A breezy QSR for wannabe millionaires

Entertaining spiel plus doable wisdom on building a business

- SHIVAJI DASGUPTA

Whether a self-propelling inspiration or a self-destruction toolkit, the jury can indeed be out on Noah Kagan's DIY prescription. Although the intent is consistently bullish and occasionally action-provoking, the overt simplification must be viewed with suitable caution. Especially in this 'fake it till you make it' era of projective entrepreneurism, that has been the bane of many.

The narrative begins with a simple three-step process for business success: To find a problem that can be solved, to then craft a million dollar-plus business solution backed by market research and, finally, to spend no money to validate the prospect. Kagan speaks eloquently about the many who have benefited from this wisdom—Michael Osborne in real estate, Jennifer Jones with cookies, Daniel Reifenberg in the tutoring business, among others. Each, especially himself, has conquered the monumental two-tier barrier of 'Fear of Starting' and 'Fear of Asking'.

True to the overall oscillation between depth and triviality, the origins of some great businesses are overly simplified. Apple (two guys wanting a computer kit to carry), Facebook (a weekend project), Google (research project), and Airbnb (living rooms doubling as bedrooms). His very own AppSumo makes this venerable list, a good place to get deals on software. Throughout the narrative this pattern continues—the postponement of hard-nosed analysis for catchy colloquialism.