BOOK REVIEW: HOW THEY STARTED DIGITAL

How They Started Digital is a book published in Nigeria by Beulahland Publications, with permission from Crimson Publishers UK. In the book, founders of various businesses like Wikipedia, Google, Twitter, Linkedln , eBay, Spotify, Tripadvisor, etc, are interviewed, and each of them is gracious enough to share their success story; how they started, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame those challenges. Below is a sneak peak of some stories that can be found in the book:

Wikipedia: Started in 2001 by Jimmy Wales [age: 34]. Jimmy’s interest in encyclopaedias began at an early age and in the 1990s, he decided to create a free online encyclopaedia using a software that would enable every user - not just programmers- to write and edit web information. He called this site; Nupedia. Nupedia was not a success due to various reasons such as the lack of a business plan on Jimmy’s part, a clunky software, and the lengthy process of sourcing contributors. In the end, Jimmy had to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate his idea and in 2001, Wikipedia was born. Wikipedia has faced its own challenges as well but despite this, it is still the largest general reference work on the internet and the sixth most popular website in the world as at the time of writing.

Mumsnet: Started in 2000 by Justine Roberts and Carrie Longton [age: 33 and 35]. The inspiration for mumsnet came to Justine after she experienced appalling childcare at a resort supposed to be ‘family-friendly’. She and Carrie decided to start a website that would enable parents swap useful information on everything regarding children and family. They planned to raise funds from advertisements placed on the site by relevant retailers. The idea was a novel one at the time and they soon started work on the test site which was eventually launched in 2000. Not long after this, however, the economic environment changed considerably and the pair did not get the funding they hoped for. This forced them to look for other ways of monetising the business and by 2002 they launched the first Mumsnet book, Mums on Babies. Other books, magazines, and television series have since been produced by Mumsnet and by 2012, the site was receiving 2.3 monthly visitors and a yearly turnover of $5 million.

Linkedln: Started in 2003 by Reid Hoffman [age: 35]. He experienced the challenges faced by most businesses, namely: raising capital for the business and having an edge over competitors.  However, he was eventually able to overcome the problem of finances and the system of encouraging value connections and discouraging random connections between members of Linkedln helped to set it apart from other social networks. By 2010 Linkedln was worth an estimated $2 billion.

There are many other such success stories in the book and unfortunately I cannot summarise them all. Suffice to say that the book is definitely worth reading, and for readers who are not necessarily interested in digital businesses but in other business types, other books worth reading in the series include:

BOOK REVIEW: YOU CAN NEGOTIATE ANYTHING

Hello people.

I remember the first job interview I attended. I went for the interview filled with high hopes that I would be paid a mouth watering salary [or at least a good one]. After going through the motions of the interview, I was informed [and yes; you read right. I was not asked, but informed] that I would be receiving an amount that had never featured even in my worst nightmare. I was dumbfounded. To cut a long story short, I took the job anyway but left three months later for a better paying one.

One would have thought that I would have learned my lesson from the first interview; at least I thought I had. I was proven wrong. Sometime afterwards I attended another interview, this time with the determination that it was going to be ‘my pay or no way’. Again, the interviewers and I went through the motions and then the big question came: ‘How much are you asking for?’ I am ashamed to say that I shot myself in the foot on this one. Feeling intimidated by the interview panel, I found my lips mentioning an amount that my legs were mentally kicking me for. The interviewers stared at me for some seconds, and then one asked me if I wouldn’t take an amount that was a thousand naira less than what I had asked for. By this time my worst fears were confirmed: I had just made a big mistake that I would live with for months afterwards.

I am glad to say that the story ends happily, however. Sometime later, I read [and studied] the book ‘You Can Negotiate Anything’ by Herb Cohen. I gained a lot of insights about the psychology of negotiation from the book, and the next time I went for an interview I made sure I prepared, not just for the interview itself but also for the question, ‘How much do you want?’.  When the question was finally asked, I looked the interviewers eyeball to eyeball and mentioned a nice sum of money. They looked at me like I was insane and after going through the motions of haggling, with yours truly refusing to back down, one of the men commented; ‘You must be a really tough person’. I smiled and thought to myself: ‘if only you knew what I’ve been through’.

You Can Negotiate Anything is a book written by Herb Cohen and published by Bantam Books. In the book, Herb postulates that life is a giant negotiating table and we all are negotiating at every point in time - whether we realize it or not. Herb also points out that negotiations are not limited to salary increase. It also includes other instances such as a tenant negotiating rent with a landlord, wives negotiating with their husbands,  negotiations with a car dealer or a store clerk, etc.

Herb describes three elements that are crucial in any negotiation viz:

·        Information. In any negotiation, information is power. To be successful in your negotiation, divulge as little information of your real needs as possible to the other party, but try to find out the other party’s real needs. For example, when attending a job interview, never reveal to the interviewer that you desperately need a job. Doing so gives the interviewer important information about you that eventually serves to reduce your bargaining power.

·        Time: Never reveal your real deadline to the other party. If, for instance, you wish to buy a refrigerator, do not say to the salesman, ‘I need this fridge urgently because my fridge at home is leaking’. Saying so reveals your deadline to the man, and be rest assured that you will not get a good bargain on the sale.

·        Power: All power is based on perception, and as a negotiator you’ve got more power sources at your fingertips than you may realize. To increase your bargaining power in a negotiation, employ different power sources such as the power of competition, legitimacy, risk-taking, commitment, etc.

