The next book we’d like to introduce is Anything You Want by Derek Sivers—a must-read for startups still in the idea phase, wondering whether to dive in or wait for someone to validate their million-dollar concept.
The answer lies in two simple words: take action.
This book also speaks to businesses that have already launched and are seeking new ideas or directions to grow.
In Anything You Want, you’ll encounter refreshing perspectives—some even counterintuitive to traditional startup wisdom—ranging from how to stand out in a simple email to what to focus on as your company begins to scale.
In this first part, we’ll explore Derek’s thoughts on how ideas are built and brought to life.
Ideas are the starting point of any business plan, but no matter how great an idea is, if it stays on paper, it will never turn into profit. As Derek puts it:
“A great idea that’s not executed is worth only $20. But a great idea that’s executed well could be worth $200,000,000.”
One of Derek’s most striking insights is:
“If you think innovation has to be some grand revolution, you’re overcomplicating it. At its core, innovation is simply about serving people better.”
When you create something truly meaningful, the feeling it brings is unlike any typical joy—it’s deeper than just the thrill of innovation.
Let’s read, reflect, and take action—together.
Ta Huong Thao – Program Coordinator for Capacity Building at KisStartup
Anything You Want – Part 1: An Idea Is Only Worth $20 Unless You Make It Real
In Anything You Want, author Derek Sivers distills 10 years of entrepreneurial experience into short, counterintuitive lessons that challenge conventional startup thinking. This book prompts readers to pause and reconsider many traditional beliefs about business.
What’s Your Real Goal?
You need to know what makes you happy, what’s worth doing, and what gets you out of bed each morning.
Don’t waste years chasing fleeting interests—only to wake up one day realizing you’ve missed the chance to pursue your bigger dream.
Turn Dreams into Reality
“When you start a business, you’re creating a little universe of your own.”
You’re building a world from scratch—and once you make your dream real, it becomes real for others too.
The Two-Number Business Plan
Don’t spend too much time writing a detailed business plan. Ideally, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
The best plans are simple—you can usually tell right away if they make sense. The rest is just refining the details.
This Is Not a Revolution
If you think innovation has to be dramatic or disruptive, you’re overcomplicating it.
At its core, business is simply about finding a better way to serve people.
If you create something genuinely valuable, it won’t just feel like innovation—it’ll feel like something more.
If It Doesn’t Create Change, Let It Go
Yes, persistence is important—but only when it leads to improvement and progress.
Success comes from relentless iteration, not stubborn repetition.
If your idea or improvement makes people say: “Wow! I need this—I’d pay for it,” then you’re on the right path.
If not, it’s probably not worth pursuing.
No “Yes”—Only “Hell Yeah!” or “No”
When considering a new project, if your reaction isn’t “Hell yeah!”—then it’s a no.
Everyone’s busy. If a new opportunity only gets a lukewarm “yes,” it’s not worth your time.
Plans Always Change
Whatever you think your business will look like—remember this quote from Steve Blank:
“No business plan survives first contact with customers.”
Be ready to adapt.
The Advantage of Having No Capital
When you have no money to waste, you waste no money.
Derek couldn’t afford to hire a developer, so he spent $25 on a book and taught himself PHP and MySQL—from scratch.
Constraints can spark creativity.
And in everything you do, your first focus should be: How does this serve the customer?
Whether it’s scaling, fundraising, or promoting someone—customer benefit comes first.
Start Now. Don’t Wait for Funding.
Even if you only see 1% of the path ahead, start walking.
Launch a simple prototype. Begin with what you have.
While others sit and wait for the “perfect moment,” you’re already building something real—and that puts you ahead.
Ideas Are Just a Starting Point
Ideas alone are cheap—just paper and thoughts.
“A great idea without execution is worth $20. A great idea with execution? $200,000,000.”
You need both: the spark of an idea and the discipline to make it real.
Translated by: Ta Huong Thao – Program Coordinator for Capacity Building at KisStartup
Source: Paul Minors
At KisStartup, we know that most startup founders don’t have time to read full books. That’s why we summarize key insights into bite-sized reads—no more than 5 minutes each—so you can still get the most important lessons.
Thanks to a recommendation from Phan Dinh Tuan Anh, mentor at SME Mentoring 1:1, we discovered the excellent summaries at Paul Minors. With permission, we selected the books most relevant to entrepreneurs and reviewed the originals to ensure alignment before translating them into Vietnamese.
Our first featured book was The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz—a powerful reflection on the emotional and strategic challenges of startups. It showed us that company culture is often built from the personal growth of its founder—transforming from “startup founder” to “value-creating business owner.”
I hope you, like me, find value in these summaries. As Horowitz said:
“The hard thing isn’t setting big, bold goals. The hard thing is having to lay people off when you fail to meet them.”
Let’s continue reading, reflecting, and building—together.
Nguyen Dang Tuan Minh
Manager & Co-founder of KisStartup
