.
    3. Be Paranoid – People are vicious, people are jealous, as the boxers say “keep your left up”. Your friends may not be your friends. It’s very hard to determine when someone is loyal to you, because when you’re on top they all appear loyal, but when you have problems or need sacrifices from them, you’ll find out who is really loyal and who’s a rat.
    4. Follow The Momentum – Don’t lose your momentum. People who retire and “come back”, usually don’t succeed the second time around.
    5. Be Passionate – Love and enjoy what you’re doing. One cannot succeed if one does not absolutely love what he’s doing.
    6. Go Against The Tide – Be a contrarian. Buy when all others are selling. Sell when all others are buying.
    7. Go With Your Gut – You know what is best. Opinions of others, especially those not as successful as you, are almost worthless.
    8. Hire The Best People – but: (a) you have to like working with them, (b) you have to watch them like a hawk (see rule 3)
    9. Get Even – Sometimes you need to show everyone that you’re not somebody they can fuck with. Instill a bit of fear into the environment to help prevent others from trying to screw you over.
    10. Lawyers Are The Worst Scum – Be extra-careful when dealing with these guys.
    11. Think Like A Winner – To be a winner, you have to think like a winner. Be self-confident, but not self-centered.
    12. Discipline – You need to be disciplined as well as focused (see rule 2).
    13. Make It As Much Fun As Possible – When you wake up each morning, you cannot cringe at the day ahead (see rule 5). You have to think to yourself, “how can I make this day as fun and as rewarding as possible?”
    14. Be Tough – Don’t take shit from anyone. If someone is trying to take advantage of you, don’t let them do it. In a market economy, there are always alternatives to paying or working with these people. The best solution is to drop them quick and find someone else to replace them."
 

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Life skills, writing, experience design, and a bit about me