Derek Sivers didn’t set out to start a business. He just wanted to sell his music online. But in 1997, his friends asked him to help them do the same. This led to the birth of CD Baby. In his book “Anything You Want,” Sivers shares his journey through 40 bite-sized essays. He takes us from those early days to 2008, when he sold the company for $22 million.
But he gave it all away to charity.
When I decided to sell CD Baby, I already had enough. I live simply. I don’t own a house, a car, or even a TV. The less I own, the happier I am. The lack of stuff gives me the priceless freedom to live anywhere anytime. So I didn’t need or even want the money from the sale of the company. I just wanted to make sure I had enough for a simple, comfortable life. The rest should go to music education because that’s what made such a difference in my life.
It’s not that I’m altruistic. I’m sacrificing nothing. I’ve just learned what makes me happy. And doing it this way made me the happiest. I get the deeper happiness of knowing that the lucky streak I’ve had in my life will benefit tons of people— not just me. I get the pride of knowing I did something smart and irreversible before I could change my mind. I get the safety of knowing I won’t be the target of wrongful lawsuits, since I have very little net worth. I get the unburdened freedom of having it out of my hands so I can’t do something stupid. But most of all, I get the constant priceless reminder that I have enough.
It’s a story of unexpected twists and turns, told by someone who stumbled into entrepreneurship.
What stands out in this book isn’t just business advice. It’s Sivers’s take on life. He thinks deeply about everything he does. The insights he gained from running CD Baby can apply to many areas of life, not just business. Sivers isn’t just an entrepreneur; he’s a philosopher who happened to start a company.
The real point of doing anything is to be happy, so do only what makes you happy
What Did I Get Out of It?
Reading “Anything You Want” was eye-opening. Even though I’m not looking to start a business, Sivers’s ideas stuck with me. He offers a fresh perspective on work, life, and how to approach challenges.
Understanding What’s Important to Us
Most people don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing. They imitate others, go with the flow, and follow paths without making their own. They spend decades in pursuit of something that someone convinced them they should want, without realizing that it won’t make them happy.
Many of us follow the crowd without thinking about why we’re doing what we’re doing. We chase goals that others say we should want, even if they won’t make us happy or align with our goals. To avoid this trap, we need to pause and ask ourselves what we really want. It’s worth taking time to figure out our own path, instead of just copying others or going along with what’s expected.
What do these statements mean? What’s the context? How are you supposed to apply them to your own situation?
Questions to ask ourselves to understand what is important to us.
Persist in Improving. Not Repeating
We’ve all heard about the importance of persistence. But I had misunderstood. Success comes from persistently improving and inventing, not from persistently doing what’s not working.
Persistence is good, but it’s not about doing the same thing over and over. It’s about constantly trying to make things better. If something isn’t working, don’t keep doing it. Instead, look for ways to improve or try something new. Success comes from continuously learning and adapting, not from stubbornly sticking to methods that aren’t effective. This applies to work, hobbies, or any goal we’re pursuing.
We all have lots of ideas, creations, and projects. When you present one to the world and it’s not a hit, don’t keep pushing it as is. Instead, get back to improving and inventing.
Either “Hell yeah!” or “no.”
When you say no to most things, you leave room in your life to throw yourself completely into that rare thing that makes you say, “Hell yeah!” For every event you get invited to, every request to start a new project, if you’re not saying, “Hell yeah!” about it, say no. We’re all busy. We’ve all taken on too much. Saying yes to less is the way out.
We often say yes to too many things, spreading ourselves thin. Sivers suggests a simple rule: if it’s not a “Hell yeah!”, it’s a no. By turning down most opportunities, we free up time and energy for the few things that really excite us. This doesn’t mean never trying new things. It means being selective about what we commit to. By saying no more often, we can fully invest in the things that matter most to us. It’s a way to focus our time and energy on what’s truly important.
But we have to understand our circumstances as well. When we’re starting out, it’s probably wiser to say yes to most things to gain experience and understand ourselves better. As we grow and learn, we can become more selective.
Ideas Are Nothing Without Execution
It’s so funny when I hear people being so protective of ideas (especially people who want me to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they tell me about the simplest ideas). To me, ideas are worth nothing unless they are executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.
Explanation:
• Awful idea =-1
• Weak idea = 1
• So-so idea = 5
• Good idea = 10
• Great idea = 15
• Brilliant idea = 20
• No execution = $ 1
• Weak execution = $ 1,000
• So-so execution = $ 10,000
• Good execution = $ 100,000
• Great execution = $ 1,000,000
• Brilliant execution = $ 10,000,000…
Sivers argues that ideas alone aren’t worth much. What really matters is how well you carry them out. He even provides a simple formula to show this: the value of an idea multiplied by the quality of execution. A brilliant idea with no execution is worth far less than an average idea executed well. This applies to business, creative projects, or personal goals. Instead of obsessing over having the perfect idea or keeping it secret, focus on taking action and improving your execution. It’s not about having the best idea; it’s about making your idea happen in the best way possible.
That’s why I don’t want to hear people’s ideas. I’m not interested until I see their execution.
Embrace Multiple Possibilities
You can’t pretend there’s only one way to do it. Your first idea is just one of many options. No business goes as planned, so make ten radically different plans. Same thing with your current path in life: Now you’re living in New York City, obsessed with success. Go! Now you’re a free spirit, backpacking around Thailand. Go! Now you’re a confident extrovert and everyone loves you. Go! Now you’re married and your kids are your life. Go! Now you spend a few years in relative seclusion, reading and walking. Go!
