Book Notes: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

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I have a short list of truly great business books that I have read. One of them is The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. This book literally changed my life. It is the first book I recommend to people who are thinking about starting a business.

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In the book, Michael covers three big ideas:

  1. The entrepreneurial myth
  2. The turn-key revolution
  3. The business development process

If you are going to succeed in business, it is critical that you understand—and implement—all three.

Question: Have you read Gerber’s book? What impact did it have on you?
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  • http://www.higherlevelgroup.com/danieldecker.html Daniel Decker

    Love it. I struck out on my own over 9 years ago. E-Myth was a profound resource for me. A seismic shift in thinking has come as a result. Most entrepreneurs I know, me included, have a hard time of letting go. The turn-key revolution is critical to create residual success that doesn't tie the business owner to his/her desk 24 hours a day or living in a constant state of stress (I learned the hard way). Turn-key allows for replication and growth. It's Biblical too. One teaches 12 and 12 teach the world. :)

    Audio sounded better on this one too. :) Where did you get that video bumper?

    • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

      Thanks, Daniel. I recorded this on my MacBook Pro rather than my Flip Video camera. The device was closer to me.

      In terms of the bumpers (both before and after), I created them in iMovie. I found the stock, royalty-free footage and music at RevoStock.com. I have now created a template, of sorts, that I can re-use—Gerber would be proud of me!

  • http://dmbaldwin.wordpress.com Dave Baldwin

    Hey Mike,
    Watching your video post reminded me of a ferry ride from Singapore to Indonesia I was on with my son last fall. He was giving me the same three talking points for the e-myth book. He is starting businesses in Indo and using that book as a guide when it comes to strategy for putting the businesses together. Thanks so much for the great reminder. I need to read the book.
    Blessings,
    Dave

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

      I find myself telling people about the book all the time, too. Would-be entrepreneurs couldn't do better than starting with this book.

  • Leon

    Hi Michael, the link right beneath the video doesn't link to this post, but to the video on "The hole in our Gospel".

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/michaelhyatt Michael Hyatt

      Oops! Thanks so much. I have now fixed it. (That's the down-side to using templates. You have to change the variables!)

  • http://www.onhisadventure.com Trey Darbonne

    Hey Mike,

    After reading your list of Ten Favorite business books, I listened to the unabridged audio of E-Myth last week. As one starting a small business in the next six weeks, the timing of this book could not have been better. Reading this book provided the insight necessary for me to work on my business, not just in it. Thanks for the recommendation, Mike!

  • Dan Morse

    Thanks for the post! Agree wholeheartedly with the recommendation. The application in corporate life works as well. I find if you have a good system, you give people an opportunity to succeed. Without the system, the strength of the individuals determine your fate. I've always enjoyed building these systems and the Emyth validated why.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/stephenbateman stephenbateman

    Great post, I think I'm gonna buy the book. It's freeing to think that 70% technician might actually be a negative! I definitely don't have that much Techy in me.

  • http://www.EricMackOnline.com Eric Mack

    The book and Michael Gerber had a profound effect on me and my business. I was fortunate to be one of Michael's clients in the early 1990s when he ran The Michael Thomas Corporation. Good stuff.

    I keep 4 extra copies of E-Myth on my bookshelf (along with a few other books) ready to give to people I meet.

  • http://michaelhigh.com Michael High

    I've been on a personal study of the manager/leader dynamic and this is the second recommendation of this book I've come across this week. Thanks for the tip and I will check it out.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/chickefitz chickefitz

    Michael, this book was also high impact for me. I had left corporate life in 2006 and started a consulting firm, but 10 years later found myself working IN the business more than ON the business. It is all too easy to do that in a service business where YOU are the product! The book gave the impetus to step out of that business (where I was burned out) and move on to the formation of a technology company. Now, three years later, I am at another turning point, as I raised $7m but needed $10m to get the business to profitability.

    Time to read eMyth Mastery!

  • http://www.chadjarnagin.com Chad Jarnagin

    One of my favorites of all time. Read it twice. Thanks for the reminder!

  • http://www.jenniferrothschild.com Philip Rothschild

    Excellent review Mike. Once again you set the standard for combining quality presentation with quality content — with affordable software. Gerber's book impacted me significantly as a manager of an author with a staff of 8 part-time moms working at world-headquarters – in our basement :) . Your review reminded me to offer this book to my son who begins his sophomore year with a penchant for entreprenuership. I think though you really have to be doing the business, to really get the importance of this tome. I do think I will have my staff read it so they can understand WHY I ask them to develop systems for what they do.

  • http://www.bradfarris.com Brad Farris

    I LOVE E-Myth. I give a copy to most of my clients (but only a small fraction actually read it). One of the tasks that we do with almost every business we work with is to build a workable org chart (even if the owner's name is in half the boxes). I truly think it makes people think differently about their business. Can't recommend it strongly enough.

    Brad

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  • http://twitter.com/beckybooks Becky

    For the past year I have been on a hunt for great business books to help me with my personal business goals. "E-Myth" looks very interesting. I would love to see how it compares to Jack Bergstrand's book "Reinvent Your Enterprise," which I feel to date has been the most helpful book that I have read to help me obtain the goals that I have.

    http://brandvelocity.com/reinvent/

  • http://twitter.com/purlem @purlem

    Interested in your thoughts.. Does 37signals or E-myth have the right philosophy for business start-ups today? http://www.purlem.com/blog/?p=38

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  • http://southernsuperfruit.com/ Chris G. Paulk

    I just finished reading The E-Myth Revisited. I wish I read this book 10 years ago when I started my business! It’s such a great book for small business owners, and it forced me to think of my business as the product…rather than thinking of only my muscadine products as the products.
    Thanks for posting this helpful review!

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