This book is a “follow-up” after it’s very successful predecessor - Business Model Generation.
Using the same concept of a 1-page canvas that helps to describe a business, this book tries to describe your career instead.
However, it failed.
Perhaps because I am not looking to reinvent my career. Perhaps it tried too hard to re-use the same canvas concept which originally was for business model. And when the 1-page canvas does not suffice, the authors introduced many disparate tools trying to achieve its goals.
Even the author said this on the last page:
Finally, accept our apologies for what in retrospect may seem like a misleading subtitle. If you’ve gone through even a portion of the exercises presented in Business Model You, you’ve used dozens of sheets of paper applying our “one-page method.” But wouldn’t you agree the results have been outstanding?
No matter what, I still like the style.
No other books has so much pictures, illustrations, fun colors, creative layouts, little text. It is always fun to read a book like that.
Here is what I have learnt.
Section I: The Canvas
This is the essence, showing the differences from the original BMC.
To help you further:
- Key Resources: Your interests, skills, and personalities
- Key Activities: List your usual tasks at work
- Customers: People who you are doing the job for (usually they pay you)
- Value: The job you get done
- Channels: The communication medium
- Relationships: The kind of relationship
- Key Partners: Colleagues and mentors
- Costs: Time, energy, money, stress, dissatisfaction
- Revenue/Benefits: Soft benefits such as job satisfaction
Section II: Reflect
This is the section where the 1-page canvas from Section I did not suffice, hence a number of disparate tools were introduced.
They help you identify your personality and career purpose.
IMO, it goes bad starting with this section.
Section III and beyond: Revise and Act on it
After knowing about yourself better from Section II, make changes to your canvas and act on it (test it out).
