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Business for Punks: Break All the Rules--the BrewDog Way by [James Watt]

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James Michael Watt

James Watt

Business for Punks: Break All the Rules--the BrewDog Way Kindle Edition

by James Watt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Forget about building a business—businesses fail and fade into oblivion. Start a revolution instead.

James Watt started a rebellion against tasteless mass market beers by founding BrewDog, now one of the world’s best-known and fastest growing craft breweries, famous for beers, bars, and crowdfunding. In this smart, funny book, he shares his story and explains how you too can tear up the rule book and start a company on your own terms. It’s an anarchic, DIY guide to entrepreneurship—and a new manifesto for business.

After spending seven years on the high seas of the North Atlantic, James Watt started BrewDog craft brewery in Scotland with his best friend, Martin Dickie. They didn’t have a business plan. All they had was a mission to revolutionize beer drinking and make other people as passionate about craft beer as they are.

They’ve succeeded. Within a few years, BrewDog was huge—a world-famous craft brewery with beer bars around the globe and hundreds of thousands of fans. Those fans became literal backers of their business with the introduction of an unprecedented crowdfunding movement, Equity for Punks. And in rewriting the record books and kickstarting a revolution—James and BrewDog inadvertently forged a whole new approach to business.

Business for Punks bottles the essence of James’s methods in an accessible, honest manifesto. Among his mantras:

· Cash is motherf*cking king. Cash is the lifeblood of your company. Monitor every penny as if your life depends on it—because it does.
· Get people to hate you. You won’t win by trying to make everyone happy, so don’t bother. Let haters fuel your fire while you focus on your hard-core fans.
· Steal and bastardize from other fields. Take inspiration freely wherever you find it— except from people in your own industry.
· Job interviews suck. They never reveal if someone will be a good employee, only how good that person is at interviews. Instead, take them for a test drive and see if they’re passionate and a good culture fit.

Business for Punks rethinks conventional business wisdom so you can go beyond the norm. It’s an anarchic, indispensable guide to thriving on your own terms.

Print length

252 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Portfolio
Publication date

February 23, 2016
File size

48491 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An undeniably engaging read with tangible, pragmatic advice...and seasoned wisdom”
—The Scotsman

"An idiosyncratic guide for budding entrepreneuers"
—Financial Times

"[Watt] explains how a company that started in a shed in Scotland became an operation with an annual turnover of £50 million and sales in 55 countries...useful tips for a fledgeling entrepreneur with a bright idea"
—The Times

"BrewDog represents the future...They've crafted their own success. And if a couple of Scottish guys with a faithful dog can, you can too."
—Will King, the founder of King of Shaves

About the Author

JAMES WATT, captain and cofounder of BrewDog, was a fully qualified deep sea captain, having earlier completed an honors degree in law and economics. He traded in being a salty sea dog to start BrewDog in 2007, with Martin Dickie. He was awarded Great British Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014. Along with Martin, James hosts the reality TV show Brew Dogs on the Esquire Network, which airs in seven countries.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00Y9HIMMI
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio (February 23, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 23, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 48491 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #489,386 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #58 in Beer (Kindle Store)
- #83 in Crowdfunding (Books)
- #85 in Restaurant & Food Industry (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
335 ratings

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James Michael Watt
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Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		13%
3 star		8%
2 star		3%
1 star		6%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

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B. van Dam

Good Unique/Anti Perspective with Caveats

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

As a business owner and punk from the foundation, this caught my eye.

PRO
I love the brand, can't get it here in the US, yet.

They have been wildly successful and often in high risk, balls out ways and there should be a lot to learn from high growth pioneers.

A lot of solid advice that is readily applicable; I agree with a lot of it, not all.

CON
The whole "At Brewdogs this is what we do/did and why we're so awesome/irreverent/unique/anti" gets old. NOTE TO JAMES: Punks communicate their point by helping the person see themselves in the story

You really can overdo the analogies and catch phrases. NOTE TO JAMES: Punks alter their approach to speak to the various ways people listen thus furthering their master plan.

Many times when explaining an idea James repeats it in a number of iterations as if he had written several ways to convey the message and just used them all. NTJ: Punks craft their message, distill it and push it for maximum effect.

You don't need to hammer it home by saying hammer, hammered, hammerhead.....please....stop....no really. NTJ: Punks have more than a hammer in their toolbox and yes sometimes we use a wrench as a hammer to hammer things. See what I mean =:-o

NOTE TO SELF: I have yet to write a book so there's that, and I did enjoy reading it and look forward to trying thier brew as soon as it is available.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Leslie N. Patino

Great reading for all craft beer fans and business people

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

As a craft beer fan, I’d heard and read some about BrewDog and James Watt, although here in California, I have yet to find their beer. Reading “Business for Punks” is a great way to get an education about the Scottish brewery that’s soon to open a big, shiny facility in Ohio. While Watt has a bit of a reputation for arrogance, I came away dazzled by his intelligence, writing and out-of-the-box thinking. He writes in a very entertaining style (so long as you don’t mind salty language and an in-your-face attitude). There’s no debating the tremendous financial success that Watt and partner Martin Dickie have had. Their Equity for Punks crowdfunding campaigns have brought thousands of investor/fans into the BrewDog fold.

If you’re into craft beer culture or employed in it, if you’re a business person, you'll get a lot out of this book.

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great story. Inspiring, and the design and loyout of this book makes it an easy read. I know more about punk, than James Watt know about it though. But he knows more about beer than I do so its a one sided trade. At times his punk references seemed like he was only mildly familiar with punk. but it's okay. I got the points he was making.

