Small Giants Summary

Summary of Small Giants Book by Bo Burlingham

Name: Small Giants
Rating: 4.3 (199 reviews)
Author: Bo Burlingham

4.3 . 199 reviews

Short summary

What do we know about the business world? Of course, it is a highly competitive and dynamic environment; it is also flexible, and the rules of the game are constantly changing. However, does it mean there aren't typical patterns and predictable scenarios? Businesses come and go, succeed and fail, expand and cease to exist. Forbes contributor and Inc. Magazine writer and editor Bo Burlingham argues that this tendency is changing on our watch. Introducing the phenomenon of small giants, the author assures that nowadays, many companies do not pursue the objectives of conquering the world and steady revenue growth. They deviate from this common course and build unique companies that become people’s favorites. “There is a choice, and the payoff for choosing the less-traveled path can be huge. It can affect every aspect of your business — from your relationships with the people you work with to the control you have over your time and your destiny.” ~ Bo Burlingham

13 min

7 key points

8 insights

Try Headway app

Table of content

Summary of Small Giants
About the author
What is Small Giants about?
Who should read Small Giants
Topics in Small Giants

first key point

Choice without limits

Listen the first key point

00:00

What is the main difference between corporations and small giants? Unlike the former, smaller companies can avoid the scenario of mass expansion and engage in their unique entrepreneurial pathway. Sounds unrealistic? As Nelson Mandela once said, it always seems impossible until it’s done.

Owner and CEO of the Anchor Brewery, Fritz Maytag, led the company with a rich history. When its future was critically endangered, the entrepreneur made a game-changing decision. He narrowed the focus to one outstanding product and won. Then, Maytag struggled because his beer was the best, and everyone wanted it, so he decided to expand. Eventually, he realized that it was the craziest idea; expansion was not what he wanted; he loved Anchor Brewery the way it was.

But how do business people come to such pivotal solutions? And how do they draw the voices that whisper, ‘Go global! Go global!’? How, after all, do they resist the temptation of becoming rich and famous? Some businesspeople see the chance to turn away from the beaten track due to sudden enlightenment, while others have to take the wrong turn and get lost before finding themselves.

The owner of an organic energy bars production company, Gary Erikson, realized that ‘entering a new level’ was not his life dream. Maytag and Erikson were a few milliseconds from making the wrong decision: the brewery owner was about to release million-dollar stocks to the market. At the same time, the food manufacturer intended to sell the company. Before setting the deal, which, fortunately, didn’t happen, Erikson was devastated. The man had to experience a panic attack to realize that his desires mattered more than the commonly accepted idea of triumphant success.

Some entrepreneurs have an inexplicable gut — in the most challenging moment, they grasp that going global means losing themselves and the secret ingredient of their success.

This summary will help you discover the components of long-term entrepreneurial success. It turns out you don't need to dominate the world or consistently strengthen financial indicators. You’ll also understand how the context and external factors affect business decisions and how to navigate a company independently.

second key point

The formula of success

Indisputably, not every small business owner can boast impeccable savvy about what to do next. Many of them will most likely add insult to injury when exploring opportunities to develop. On the other hand, there are still many companies that will succeed, so let’s see the characteristics that can bring the scenario into life:

Continue reading with Headway app

Full summary is waiting for you in the app

third key point

Success without expansion: Position yourself as an independent leader

fourth key point

The location of your company: Why is it so important?

fifth key point

Promote support and the sense of connectedness

sixth key point

Small giants fail too

seventh key point

Conclusion

Buy full book on Amazon Continue the summary

What is Small Giants about?

"Small Giants" explores the stories of remarkable companies that prioritize greatness over growth. Bo Burlingham delves into the journeys of these unique businesses, highlighting their commitment to fostering strong relationships, maintaining a positive work culture, and making a lasting impact on their communities. Through inspiring anecdotes and insightful analysis, Burlingham challenges the conventional notion that bigger is always better, offering a compelling argument for the power of small businesses to create extraordinary success.

Who should read Small Giants

Entrepreneurs seeking inspiration from successful small businesses.
Business owners looking to prioritize greatness over growth.
Individuals interested in alternative approaches to business success.

