Josh Kaufman

Josh Kaufman is the bestselling author of books on business, entrepreneurship, skill acquisition, productivity, creativity, applied psychology, and practical wisdom. About Josh »

LAUNCH: The Personal MBA Book

lela-personalmba

I’m excited to announce that my new book, The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business , is now available at a bookstore near you. The reviews are rolling in , and they’re fantastic. This is a book six years in the making - a comprehensive collection of the most important and practical ideas in business.

You should be able to purchase this book for less than $25 USD at most major bookstores - you won’t find a better ROI anywhere. I hope you enjoy the book!

I’m also excited to announce the birth of my daughter, Lela Christine. Lela was born 10 days ago, so I’m the proud papa of two lovely launches today.

If you’ve already purchased a copy of The Personal MBA , thank you - please spread the word, and leave a review if you’re so inclined.

If you haven’t yet purchased a copy for some reason, now is a great time to do so. Books are a great way to launch new ideas into the mainstream, and the media uses bestselling books as a gage when deciding what to talk about. If you’ve ever wished more people would recognize the value of self-education, here’s your chance - purchasing this book is a way of voting with your dollars. We all benefit from spreading this message far and wide.

Personal MBA Order

The Personal MBA: Full Table of Contents

It’s not uncommon for authors to post the table of contents of their book, so readers can get an idea of what’s inside. I’m going to go one step further: here’s the complete table of contents INCLUDING a video summary of each concept. Each link leads to a video, where you can quickly learn about each key idea in the book.

Since I’m known for my book summaries, I figured the best way to launch this book would be to summarize it for you. Enjoy, and thanks for your support!


Chapter 1: Value Creation

Value-Creation The 5 Parts of Every Business Economically Valuable Skills The Iron Law of the Market Core Human Drives 10 Ways to Evaluate a Market The Hidden Benefit of Competition The Mercenary Rule The Crusader Rule The 12 Standard Forms of Value Form of Value #1 - Product Form of Value #2 - Service Form of Value # 3 - Shared Resource Form of Value #4 - Subscription / Continuity Form of Value #5 - Resale Form of Value #6 - Lease Form of Value #7 - Agency Form of Value #8 - Audience Aggregation Form of Value #9 - Loan Form of Value #10 - Option Form of Value #11 - Insurance Form of Value #12 - Capital Perceived Value Modularity Bundling / Unbundling Prototype The Iteration Cycle Iteration Velocity Feedback Alternatives Economic Values Relative Importance Testing Critically Important Assumptions Shadow Testing Minimum Economically Viable Offer Incremental Augmentation Field Testing


Chapter 2: Marketing

Marketing Attention Receptivity Remarkability Probable Purchaser End Result Qualification Point of Market Entry Addressability Desire Visualization Framing Free Permission Hook Call-To-Action Narrative Controversy Reputation


Chapter 3: Sales

Sales Transaction Trust Common Ground Pricing Uncertainty Principle 4 Pricing Methods Value-Based Selling Education-Based Selling Next-Best Alternative 3 Universal Currencies 3 Dimensions of Negotiation Buffer Reciprocation Damaging Admission Objections & Barriers Risk-Reversal Reactivation


Chapter 4: Value Delivery

Value-Delivery Value Stream Distribution Channel Throughput The Expectation Effect Predictability Duplication Multiplication Scale Accumulation Amplification Barrier To Competition Force Multiplier Systemization


Chapter 5: Finance

Finance Profit Value Capture Sufficiency Target Monthly Revenue Core Revenue Growth Pricing Power Lifetime Value Allowable Acquisition Cost Overhead Costs: Fixed & Variable Breakeven Amortization Purchasing Power Cash Flow Cycle Opportunity Cost Time Value of Money Compounding Leverage Hierarchy of Funding Bootstrapping Return on Investment Incremental Degradation Sunk Cost


Chapter 6: The Human Mind

The Human Mind Caveman Syndrome The Gas Tank The Onion Brain Perceptual Control Reference Level Reorganization Conflict Pattern Matching Mental Simulation Interpretation Motivation Willpower Depletion Guiding Structure Loss Aversion Threat Lockdown Cognitive Scope Limitation Contrast Association Absence Blindness Scarcity Novelty


Chapter 7: Working With Yourself

Working With Yourself Four Methods of Completion Most Important Task Goal State of Being Priming Choice Five-Fold Why Five-Fold How Next Action Externalization Self-Elicitation Cognitive Switching Penalty Counterfactual Simulation Parkinson’s Law Doomsday Scenario Excessive Self-Regard Tendency Confirmation Bias Hindsight Bias Performance Load Recovery Dash Mystique Locus of Control Acceptance


Chapter 8: Working With Others

Working With Others Power Comparative Advantage Communication Overhead Importance Safety Golden Trifecta Reason Why Commander’s Intent Referrals Clanning Convergence / Divergence Social Signaling Social Proof Authority Consistency Incentive-Caused Bias Modal Bias Bystander Apathy Planning Fallacy Pygmalion Effect Attribution Error Option Orientation


Chapter 9: Understanding Systems

Understanding Systems Gall’s Law Flow Stock Slack Constraint Environment Selection Test Feedback Loop Autocatalysis Uncertainty Change Interdependence Second-Order Effects


Chapter 10: Analyzing Systems

Analyzing Systems Deconstruction Measurement Key Performance Indicator Garbage In Garbage Out Analytical Honesty Sampling Confidence Interval Counterparty Risk Ratio Norm Proxy Context Segmentation Humanization


Chapter 11: Improving Systems

Improving Systems Refactoring Optimization Critical Few Diminishing Returns Friction Automation The Irony of Automation The Paradox of Automation Standard Operating Procedure Checklisting Cessation Normal Accidents Resilience Fail-Safe Stress Testing Scenario Planning The Middle Path The Experimental Mindset


I hope you enjoy the book!

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