Anything you want

I didn’t remember how I found Derek Sivers.

But I like reading his blog.

From time to time, his articles are featured in different popular medias.

He is a minimalist person.

I learned that he sold his company for 22 millions and gave it all to the charitable trust. He took only a 5% of its value per year. And when he dies, it all goes to charity.

I don’t think there’s another person in this would could do such crazy thing.

But he did it with a lot of good wills and he was really sure of what he was doing.

I bought his book Anything You Want while I was travelling to Siem Reap.

It is a short book.

The next morning when I arrived back to Phnom Penh, I already finished it.

It is short but a great book to read.

Derek wrote in very detail why he created his company CD Baby and why 10 years later he sold the company.

It was an enjoyable read. Every word counts. Every sentence gives us an unique experience.

There are 5 important concepts I learned from the book. And I hope Derek would feel OK if I share it here.

A business is started to solve a problem

Derek started CD Baby because he wanted to sell his CD online. There was no iTune or any website that have “Buy Now” button yet.

He created everything on his own. And finally he can sell his CD online. Then he started to add his friends’ CDs. It’s from there that Derek need to start a company because he want to help people to sell their music online.

His business is created to sell independent music online.

If you want to create a business, you should be able to answer that simple question. Does your business help to solve any problem?

If yes, what is it?

Never do anything just for the money

Derek takes care his customers more than his own goods. That’s the main reason why CD Baby grown so fast from a nothing company to a million dollar company.

He also mentioned the most important thing is to be happy. I think we all agree or you might not be agree but money doesn’t equal to happiness.

We just need to have it enough to make us happy.

So before making any decision in your business, you should ask yourself: are you happy with it? do your customers will be happy with it?

If the answer is yes, you can go ahead.

Make yourself unnecessary to the running of your business

In most case, I saw businessmen are busy and stressful.

That’s not a good sign.

You should be able to make yourself more happy when your business grow.

Isn’t the happiness that you want to have when you first started your company?

If you fail to release yourself, it is the matter of delegation and internal management.

As the owner of the company, you should be able to release yourself from daily operation.

You should reserve your main focus on how to improve your company rather than wasting time to take care of daily activities.

You don’t need a plan or a vision

I told myself often one day will come. One day I will have fund and good vision to start a company.

And I wait.

That day never come!

Derek suggests that whatever we can do now, do it now. We don’t have to wait until we have fund, good plan or big vision to start a business.

As soon as our business could solve a problem, do it with what we have now in hand. Thing will grow naturally when there’s demand.

It seems like I have to agree with him because that how CD Baby started and grown.

You can’t please everyone, so proudly exclude people

I think he is right.

We cannot please everyone.

Make sure you take care a number of people who you are happy to help. I think back to what I wanted to do for KhmerBird.

I wanted to increase more topics, find more writers for provide fresh contents about Cambodia. But Finally I have a feeling that I cannot please everyone.

I should better target a small audiences who support me so far, learn more about them and see what I can do better for them.

I could find a peace in mind after reading the book by knowing that I am not the only one who fail to please everyone.

But we should proud of we are doing now for the majority of the people.

To learn more, I would suggest you to read Anything You Want by Derek Sivers.