If you want to give yourself a personal MBA (in 6 months), read...
Charafeddine Mouzouni@theCharafeddine
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Jan 07, 2025
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If you want to give yourself a personal MBA (in 6 months), read these books:
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Hi, I’m Charafeddine.
PhD, university professor, and entrepreneur.
Skipped the $150K MBA.
Learned it all from books.
Now, I’ll show you how.
PhD, university professor, and entrepreneur.
Skipped the $150K MBA.
Learned it all from books.
Now, I’ll show you how.
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The 6-month curriculum = 12 books.
(You’ll read 2 books per month.)
Subjects:
- Strategy
- Entrepreneurship
- Personal Finance
- Marketing
- Systems Thinking
- Leadership
- Decision-Making
- Public Speaking
- Negotiation
- Productivity
- Creativity & Innovation
Let's dive in.
(You’ll read 2 books per month.)
Subjects:
- Strategy
- Entrepreneurship
- Personal Finance
- Marketing
- Systems Thinking
- Leadership
- Decision-Making
- Public Speaking
- Negotiation
- Productivity
- Creativity & Innovation
Let's dive in.
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1. Zero to One
By: Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Subject: Strategy
Key Lessons:
- Escape competition
- Contrarian approaches create value
- Go from “0 to 1,” not “from 1 to n”
By: Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Subject: Strategy
Key Lessons:
- Escape competition
- Contrarian approaches create value
- Go from “0 to 1,” not “from 1 to n”
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2. The Lean Startup
By: Eric Ries
Subject: Entrepreneurship
Key Lessons:
- Build Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
- Test, iterate, and learn quickly.
- Simplify before scaling.
By: Eric Ries
Subject: Entrepreneurship
Key Lessons:
- Build Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
- Test, iterate, and learn quickly.
- Simplify before scaling.
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3. The Psychology of Money
By: Morgan Housel
Subject: Personal Finance
Key Lessons:
- Wealth is about habits, not income.
- Avoid irrational financial behaviors.
- Understand the long-term power of compounding.
By: Morgan Housel
Subject: Personal Finance
Key Lessons:
- Wealth is about habits, not income.
- Avoid irrational financial behaviors.
- Understand the long-term power of compounding.
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4. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
By: Robert Cialdini
Subject: Marketing & Persuasion
Key Lessons:
- Master the six principles of influence: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus.
- Understand how people make decisions.
By: Robert Cialdini
Subject: Marketing & Persuasion
Key Lessons:
- Master the six principles of influence: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus.
- Understand how people make decisions.
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5. Thinking in Systems
By: Donella Meadows
Subject: Systems Thinking
Key Lessons:
- Recognize feedback loops in any system.
- Focus on leverage points to create outsized results.
- Systems thinking helps solve complex problems holistically.
By: Donella Meadows
Subject: Systems Thinking
Key Lessons:
- Recognize feedback loops in any system.
- Focus on leverage points to create outsized results.
- Systems thinking helps solve complex problems holistically.
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6. Start with Why
By: Simon Sinek
Subject: Leadership
Key Lessons:
- Great leaders inspire action by communicating their “why.”
- People follow purpose, not just processes or products.
By: Simon Sinek
Subject: Leadership
Key Lessons:
- Great leaders inspire action by communicating their “why.”
- People follow purpose, not just processes or products.
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7. The Art of Thinking Clearly
By: Rolf Dobelli
Subject: Decision-Making
Key Lessons:
- Identify and avoid cognitive biases.
- Make decisions based on rationality, not emotion.
- Small, consistent improvements lead to big outcomes.
By: Rolf Dobelli
Subject: Decision-Making
Key Lessons:
- Identify and avoid cognitive biases.
- Make decisions based on rationality, not emotion.
- Small, consistent improvements lead to big outcomes.
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8. TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
By: Chris Anderson
Subject: Public Speaking
Key Lessons:
- Craft a compelling narrative.
- Use visuals as support, not crutches.
- Build emotional resonance with your audience.
By: Chris Anderson
Subject: Public Speaking
Key Lessons:
- Craft a compelling narrative.
- Use visuals as support, not crutches.
- Build emotional resonance with your audience.
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9. Never Split the Difference
By: Chris Voss
Subject: Negotiation
Key Lessons:
- Leverage tactical empathy.
- Use calibrated questions to uncover the other party’s motivations.
- Negotiate as if your life depends on it.
By: Chris Voss
Subject: Negotiation
Key Lessons:
- Leverage tactical empathy.
- Use calibrated questions to uncover the other party’s motivations.
- Negotiate as if your life depends on it.
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10. Atomic Habits
By: James Clear
Subject: Productivity
Key Lessons:
- Focus on building systems, not goals.
- Small, consistent habits compound over time.
- Your identity shapes your actions.
By: James Clear
Subject: Productivity
Key Lessons:
- Focus on building systems, not goals.
- Small, consistent habits compound over time.
- Your identity shapes your actions.
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11. Steal Like an Artist
By: Austin Kleon
Subject: Creativity
Key Lessons:
- Creativity is about combining existing ideas in new ways.
- Embrace constraints—they fuel innovation.
- Share your work generously.
By: Austin Kleon
Subject: Creativity
Key Lessons:
- Creativity is about combining existing ideas in new ways.
- Embrace constraints—they fuel innovation.
- Share your work generously.
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12. Deep Work
By: Cal Newport
Subject: Effectiveness
Key Lessons:
- Master the ability to focus without distraction.
- Shallow work may keep you busy, but deep work drives real progress.
- Protect time for sustained, uninterrupted work.
By: Cal Newport
Subject: Effectiveness
Key Lessons:
- Master the ability to focus without distraction.
- Shallow work may keep you busy, but deep work drives real progress.
- Protect time for sustained, uninterrupted work.
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Bonus: The Creative Act: A Way of Being
By: Rick Rubin
Subject: Creativity & Innovation
Key Lessons:
- Creativity is not limited to art—it’s a way of experiencing the world.
- Embrace stillness and silence to unlock deeper ideas.
- Every moment can be an act of creation when approached with awareness.
By: Rick Rubin
Subject: Creativity & Innovation
Key Lessons:
- Creativity is not limited to art—it’s a way of experiencing the world.
- Embrace stillness and silence to unlock deeper ideas.
- Every moment can be an act of creation when approached with awareness.
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Bonus: The Hard Thing About Hard Things
By: Ben Horowitz
Subject: Leadership & Entrepreneurship
Key Lessons:
- Making tough decisions is the essence of leadership.
- Focus on what to do when things go wrong, not just when they go right.
- There’s no formula for managing a crisis—trust your judgment and adapt.
By: Ben Horowitz
Subject: Leadership & Entrepreneurship
Key Lessons:
- Making tough decisions is the essence of leadership.
- Focus on what to do when things go wrong, not just when they go right.
- There’s no formula for managing a crisis—trust your judgment and adapt.
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6 months. 12 books. A new you.
All you need is 30 mins per day.
If you found this helpful:
1.Follow me @heyCharafeddine for more.
2.Share the first tweet to spread the knowledge. x.com/heyCharafeddin…
All you need is 30 mins per day.
If you found this helpful:
1.Follow me @heyCharafeddine for more.
2.Share the first tweet to spread the knowledge. x.com/heyCharafeddin…
