Company Of One
This week I read a book that made me reflect on the side-projects I did and the career I am pursuing now. The book is called Company Of One. (Book summary)
🔥 The key message of the book:
- Rather than focusing on growing a business, revenue & the team.
- Being a company of one means staying small as the end goal and focusing and building your work around your life, not the other way around.
- So that you can have more freedom and control in your life
It might sound challenging at first, but it doesn’t need to quit your day job. We can do it step by step. Let me share my experience with you ~
✈️ My company of one experience
In 2018 when I studied at Uni, I was interested in nightscape photography, especially neon lights and I also loved to meet new friends from different cultures, so I thought I could combine these two things. There could be a business opportunity in it.
In the end, I decided to use my photography skill to create a photo tour and workshop in Hong Kong. Teaching travellers who visit Hong Kong to take photos of neon signs in Hong Kong. It is my first company for one project, and it had massive success.
Read this if you want to know What I learned from this company of one project. 3 Things I learned from designing a Photo Walk Experience in Hong Kong
💡 Take the first step
You may wonder, “Hey Tim, I am not a photographer; how can I start a company of one”
When I started my company of one, it required multiple skillsets, from copywriting, photography, communication and marketing.
Building a company of one does require knowledge of varied subjects and multiple skills.
So the first step we can take is to learn various skill sets; you don’t need to be an expert on everything. But you can choose to be a jack of all trades.
I hope this book and short stories can inspire you. And if you have anything you want to share, just reply to this email. I am always interested to hear other people's thoughts.
Have a great week!
Tim
❤️ My Favourite Things
🛠 Productivity - Magnet. An app I bought on my personal computer and company laptop helps me tut multiple windows side by side, eliminate app switching, and greatly enhance multitasking.
🥘 Restaurant - Bayfair Social. Always my favourite choice when I will have lunch with my friend in Tsim Sha Tsui and have no plan for a restaurant. Their paella and apple crumble are my go-to every single time. Plus their price is quite reasonable too.
📚Book - Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility. Netflix is a company that has a very unique culture. Rather than a family, Netflix told their employee they are a sports team. It is fascinating to see how they build and sustain this culture from top to bottom.
✍🏻 Quote of the week
“ If you carefully consider what you wanted to be said of you in the funeral experience, you will find your definition of success. It may be very different from the definition you thought you had in mind. “
From The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Resurfaced using Readwise.