There are few books on entrepreneurship written from the authors’ own experience – and this is just one of the things which makes “Anyone Can Do It” very enjoyable reading. “Anyone Can Do It” is a book about building a republic of successful coffee shops and about making it sustainable. `15 years later, Coffee Republic has become a solid old brand in the market – and the owners some of the most successful entrepreneurs in UK.
Coffee Republic started when Sahar and Bobby decided on day to leave their comfort zones and put into practice a new idea. If you think a bit, giving up a successful career of a London lawyer (Sarah) or of an investment banker in New York (Bobby) requires quite a lot of courage. This is even more valid when you look at two of the most enviable professions ever… and yet they did it.
The book is very experiential – it tells the story of Coffee Republic step by step, from the very beginning. It is also a conclusion oriented book – every sub-chapter leaves you with some very hands-on practical lesson on what to do if you face similar practical situations. Take for example Law 7 – “Success is very hard to come by – failure rate is 99%”. Looks discouraging at the beginning, but this is actually one of the features which distinguish the successful entrepreneurs from the rest of the world: they are able to come back again and again to the same idea and re-craft it until it becomes exceptional.
“Anyone Can Do It” builds on entrepreneurship as a living experience – you start with some ideas and then continue to tailor those on the fly, as they grow. Speaking about growth – another lesson is to beware of growing too fast, since expansion can hardly be managed with the same mindset and resources.
The book is also very practical – meaning that it gives you direct advice on what and how to do in various moments of a business’s lifecycle. But I guess its high value comes from its warm and passionate tone – I am very sure that if they would start all over again and if they could choose an idea, they would do the same. After all, being a successful entrepreneur is about passion and they just go on and on with their openings…
All in all, a pleasant weekend lecture compared to my thick finance books.