Review by Jacob Thorpe
Book: Nail It Then Scale It: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation (2011) by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom
Whether a brand-new entrepreneur, or an experienced businessman or woman, starting a business can be a daunting task. When we think of starting a business we think of high-risk and high reward-laying it all on the line to achieve our goals. However, there is a better way. Nail It Then Scale It is a step-by-step guide to helping entrepreneurs not only launch a business, but to launch it in a way that minimizes risk and maximizes scalability.
One of the core principles of Nail It Then Scale It is to create a product or service that truly meets the needs of those who purchase it. Many entrepreneurs become almost obsessed with their idea. Nail it Then Scale It explains that entrepreneurs have a tendency to become arrogant, which can lead them to ignore important insights from their customers and advisors. Clouded by pride with illusions of a successful business, entrepreneurs will forego the important step of validating their product with the consumer. Nail It Then Scale It teaches that the entrepreneur needs to spend time among their consumers. They need to assess the depth of the pain they are solving, validate their product, accept criticism humbly, and adjust their plan accordingly. Sometimes this will mean abandoning their idea or venture, living by the mantra, “Fail fast and fail often.”
While this principle rings true for starting a business, it resonates with me on a deeper level. As human beings, we have a propensity to be prideful when we have our minds set on something. In an increasingly divisive world, we can get extremely set in our ways of thinking. In fact, we are often so stubborn in our opinions that, rather than try to understand where others of opposing views are coming from, we selectively limit the types of people, opinions, and ideas that we expose ourselves to. While exposing ourselves to other ideas may not change our mind, it does help us become more well-rounded and empathetic individuals. This is not exclusive to political or religious viewpoints, but rather encompasses all aspects of our lives. How often do we refuse correction or constructive criticism simply because it isn’t what we want to hear? Nail It Then Scale It encourages entrepreneurs to be humble enough to listen and apply the things that they learn from the people whose opinions matter most in constructing a business. I’m sure that we could all be more open to the people whose opinions matter most as we construct and build ourselves.
Nail It Then Scale It is a must-read for any entrepreneurs, providing step-by-step guidance for starting a business. Even if you have no interest in starting a business, the principles taught in this book stretch far beyond the constraints of entrepreneurship. A quick read loaded with content and depth, Nail Then Scale It is a powerful tool in helping not only businesses grow, but people too.