A summary of things you should know about The Road to Reinvention according to Josh Linkner

Introduction

In this episode, New York Times bestselling author, Josh Linker shares how critical reinvention is for the health and stability of small businesses. In his book, The Road to Reinvention, Linkner takes you on a practical journey that breaks down an organization in six parts and gives you a systematic way to reinvent each of them. The Road to Reinvention is the perfect fit for entrepreneurs or small business owners who have businesses that are struggling to keep up and are on the verge of failure. Not only does Linkner discuss the reinvention of business, he also provides some keen guidance in reinventing yourself and your career in times of struggle.

The Book’s Unique Quality

There are a few things, one being I have been on the front lines of over 100 startups so I see how startups think and how they work. The other interesting difference is I talk a lot about my home town of Detroit. If Detroit can rise from the ashes and reinvent itself during challenging times, that is inspiring for all the readers as well.

The Reader’s Takeaway

I would want it to be that reinvention is mission critical but accessible. You don’t have to have tons of money or resources, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming but if you break it down into a systematic process it can be very accessible, very un-risky and very inspiring. I hope that people walk away feeling that they now have a practical toolset that they can apply immediately to their own life, to their own career to proactively craft their own future rather than just being subject to the work of someone else.

A Deep Dive Into The Book

I start by making the case for reinvention. It’s hard because many of us feel uncomfortable with change, we become set in our ways and there is a myth that success is a permanent condition. In other words we have arrived at some level of success and that will last forever but really success is a temporary condition. Once we make the case of why reinvention is needed we talk about the reinvention ethos.

From there I take people on a very practical journey, one that breaks down organizations into six key areas. Product and service, how to reinvent your processes, how to reinvent your culture, your sales and distribution model and how to reinvent your customer experience. We break down an organization into several areas and help readers with very practical tools to reinvent those areas of their business.

The last two chapters we move in to personal reinvention and talk about how to reinvent your career. And how to reinvent yourself, how to reinvent personal attributes and be the person you want to be more so than the person you always were.

Notable Quotes From The Book

There are a couple concepts that are important, one of them is that so many people live their lives trying to play it safe only to discover that playing it safe is the riskiest move of all. On the other hand all of us have the tools within our reach to craft change in a meaningful way and to be part of a solution instead of just protecting the past.

The Credibility/Inspiration Of The Author

I am a four-time entrepreneur who has started, build and sold four technology companies over the last 20 years. I currently run Detroit Venture Partners, a venture capital firm investing in early stage and tech companies. I am the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Disciplined Dreaming – A Proven System to drive Breakthrough Creativity and most recently, The Road to Reinvention.

I saw so many great brands fall and realized that they didn’t need to. They were once great organization that failed to reinvent. It’s one of the most common pitfalls and one of the easiest ones to fix. It’s about how to go about a proactive reinvention process on an ongoing base to make sure that your brand or you retain relevancy.

Other Books Recommended By The Author

The Monk who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

More Information About This Book and The Author

Buy The Road to Reinvention by Josh Linkner on Amazon today

Visit JoshLinkner.com for free creative resources, recommended readings, and inspirational quotes

Follow Josh Linkner on Twitter

More Information About This Episode

Download the full transcript here

Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud

Related books: Invent Reinvent Thrive by Lloyd Shefsky | Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products by Nir Eyal | One Simple Idea by Stephen Key

Relevant advice and tips: 5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Business Failure

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Wade Danielson

Wade is a 4-time serial entrepreneur and is the Founder/Host of The Entrepreneurs Library. With a long time passion for reading books, Wade created an online resource and podcast for entrepreneurs who love to read personal and business development books. His long-term goal in life is to start an entrepreneurial home schooling program for children of business-minded families.