Topics in Small Giants

Business Management Small Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Company Culture Business Strategy Management Business Acumen Career Development Personal Development Leadership for Women Startup Business Development Sales Marketing Strategy

Enjoy summarized nonfiction bestsellers

Grasp the book’s key ideas in less than 15 minutes

Get started

Get new knowledge easily

Let’s check how many titles you can finish in a month with Headway! Tell us how much time you’d like to spend on reading:

2 min/day

5 min/day

10 min/day

15 min/day

20 min/day

30 min/day

45 min/day

4 titles/month

10 titles/month

20 titles/month

30 titles/month

40 titles/month

60 titles/month

90 titles/month

4 titles/month

10 titles/month

20 titles/month

30 titles/month

40 titles/month

60 titles/month

90 titles/month

Join 30+ million learners around the world

60K5 reviews on App Store and Google Play

Everything you need to be motivate, to learn & to self improves is all here. I actually do appreciate the reminders because otherwise this wouldn’t work for me. Thank you

sandypantalones

Headway is the answer! No longer accumulating books I never read. With Headway, I initially chose the areas important to me such as productivity, time management, etc., and each day I'm provided several book summaries from which I devote 20 minutes or more each day reading. All of this on my phone! My life has improved with Headway. Truly my most useful app.

Carol Slinker

An excellent concept, executed well. Headway can help you retain what you've read while introducing you to the essential core of new information. It's an easier way to stay inspired, and to be reminded of the mental tools you've learned

Fuse Henry

In today’s world, we rarely have time. Between our jobs, our families are social obligations, when do we have time to grow and develop ourselves? Headway is an excellent app that gives you that time it gives you those little snippets of information that you need to direct your focus in on your life. Headway gives you a chance to find out the meat of a book that you might want to purchase and read or listen to in-depth without wasting a lot of time trying to figure out is this book for me? I highly recommend the app.

sleepy sprite

The selections are on point and the summaries are excellent! I listen while I walk my pup 🐶 and have in turn, ordered a few selections! REALLY loving the app, it’s layout, daily selections and features!

JuicyBaby328

I've gotten multiple books out of the library with the intent to read them, but always have a hard time finding the time. This app has helped me finally be able to get to them. Summarized, yes, and thank goodness too! Just short enough I can finish one on my way picking kids up from school/practice, or while I'm cooking dinner. I can't wait to listen to them over the summer when we visit the beach!

Jillian Emmert

It amazed me! There is the possibility to highlight the most important points of each book and instantly translate unfamiliar vocabulary. With the ability to review the searched words. It's a great way to learn more about English as well. The price is great.

Fiamma

I’m enjoying what I’m learning on headway.each summary comes with quotes at the end which you can save to help you remember key points. You can listen or read, I’ve found that reading puts me to sleep before I can finish but the listening feature keeps me engaged and I can finish in a brief amount of time if not one session.

Epic waters

The app it’s so easy to use. I use it while driving or cooking and is great. I love the fact that the chapters are short, so you can finish them quickly. Very knowledgeable.

kathytaveras

The best app for self development.It helps to keep pace with your reading and also suggests the kind of reading material you might like.It is fun as you can switch from reading to listening and vice-versa as per your convenience .Just get started and partake of the treasure of knowledge at your fingertips .I feel lucky to have spotted the app.It has helped me become self-disciplined and much better informed.The audio track is excellent.

anita yadav

Exactly what I need! I always have booklist to read, but can't committed enough to finish/start bc of too much pages. Headway is really helpful and concise with their summary. What I love the most is that the essence of the book is well crafted, so I don't only read the key points, but also there's the story and how personality of the author still well shown through the summary. Well done!

Feninda Amalia

This is outstanding best app ever and honestly whoever came up with is my app is an absolute genius kudos my gratitude definitely goes out and I’m only on my first week free trial and I’m certainly going to purchase this app annually. Now that I have it, I can’t even imagine living without it.

Darlin NIKKIDOLL0923

Have questions?

Asking the right questions brings you closer to achieving your goals

Can I test out Headway before purchasing it for my team?Payment

Sure, we will gladly give you access to our app for a certain period if you are interested in purchasing a corporate subscription for your team. Please fill out the form on the website or email partners@makeheadway.com. We will get back to you soon.

What should I do if some of my employees already have your Premium subscription?Payment

Can I increase or decrease the number of subscriptions on my corporate subscription once it’s started?Payment

What are the benefits of books summary?

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.