ReadWith
A sample note from reading
Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition by Alan Weiss
I recommend this book if you're ready to start advising clients at a higher level than on execution.
“If your expertise, however, is process oriented, then things change considerably. For example, if your expertise is in decision-making and its components to ensure success, then you can consult with anyone making decisions—including heart stent manufacturers.”
The title of the book polarizes on the axis of shame. Would I be ashamed to make a million dollars in consulting fees in a year? Some won’t feel any shame at all. “Shame on them!”
To me, though, there’s good reason to hate consultants, especially the kind that consult with heart stent manufacturers. It has nothing to do with how well stents are manufactured, but rather how the consultant got there.
Would I be ashamed to gather a bunch of experience in, say, a publicly-funded research center, leave, and then make millions in the healthcare practice. I would. “But everyone else does it.” Still.
This prejudice won’t take me far into consulting territory. And that’s why we like our software founders: they turn their knowledge and expertise into companies, and they earn back their respect from the vulnerability of a bet that might not work.
I guess that’s it, isn’t it? Consultant have no skin-in-the-game.
Hi, I'm Pascal, and I've read
Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition by Alan Weiss.
I recommend this book if you're ready to start advising clients at a higher level, and you want to move away from execution and delivery. Since I had already learned a lot of the book's ideas from other sources, my notes don't convey a first-learner's amazement. Instead, my notes highlight the new tweaks and the confirmations I got from the book. My experience as of reading this book was advising smaller clients, but still found reading the book nourishing. The last appendix on 101 questions to ask in sales conversations is something I'll come back to.
Using ReadWith, you can read this book and get access to my reading notes, which I'll share with you as you record your own notes. It'll feel like you're in a mini reading group with me, and it's a great way to deepen your insights while reading. This package includes 46 reading notes in total, disclosed progressively.
You Share a Reading Note,
Then Mine Appear
Here's how ReadWith works: As you save your own notes about the book, my notes (up to the place you’re at in the book) will be shown to you. An entry contains both your note and progress info, and it calculates how far by percentage you are compared to other people's notes.
You shared
Offer incentives for one-time full payments
Oh man, that’s brilliant. I forgot about that option.
This note at the top, that's the one you just added (let's say).
This one below, that's my note, made accessible because you're just a little bit ahead in the book (by percentage read).
Pascal shared
“If your expertise, however, is process oriented, then things change considerably. For example, if your expertise is in decision-making and its components to ensure success, then you can consult with anyone making decisions—including heart stent manufacturers.”
The title of the book polarizes on the axis of shame. Would I be ashamed to make a million dollars in consulting fees in a year? Some won’t feel any shame at all. “Shame on them!”
To me, though, there’s good reason to hate consultants, especially the kind that consult with heart stent manufacturers. It has nothing to do with how well stents are manufactured, but rather how the consultant got there.
Would I be ashamed to gather a bunch of experience in, say, a publicly-funded research center, leave, and then make millions in the healthcare practice. I would. “But everyone else does it.” Still.
This prejudice won’t take me far into consulting territory. And that’s why we like our software founders: they turn their knowledge and expertise into companies, and they earn back their respect from the vulnerability of a bet that might not work.
I guess that’s it, isn’t it? Consultant have no skin-in-the-game.
I built ReadWith to read books with other people, to simulate the experience of a reading group, where everyone can get a turn to share their reaction on a passage from the book.
To read Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition by Alan Weiss alongside my reading notes, purchase access and you'll hear from me today or tomorrow with the next steps.
The feeling of a reading group, at your own pace
In a reading group, you get to hear other people's insights.
With ReadWith, you get that feeling of a reading group, but you read at your own pace. No need to schedule a reading session, just read when you can.
Personally, I can't wait to read other's reactions, so this system gets me to read and contribute my thoughts more frequently, setting a good natural reading pace.
Unlock only the notes about topics you read
You won't be able to see notes further than your place in the book, so there's no risk of spoilers. No disconnect between what you're reading (in the book), and what you've heard about the book, because we'll both be reacting to the same passages.
A few important details ☜
- Audio Book? Yes. Ebook? Also works. Paper Book. Totally. Along with your reading note, you capture your progress by page number or time remaining.
- "Do I have to share notes with you?". You can have private notes only you get access to, separate from the notes you share with me. However, in order to unlock my notes as you read, you'll need to share some notes with me.
- "Can I read this book with other people besides you?" Currently, you can't yet invite any other friends to read this book with you, but I can keep you in the loop about that and other features as I'm ready to make them public.
- "Do we have a place to chat within the app?" It's not one of the planned features, but it's not a hard no. Maybe? The idea is more that it's better to formulate your thoughts, consider the thoughts of others, but not so much to react to everything. There's no "like" button. This isn't an attention medium, it really is an "ideas and insights" medium. If you already have a connection with the other reader (me in this case), then you can follow-up outside the app through your usual chat or DMs ("I read you reading note on such and such...").
"But I have so many other books I meant to read…"
Why this book and not another book you have on your "to read" list? I found that a reading group, even reading a book with just another person, makes the process of reading that much more enjoyable and meaningful. It's the alone part that makes reading a book a little bit of a chore. But when reading a book alongside someone else, it's a little bit different. You develop insights better, you remember the lessons better, you turn your reading into a little more of an investment.
"Does the price include the book?"
The price only includes access to the reading notes. Here's my pitch however: books are expensive right? Their price is low compared to, say, an online course, but their true cost is in the time you'll be putting in to read it, and the cost of changing your mind. I'm confident ReadWith will help reduce both those non-price costs for you. You'll read the book, you'll learn the insights. Tell you what, let me make it interesting for you: you'll find it a bargain or your money back.
"I already read this book."
I find that the best books are the ones worth re-reading. And so, if you'd like to re-read it alongside my reading notes, (or in a future update maybe, alongside your own private reading notes, I've tried it, it's great), then consider using ReadWith for this book.
"Ok, I'm ready to start reading Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition with you Pascal."
Maybe not this book.
Are you reading other books with ReadWith, Pascal?
Yep, besides Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition by Alan Weiss, I've been recording my reading notes for other books (See my profile page). I only put reading notes for sale for the books I'd recommend, which means I only publish my reading notes for a few books a year. I'll be announcing new books soon.
I'll also be sharing about new features I'm building for ReadWith, and so here's where you can sign up to stay in the loop: