The Game of Inches

Book description

No spin, no fuss, no gurus: get the real secret to business success

Game of Inches dispels the myth that success must come from disruption, and provides an actionable blueprint for real-world business achievement. Entrepreneur Nigel Collin interviewed over 80 successful Australian entrepreneurs and leaders to learn the key factors that make a successful business; in this book, he distils his findings into a simple process of four actions governed by three behaviours that will guide your path to the top. Examples and case studies eschew the limelight in favour of those on the front lines of business doing well, illustrating the revolutionary idea that you don't have to make headlines to be a success. By shifting your mindset from explosive, overnight success to a quieter, more consistent, more sustainable process, you gain the ability to reach the top and stay there. You'll discover that innovation is actually in reach, doesn't cost too much and is not really all that complex when approached from a growth-oriented mindset of making small changes consistently.

You don't need to be Steve Jobs, and you don't need to create the next iPhone to be a success in business. What you do need to do is redirect your attention away from who you are and toward what you deliver.

  • Learn what really drives sustainable success
  • Discover innovation that's within reach right now
  • Focus on what you do, not who you are
  • Work toward a process of constant, consistent improvement

Business success is not a one-off event or a single "eureka" moment. It's a continuous, step-by-step process of becoming better every day. Incremental change is the surest route to the top; though others may skip the climb in favour of a helicopter, those who earn the summit tend to stay longest. Game of Inches is your straightforward roadmap to no-nonsense, long-term business success.

Table of contents

  1. About the Author
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. Foreword by Siimon Reynolds
  4. Start here: It's a game of inches
    1. The one thing that binds them all
    2. It's not who you are, it's what you do
    3. Beautiful tension
    4. The one thing
  5. Part I: There is a process
    1. Action 1: Find a gap
      1. Give them what they want
      2. Dog bites, loose paper and egg rings
      3. Look after the shop
      4. A beautiful tension: passion and viability
    2. Action 2: Take action
      1. Start from where you are
      2. The trouble with gunslingers and vacillators
      3. The first euphoric moment
      4. Momentum
      5. Size doesn't matter
      6. A beautiful tension: starting and preparing
    3. Action 3: Test and measure
      1. MVP
      2. MVA
      3. A big lesson from Tinybeans
      4. How will you know?
      5. Even if you think you're right …
    4. Action 4: Delete or improve
      1. The world is full of ideas
      2. The pragmatic entrepreneur
      3. Ideas are things
      4. Kill your idea zombies
      5. Getting better all the time
      6. What's the fatal flaw?
      7. Understanding small things
      8. The Daly Waters Pub
      9. Make a ‘stop doing' list
      10. The process is circular
  6. Part II: It's more than just a process
    1. Behaviour 1: Know why
      1. José Paronella's irresistible dream
      2. Why knowing is so important
      3. Jeff Morgan paints a panorama
      4. The evolving and changing ‘why'
    2. Behaviour 2: Mindset is everything
      1. Carol Dweck's mindset model
      2. Alisa Camplin's eight-year plan
      3. You don't learn anything if you don't fail
      4. Roadblocks and stop signs
      5. Fall in love with the process
    3. Behaviour 3: The never-ending doctorate
      1. ‘Yes and …'
      2. Magical myelin
      3. Practice
      4. Modelling and learning
      5. Beyond the book club
      6. The people you meet
      7. Mentors and coaches
      8. Your customers are people too
      9. Be true to yourself
  7. Restart here: Make it happen
  8. Index
  9. Advert
  10. EULA

Product information

  • Title: The Game of Inches
  • Author(s): Nigel Collin
  • Release date: June 2016
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780730328964