Anything You Want
by Derek Sivers · 2011
Derek Sivers's 40 tiny lessons on building a business that's weirdly yours.
Worth reading? Anything You Want is Sivers at his wisest: short, counterintuitive, and anti-scale, care more about customers than growth, say no often. A palate cleanser after the hustle books. Skip it if you already run on 'hell yes or no.'
| Author | Derek Sivers |
|---|---|
| Published | 2011 |
| Category | Self-Improvement & Psychology |
| Favorite quote | “If it's not a hell yes, it's a no.” |
The Verdict
Anything You Want is Sivers at his wisest: short, counterintuitive, and anti-scale, care more about customers than growth, say no often. A palate cleanser after the hustle books. Skip it if you already run on ‘hell yes or no.’
founders who'd rather build a joyful, small business than a empire
you want hypergrowth and already ignore outside noise
Book Summary
Derek Sivers's 40 tiny lessons on building a business that's weirdly yours. It earns its place by giving you a clear lens you can apply, not just inspiration. Care more about your customers than your business. Business is not about money; it's about making meaning. The practical move is to read it once, then act on the one idea that maps to your current bottleneck, rereading the whole thing rarely adds more than executing the part you skipped.
Top 10 Lessons from Anything You Want
- Care more about your customers than your business.
- Business is not about money; it's about making meaning.
- Say no to almost everything.
- If it's not a hell yes, it's a no.
- Build to be useful, not to be big.
- Delegate and train replacements so the business can run without you.
- Watch what customers actually do, not just what they say they want.
- Ship something small and imperfect now instead of waiting for perfect.
- Being different is a real strategy -- imitation just makes you invisible.
- Negotiate deals that protect what you actually care about, not just the price.
Top 5 Quotes from Anything You Want
"Business is not about money. It's about making dreams come true for others and for yourself."
Derek Sivers, Anything You Want
"If it's not a hell yes, it's a no."
Derek Sivers, Anything You Want
"Care more about your customers than your business."
Derek Sivers, Anything You Want
"To have something (a finished recording, a business, or millions of dollars) is the means, not the end. To be something (a good singer, a skilled entrepreneur, or just plain happy) is the real point."
Derek Sivers, Anything You Want
"No business plan survives first contact with customers."
Derek Sivers, Anything You Want
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Anything You Want worth reading?
Yes, if the description fits you, founders who'd rather build a joyful, small business than a empire. Skip it if you want hypergrowth and already ignore outside noise.
What is the main idea of Anything You Want?
Anything You Want is Sivers at his wisest: short, counterintuitive, and anti-scale, care more about customers than growth, say no often.
Who should read Anything You Want?
Founders who'd rather build a joyful, small business than a empire. Skip it if you want hypergrowth and already ignore outside noise.
What will you get out of Anything You Want?
A clearer, opinionated take you can act on, plus the sharpest lessons pulled into a short list so you don't have to read the whole book to decide.
Ready to read it?
Get Anything You Want on Amazon