Life isn’t a straight line. There’s no single “right” path. Sivers suggests we should think about many different ways our lives or projects could unfold. This approach helps us stay flexible and open to change. It’s about imagining various scenarios - from being a city high-flyer to a world traveler, or a social butterfly to a quiet bookworm. By considering these different paths, we prepare ourselves for unexpected turns. It also reminds us that we have choices. If one path isn’t working, we can switch to another. This mindset can make us more adaptable and less afraid of change.
Choose Your Inner Scorecard
In New York City, there are dozens of buildings that say TRUMP on them. As I was driving about an hour into the rural countryside, I even saw a Donald J. Trump park. It made me wonder if he grades himself according to how many valuable properties bear his name. Plenty of real estate tycoons have made billions without putting their names on everything, but maybe that’s his measure. We all grade ourselves by different measures: For some people, it’s as simple as how much money they make. When their net worth is going up, they know they’re doing well. For others, it’s how much money they give. For some, it’s how many people’s lives they can influence for the better. For others, it’s how deeply they can influence just a few people’s lives. For me, it’s how many useful things I create, whether songs, companies, articles, websites, or anything else. If I create something that’s not useful to others, it doesn’t count. But I’m also not interested in doing something useful unless it needs my creative input.
Everyone has their own way of measuring success. Some count money, others count lives changed. Trump might measure his success by how many buildings have his name. Sivers measures his by how many useful things he creates. The key is to figure out what matters to you. Don’t just use someone else’s measure of success. Think about what you value most. Is it wealth, helping others, creating things, or something else? Once you know your measure, you can focus on what really matters to you. This helps you stay true to yourself and find satisfaction in what you do.
The Paradox of Desirability
Banks love to lend money to those who don’t need it. Record labels love to sign musicians who don’t need their help. People fall in love with people who won’t give them the time of day. It’s a strange law of human behavior. It’s pretty universal.
There’s a strange pattern in how people and institutions behave. They often want what’s hard to get. Banks prefer lending to those who don’t need loans. Record labels chase artists who are already successful. People fall for those who aren’t interested in them. This happens in business, relationships, and many other areas of life.
Understanding this can help us in two ways. First, it might explain why we sometimes want things or people that are out of reach. Second, it suggests that being self-sufficient or successful can actually make others more interested in us.
It’s another Tao of business: Set up your business like you don’t need the money, and it’ll likely come your way.
Break the Solo Work Cycle
Most self-employed people get caught in the delegation trap. You’re so busy, doing everything yourself. You know you need help, but to find and train someone would take more time than you have. So you keep working harder, until you break.
Many of us get stuck doing everything ourselves, whether we’re self-employed or working for someone else. We’re so busy that we don’t take time to get help or teach others. But this keeps us trapped in a cycle of overwork. The solution is to realize that slowing down to train someone or ask for help will save time in the long run. It might feel like you’re too swamped to do this, but not doing it is what’s keeping you swamped. To break free, we need to push ourselves to step back and invest time in sharing the workload, even when it seems impossible.
Being self-employed feels like freedom until you realize that if you take time off, your business crumbles. To be a true business owner, make it so that you could leave for a year, and when you came back, your business would be doing better than when you left.
Reshape Your Role, Delegate What You Dislike
Never forget that you can make your role anything you want it to be. Anything you hate to do, someone else loves. So find that person and let her do it.
We often fall into thinking our job or role is fixed. But Sivers reminds us we have more control than we think. If there’s a part of your work you don’t like, chances are someone else enjoys that task. The trick is to find that person and hand over those tasks. This applies whether you’re running a business or working in a team. By shifting tasks you dislike to others who enjoy them, everyone wins. You get to focus on what you do best, and others get to do what they love. It’s about creating a role that plays to your strengths and interests.
Balance Trust and Verification When Delegating
Trust, but verify…
When you hand over tasks to others, it’s important to strike a balance. You need to trust people to do their job, but also check that things are being done right. This is especially true for important tasks. It doesn’t mean micromanaging. Instead, it’s about giving people freedom to work, while also having systems in place to make sure everything’s on track. This approach helps prevent problems and builds a culture of accountability. It’s a key skill for anyone managing projects or leading a team, whether you’re the boss or part of a larger organization.
Delegate, Don’t Abdicate
I learned an important word: abdicate. To abdicate means to surrender or relinquish power or responsibility; this word is usually used when a king abdicates the throne or crown. Lesson learned too late: Delegate, but don’t abdicate.
Sivers points out an important difference between delegating and abdicating. Delegating means assigning tasks while staying involved. Abdicating means giving up all responsibility. When we hand over tasks, we should delegate, not abdicate. This means we still keep an eye on things and provide guidance when needed. It’s about finding the right balance - giving others enough freedom to do their job, but not completely washing our hands of the responsibility. And it’s not about appearing insecure or mistrustful. It’s about being a responsible leader or team member. This applies whether you’re running a business, leading a project, or even managing tasks at home. The goal is to share the workload without losing control or understanding of what’s happening.
Who is This Book For
This book is worth your time, whether you’re thinking of starting a business or just looking for fresh ideas. It’s a quick read - with less than 100 pages - but it’s packed with insights that made me think differently. Sivers has a way of challenging common assumptions and offering a new perspective. Even if you’re not an entrepreneur, you’ll likely find ideas you can apply to your work or life.
If you’re after a book that’s short but impactful, give “Anything You Want” a try.