Anything You Want

What’s your dream job? Now imagine creating it – your rules, your way. It’s possible if you’re willing to break away from the norm and make bold decisions.

1. Build and Improve Your Ideas Relentlessly

A business idea doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. Success comes from constantly refining and improving your concepts. Derek Sivers shares his personal story of launching CD Baby not because of a grand vision, but because one particular idea resonated with his musician friends. The takeaway? The more you experiment and iterate, the closer you’ll get to an idea that works.

An outdated or stagnant idea will only lead to wasted time. If an idea isn’t receiving the feedback you’d hoped for, it’s time to pivot. Sivers emphasizes letting go of ideas that don’t gain traction and testing new ones until you find a breakthrough.

Keeping it simple is just as important. A business plan doesn’t have to be complex as long as it clearly outlines how your idea will be executed. Simplicity breeds clarity, which boosts confidence from investors and stakeholders.

Examples

• Sivers developed CD Baby as a simple solution for independent musicians to sell their CDs online, and this resonated strongly with his target group.
• He identified success by observing enthusiastic feedback from his musician friends, prompting him to further build on this concept.
• The success of his business relied on a straightforward revenue model that musicians could easily understand.

2. Identify Your Target Audience and Focus on Their Needs

To build a thriving business, you need to define your target audience. Sivers suggests focusing on smaller, more specific customer groups instead of spreading yourself thin across a general demographic. This approach allows businesses to better understand and serve their customers.

Catering to the desires of one influential client might seem tempting, but it can lead to instability. Sivers emphasizes avoiding dependency on any single customer. Instead, a diversified customer base ensures that the business remains adaptable and independent.

Turn down ideas or requests that don’t align with your core mission. Sivers shares how he repeatedly denied requests from record label executives to include their musicians on CD Baby to stay true to his mission of supporting independent musicians.

Examples

• Sivers refused to let record label artists sell on CD Baby, staying aligned with his vision for independent musicians.
• Defining his core group – unsigned musicians looking for distribution – gave his service direction and clarity.
• Rejecting distractions allowed Sivers to focus on delivering value to his primary audience.

3. Lack of Big Funding Is Not a Barrier

Starting a successful business doesn’t require vast sums of money. Sivers demonstrates that financial limitations can actually foster creativity and innovative thinking. When you lack resources, you’re compelled to find smarter, more efficient ways to meet your goals.

Instead of waiting for perfect conditions or funding, take small steps. Start immediately with what you have, however minimal. For example, if you plan to launch a tutoring business, begin teaching one person today.

Operating on a tight budget forces prioritization. It keeps you from wasting resources on unnecessary extravagances like luxury office spaces or equipment. These limitations encourage practical decisions and a deeper understanding of your business essentials.

Examples

• Sivers launched CD Baby with minimal resources and relied on ingenuity to grow its capabilities.
• Enterprising individuals with limited finances often find creative ways to excel, such as thrifty shoppers assembling great wardrobes on a shoestring budget.
• Starting with a single client or a small prototype can reduce risk and refine your approach.

4. Listen to Your Customers Above All Else

Great businesses solve problems for their customers. Sivers reminds entrepreneurs to prioritize customer feedback over investor demands or profit motives. When customers feel heard and supported, a business thrives naturally.

Every business starts with an idea intending to fill a need or address an issue. Entrepreneurs should continuously seek input from their customer base to ensure the business remains relevant and valuable.

If the need your business addresses disappears, it’s okay to move on. Sivers was prepared to close CD Baby if musicians found other effective ways to sell their music. This self-awareness allowed him to focus on value rather than clinging to outdated ideas.

Examples

• CD Baby succeeded because it made independent musicians feel supported and empowered in the digital marketplace.
• Sivers constantly communicated with musicians, letting their feedback shape new features on the platform.
• He prioritized customer needs over profit by rejecting record-label executives’ proposals for their artists.

