Book Review: The Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche – A Book for Disruptors

Book cover for The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche: A Book for Disruptors by Brad Feld and Dave Jilk

Part of my daily morning routine involves devotionals and daily readers. Last year, one of those books was a little different. It was a weekly read.

The Entrepreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche: A Book for Disruptors by Brad Feld and Dave Jilk is a collection of 52 essays on various entrepreneurial topics. The essays are grouped into five sections – Strategy, Culture, Free Spirits, Leadership, and Tactics. Each essay starts with a Nietzsche quote that is used as the starting point for that week’s topic. The majority of the essays also include a narrative by an entrepreneur that reinforces the message in the essay by way of personal experience.

I read the book as suggested by the authors. I read the passage for the week daily over the course of a week, giving me ample time to digest the concepts in each passage. It’s a little different than a daily reader, where each day can introduce a new topic or concept. I’m not sure which way is better, but it was nice to try a different style for my daily reading.

There are couple of things to note with the book. First off, the book is geared towards those in the startup community. It’s most applicable if you’re working in a startup, starting a company, considering starting a company, or working around the startup community as an investor or service provider. There may be some general business and life principles, but I wouldn’t recommend the book for the general public. The intended audience is clearly those who are in some way, shape, or form involved in a startup.

Second, while the book includes quotes from Nietzsche, the book is not centered around him. The authors are not promoting or supporting Nietzsche’s philosophical teachings or views. They are merely using select quotes as a jumping off point to discuss important entrepreneurial concepts. Since Nietzsche can be a polarizing figure because of his perceived views, whether valid or not, you should put aside any opinions you may have around Nietzsche and keep an open mind when reading the book. If you refuse to read it because of the Nietzsche content, you’ll be missing out on a lot of great advice and discussions around what it takes to succeed in the startup world.

I wouldn’t recommend The Entrpreneur’s Weekly Nietzsche to the general public. It’s a niche book directed to those in the entrepreneurial community. If you spend a lot of time in or around that community, it’s a book that you should definitely read, especially how easily it can be read based on how it’s organized. Plus, it’s a great reference book if you ever want to come back and review a specific topic of interest, or if you just need a little lift or shot of motivation to keep you going when the going gets tough, which it somehow has a way of doing from time to time in a startup.

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