Herb submits that negotiation involves analyzing information, time and power to affect behaviour and meet needs, and one’s knowledge [or lack of knowledge] of how these variables work will determine the success or otherwise of a negotiation. Filled with humorous illustrations of successful and unsuccessful negotiations that readers can easily understand and even identify with, 'You Can Negotiate Anything' is a classic book that every ardent reader needs to have in their bookshelf. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Herb Cohen is an American consultant on negotiations. He has consulted for the American government as well as corporate organizations.  He has been called the world’s best Negotiator and in 1995, the audiotape ‘You Can Negotiate Anything’ was said to be the 5^th best selling tape of all time by Publisher’s Weekly.

Book review: PEARL in the SAND by Tessa Afshar

Pearl in the Sand is the story of a harlot from Jericho city, Rahab, as told in the Bible. Rahab hides two Israelites who have come to spy out the city and, being certain that the city will fall; she makes the spies promise that they will spare her life and that of her family when they eventually take the city. The spies give their word based on the condition that she tie a scarlet thread to her window for easy identification and that all her family members are to be in the house with her when the city is attacked. They refuse to be held accountable for the death of any family member who is not in the house when the city is attacked. Rahab ties the scarlet thread to her window and helps the spies escape from the city.

Later Jericho is attacked by Israel and it falls. Rahab and her family members are rescued from the city and brought to live among the Israelites. She meets  a warrior, Salmon and the sparks fly although they both fight it at first. When they eventually admit their love for each other and decide to get married, there are many obstacles they must overcome such as Rahab’s past, Salmon’s pride and the community’s mistrust of foreigners.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tessa Afshar

Tessa Afshar is a popular author of several novels, such as:

And her 2017 book:

Her books, Pearl in the Sand, Harvest of Gold and Harvest of Rubies, have won awards.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I love it. Many novels based on Biblical characters abound in the market; many, in my opinion are neither here nor there. There are a few that are outstanding, however, and this book belongs to that category. Exciting from start to finish, the book raises thought-provoking questions; one of which I now pose to you, dear reader: 

If the person you love and want to marry was once a prostitute and your family members and friends are aware of it, would you go ahead and marry the person or would you call off the relationship?

BOOK REVIEW: THE RULES OF WORK by Richard Templar

The Rules of Work is a book written by Richard Templar in 2003 and published by Pearson Education. In the book, Templar describes ten rules that he claims will make a person succeed at work if obeyed. The book has ten chapters and each chapter has ten sub chapters full of sage advice for the most part. Below is a summary of the rules as described by Templar:

Rule 1: WALK YOUR TALK. 
Be very good at your job - and make sure the top bosses know how good your work is. Do not volunteer for everything or you’ll end up being overworked and undervalued.

Rule 2: KNOW THAT YOU’RE BEING JUDGED AT ALL TIMES.

To summarize in Templar’s own words: ‘Everything about us speaks volumes to others. The way we dress…how we talk and walk…everything about us is subject to the judgement of others…Rule 2 is making sure that the judgement is positive and enhances your career…You can’t stop people making judgements – but you can change those judgements and consciously affect them'.

Rule 3: HAVE A PLAN

Know where you want to be in the long run. Have short and long term plans.

Rule 4: IF YOU CAN’T SAY ANYTHING NICE - SHUT UP.

In Templar’s own words: ‘we all like to gossip…to talk about our boss behind their back. The rule…don’t do it. People judge you by what you say as much as how you say it'.

Templar proposes that even if you listen to gossip so as not to seem hoity-toity; make sure gossip stops with you. Do not pass it on or offer an opinion. In his own words – 'Gossip is the occupation of idle minds – those who haven’t got enough work to do. It is also the domain of workers who have mindless jobs to do, jobs they can do without thinking'.

Rule 5: LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

Keep records. It is a sensible precaution. Know the difference between the truth and the whole truth. You may embellish facts but never lie, for instance, to say you are qualified as a software programmer when you aren’t is a lie. To say you are a wizard at software programming isn’t a lie because what you have stated is not a fact but a matter of opinion.

Rule 6: BLEND IN.

 Know corporate culture. How do people in a company do things? Dress up or down according to the type of company you work with. Get your face and name known. Understand the social protocols in the office. Know the rules about authority - make friends with those who have the ear of the boss.

Rule 7: ACT ONE STEP UP.

Dress and talk a step ahead. Avoid inane chatter. Think a step ahead - see the big picture.

Rule 8: CULTIVATE DIPLOMACY

Be known for your objective appraisal of any situation. Know when to keep your opinions to yourself. Criticize actions, not persons. Never get personal as you may lose your respect or even end up being sacked. Put things in perspective.

RULE 9: KNOW THE SYSTEM – AND MILK IT

Know all the unspoken rules of office life. Know what to call everyone. Know when to stay late and when to go early. Identify the people who count, and be on their right side. Know the undercurrents and hidden agenda. Know the (boss’s) favourites and cultivate them.

Rule 10: HANDLE THE OPPOSITION      

Identify the opposition; knowledge is power. Study them closely. Know the psychology of promotion. Don’t give too much away. Keep your ear to the ground.

To conclude in Templar’s own words… ‘There are no bad jobs, only bad attitudes to jobs.’

This book is good for workers in conventional jobs, however all the rules may not be relevant to workers in unconventional jobs. One great thing about the book is that the chapters are short and easy to read so the book can be finished in a day or two, depending on how fast a reader one is. Templar has written other 'rules' books, such as:

I recommend this book to all workers.