Read a book, put it into practice

The Sunday Times Education section is pleased to commence a new series READ A BOOK, PUT IT INTO PRACTICE where we feature books in a manner where its contents are summed up, giving you an opportunity to imbibe the learning given in it easily.

Here the purpose is to go beyond ‘bookish’ knowledge but to promote knowledge that will be given life to, by you the reader, where you could apply what is in the book to your life. The goal then is to be happier, healthier, more aware and change your future as well as that of your country, for the better in diverse ways, through the new knowledge you get and which you could combine with your skill/talents/ professional training. This is actually the real purpose of getting an education.

We will be featuring books written in Sinhala, Tamil and English based on the philosophy that knowledge does not come only in one language. Where needed we will serialize details about a particular book, so that you could get maximum benefit from it.

Knowledge is something that is not limited to one sphere, or one particular science or thought. Hence the books we will feature every week will be from different genre ranging from entrepreneurship, art, science, technology, innovation, history, sociology, mass communication, journalism, anthropology, philosophy (philosophy of the Eastern world, philosophy of countries such as Africa and also the West) environment conservation, biodiversity/agro forestry, climate change, medical science ( Hela wedakama, Ayurveda, Sidha, Unani, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Acupressure and Allopathy), comparative spirituality, global cookery, self-help, global literature, psychology, peace studies, international relations and law, to name a few.

This new series is facilitated from the personal collection of the author and initiator of this series, Suryamithra Vishwa, whose collection totals to over 15,000 books and open to the public in Kandy free of charge.

We are commencing this series, with the book The $ 100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau who is a writer and entrepreneur who has never worked for anyone else all his life and travelled the whole world (yes, all the countries in this globe), by age 35. The first segment of understanding this book was introduced last week. Here is the link to it. http:// www. sundaytimes. lk/200510/education/read-a-book-putit-into-practice-401908.html

We are carrying the second section of explaining this book today.

We have chosen this book at this time because of the significance it has during this economic down turn created by the COVID19 epidemic. With companies closing down or staff being reduced, it is easy to get depressed or panic. However under even the most difficult circumstances, human creativity, intelligence, ingenuity, will power, confidence and the urge to be free and happy can go a long way.

This book is therefore about how you can: Fire your boss, Do what you love, Work better To Live More. The above words in italics, is what it says on the cover of the book which is a New York Times bestseller. Last week we highlighted that this book could be described as a toolkit to take a simple hobby or a passion of an individual and transform it into a money reaping business. The $ 100 Startup is realistic because it is a research of people around the world who have successfully transformed ideas into a money making venture that is different to a traditional business model, where you need huge capital or bank loans or complex project proposals.

Instead, this entrepreneur model is woven around an alternative way to life and earning.

Last week we highlighted what is repeated many times in the book on giving ‘value.’ Giving value through ideas often developed initially by the entrepreneur to serve himself/herself or immediate community to fulfill a need. According to the case studies that are represented in the book wanting to help others first and make money second, has proven to be a success. Of course, it does not mean that those featured with their unique business ideas did not think out the money factor. Of course they did. But unlike some traditional businesses where money making is the main factor, here criteria such as service, value, passion and uniqueness are the core selling points.

Let’s look at the following examples. Benny is in his twenties and makes a living from an extremely solo, comfortable and nomadic lifestyle that is the base of his business. Teaching people how to be fluent in 3 months in any language. Fluent in 3 months is actually the name of his business. Benny has the knack of learning languages very quickly (language hacking). He now teaches others how to do the same. His youtube course is taught so far in eight languages, all of which he has picked up in the countries he has traveled to. Interestingly it is not as if Benny was born with some miraculous multi-language ability. His ability to ‘hack’ into a language was discovered through his passion for travelling and unconventional ways of initiating the learning of languages. This book tells us that Benny would stand in different street corners in various countries that he would roam into, sing in the national language dressed up in the national costume of that country and give free hugs. Now is it a mystery that he makes enough friends from all these countries to make his language learning super easy? So Benny the language learner is now Benny the language teacher. If Benny’s language learning methods are out of the box, so are his teaching methods. One of the ways he conducts his online teaching course is by giving a tour of his apartment in five languages (including different dialects).

Here is another example. Californian duo Mark Ritz and Charlie Jordan started the Kinetic Coffee Company KKC, entering an almost over crowded coffee shop business but they did it totally differently. They targeted a specific clientele; cyclists, skiers and backpackers. Why? Well to begin with the two were outdoor people themselves; Charlie was Vice President of a Kayak company and Mark had worked in the cycling industry. They also love coffee. So naturally they inter-mixed their passions. The KKC is regularly patronized by a consistent clientele who are reached through bicycle shops and other outdoor stores and 10 percent of the six figure earning business is donated to outdoor causes annually and Mark regularly visits trade shows and consumer events organized by the outdoor stores that help him get customers. So what is happening here is that an outdoor ‘ community’ is being created through this unique café.

However as the book emphasizes, some serious thinking and commitment is required to make you transform your passion or hobby into a business.

Let us begin with 2 out of 4 questions posed for the reader to understand this.

If you would enjoy pursuing your hobby 20 hours a week.

If you the reader (to be entrepreneur) to be precise, would still enjoy your hobby if administrative work related to it had to be done as part of turning hobby into business.

Let us now take what is asked from two out of the 4 questions for the Marketplace (where the competitors and consumers of your soon to be developed product) exists.

Whether your business is different to others who are also serving the same market criteria. (Think KKC).

Whether you know if other people will be willing to pay to benefit from the business idea or expertise you have to offer.

Therefore this book is not an airy fairy follow your passion only thing. It is a book that makes you analyse the commitment you need for the free ride to the world of renegade solo entrepreneurship that could earn millions of dollars.

We will talk more of this book next week. -By Suryamithra Vishwa