Helpful

Core

He seems to have even more Gusto than SamWalton, only in craft beer

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

It's been awhile since I read a "business" book I really loved. I say this with a caveat though.

If you have a product already, something in mind, a revolution? this book will help you out greatly.
You have a product, you know you need to hire people, etc.. This book will lay a lot of the basics
out for you and keep you on a great course of action.. now on the other hand?
If you are like myself struggling to find yourself, and are just trying to survive..in this wonderfully big world.
It's a great read, but I would say its like sleeping with a beautiful toned goddess your never going to see again
cause you let her down. Because you just don't live up to her standards.

But if all the above does not apply and you just want to read the perspective of
a great character..James watt.. check it out! Unless you already "Know it all" it will be a
valuable read. I'm sure you will gleam a gem from it.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Faluvegi Balazs

Great company - boring book

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

I respect what The Brewdog guys achieved, but the book is boring, and basically contains a couple of advice kept repeating over and over without enough proper examples. You don’t need to buy the book, it’s enough to follow them on the net, which is a wise thing to do. (Probably this was their goal anyway.

Helpful

SPG

A fantastic and easy read, chock full of common sense and humor.

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

Received last night, not completely through the book yet but rapidly devouring the material. I enjoy the way the book is written...straightforward, in your face, caution to the wind, type of advice. Obviously James knows what he is talking about as his business model is exploding in growth and his thinking certainly stokes the imaginative fires for entrepreneurs. This book is relevant not only to those interested in opening a craft brewery, but anyone who wants a fresh approach to starting a business in the modern age. I cannot wait to complete this book shortly and so far have nothing but positive things to say about the book. An easy read...written for those who want to get to the point quickly..and written in a way that smacks you in the face with common sense. Spend the money and read the book, you won't regret it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Highlander's opinion

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book! I'm glad to see that I was righ about all the thing I've done on the way to starting a nano brewery of my own. A rich source of inspiration and ideas for all aspects of running a small business. Screw corporations whose only goal is profit! Do what you love and do it right from the start! Support others like you and nurture true values - love, friendship, honesty . Share postive energy and never give up on your dreams! Cheers from Republic of Srpska, Bosnia&Herzegovina.
Highlander Craft Brewery #gorstak

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

Read and then craft your own business strategy. This is worth reading! Things that bugged me facing my business now are clear

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Richard J. Newton

Not bad .... but not really that punk

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

Hmm. How do I rate this book? Well I think that depends on which way I rate it.

The first, most obviously, is the content. Actually, this is a pretty good primer on starting and running a business. Most of the advice is pretty standard, but there is an energy and drive which is lacking from most books of this nature. The advice that such energy and drive is essential for a successful business start-up is absolutely on the money. Also focus on things like cash rather than profits is great advice. I've been involved in 5 start-ups, none anything like as successful as BrewDog, and all would have been better with this advice.

The second is the writing and the writing style. I think it's either a love it or hate it in terms of style. At first it irritated me intensely. Then I realised it was meant to irritate me as I am probably, in the authors eyes, one of the old farts in a suit who the book riles against. Once I had realised this, I started to enjoy it. The tone is part of the message - and it is a good message. But to be frank this worked for the first 100-150 pages. After that it just started to bore me and grate on my nerves.

Finally, this book is not really just a book about business start-up - it's all part of the branding and marketing of BrewDog itself. Now you could argue any book by someone who runs a business is a bit of its marketing. That's probably true, but it is even more so with this book. It is just so much about the BrewDog brand. Buying this book is like buying a piece of advertising. And isn't BrewDog a very self-satisfied brand. Like any branding it is all about making you think BrewDog is something different and special, and influencing you to go out and buy their product. BrewDog really does sound different from many other businesses, but in the end it is obsessed with selling its product and growing. So it's not that different - and honestly not really that Punk.

Four stars for the content. Three for the style, although you may like it more than that. Two stars for the blatant use of the book as an advert for BrewDog. Averages out at 3 stars.

On the other hand 5 stars from a business perspective on a brillant piece of branding - but that's not really rating the book!

10 people found this helpful

Gary Barber

Just the spark that might ignite you.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

If you’ve reached a decision to start your own business and are in the early stages of trying navigate the vast swathes of new information and knowledge that will be essential to its success (or failure) then you can’t go wrong by reading about the exploits of the Brew Dog boys. The greatest thing you will take from this and what hopefully stays with you on your journey is the universal sense of determination in the face of almost constant doubt that that affects all entrepreneurs.

Cecelia

Good luck

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

Oh the irony...follow your gut, don’t listen to advice. But here’s what you need to do to be successful.

If you enjoy an authoritarian tone, this book is for you. If however you’re planning a true ‘punk’, rebellion, do-it-your-own way approach to business this condescending book may not be for you.

6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Well worth the read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very interesting insight full of useful headlines and the need to watch the money and live the brand Considering I run the Arran brewery and have a couple of books myself It reminded me of what I should be doing and painfully of mistakes I have made by not doing. A must read for all hopeful craft brewers

8 people found this helpful

Springdaddy

PUNK FUNK!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

Excellent book, really good alternative to the numerous run of the mill "business books" out & about. The Author demonstrates that you can kick all the traditional (mostly boring) business strategies out of the window, thus creating success (your way) whilst having fun along the way.... I'm coming away from book better armed for future than before! Which is what we're ultimately looking for with a publication like this. Oh... And thinking James is a bit of legend.

3 people found this helpful

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