5. Learn to Delegate Without Losing Control

Delegation is essential for sustainability, but it must be done carefully. Many entrepreneurs struggle with sharing responsibilities, which can lead to frustration and eventual burnout.

Sivers recommends training employees with thorough instruction manuals and clear expectations. This allows them to tackle problems confidently without micromanagement.

However, over-delegation is just as risky. To avoid chaos, ensure there are systems in place for accountability. Sivers recounts a time when an overzealous employee made company-altering decisions without his knowledge, teaching him the importance of maintaining oversight.

Examples

• Sivers created a manual to teach employees how to handle the same issues he faced while running CD Baby.
• By delegating tasks thoughtfully, he managed to focus on big-picture strategies for growth.
• His lesson in over-delegation came when an employee pushed through profit-sharing policies without his participation.

6. Define and Stick to Your Core Values

Running a business is more than maximizing profits; it’s about staying true to your guiding principles. Once you’ve defined your values, let them shape every decision you make.

Not every request will align with your mission. By saying no when necessary, you protect your brand’s integrity. Sivers showed this when he avoided accommodating record-label musicians to maintain CD Baby’s vision for independence.

Businesses flourish when authenticity is at their foundation. Stray too far from your promises, and customers will notice, but sticking to your values fosters loyalty and trust.

Examples

• Sivers maintained his value of uplifting independent musicians, making them the cornerstone of CD Baby.
• Turning down misaligned proposals, even when they could be lucrative, strengthened his reputation for integrity.
• Regularly communicating company values to employees ensured the entire team shared his commitment.

7. Shape Your Business Around Your Life, Not the Other Way Around

Your business should be an extension of your personality and values, not a cage. Sivers argues you should build a company that aligns with your strengths and passions instead of trying to meet conventional expectations.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to grow endlessly, but if smaller-scale operations bring you more happiness, that’s perfectly okay. It’s your business, your rules.

Similarly, employees should be empowered to pursue roles they enjoy. When your team works on things they’re passionate about, even the most tedious tasks will get done enthusiastically.

Examples

• Sivers didn’t strive to model his company on massive tech startups like Apple; instead, he prioritized helping musicians.
• He allowed employees to create their own titles based on their interests, improving morale and effectiveness.
• His philosophy freed him from conforming to traditional norms of what a successful CEO “should” do.

8. Running Lean Encourages Smarter Decisions

Smaller businesses with limited resources can outperform bloated corporations by staying lean. Sivers reflects on how fewer resources helped CD Baby grow more intelligently.

Operating lean means considering every expense carefully rather than frivolously investing in image or status symbols. This thoughtful approach keeps your priorities in check.

By solving only the most urgent and meaningful problems, a lean business rewards efficiency and practicality. You’ll learn to spot what truly matters and eliminate waste.

Examples

• Sivers never invested in fancy offices for CD Baby, focusing instead on tools to simplify the musicians’ experience.
• Limited resources pushed his team to create highly efficient processes instead of relying on outsourcing.
• He discovered creative ways to keep operational costs low, ensuring sustainability.

9. There Is No One Right Way to Run a Business

Success isn’t defined by following traditional paths. Sivers reminds entrepreneurs to embrace creativity and build a business that reflects who they are.

Don’t feel pressured to conform to societal expectations. If growing at a steady pace or running a small, specialized operation fits better with your goals, go for it.

Sivers also empowers readers to experiment with unconventional methods. What works for someone else might not work for you, so trust your instincts.

Examples

• Many businesses aim to scale rapidly, but Sivers was fine with sustainable, steady profits at CD Baby.
• Ignoring industry consultants, he chose strategies grounded in his personal vision rather than market trends.
• He created unique solutions tailored to his needs and the lifestyle he wanted.

Takeaways

1. Simplify your ideas and plans, focusing on clarity and understanding over complications.
2. Prioritize customer feedback and adapt your services based on real needs, not assumptions or external pressures.
3. Run a business that feels true to you – customize operations, decisions, and structures to align with your values and lifestyle.