Lucky or Smart?: Secrets to an Entrepreneurial Life

by Bo Peabody

Book Overview

At twenty-seven, Bo Peabody was an Internet multi-millionaire. He has co-founded five different companies, in varied industries, and made them thrive during the best and worst of economic times.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 140006290X
• ISBN13: 9781400062904
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Random House
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.5" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Invaluable Book for Entrepreneurs, Executives and Managers

This is one of the best business books I've ever read. It conveys highly insightful, meaningful ideas in a remarkably concise and common-sense way. No droaning on with complex business models or contrived new management theories. Peabody simply shares his views of what makes a successful entrepreneur and manager, and the importance of understanding the value of diverse personalities and skill sets. The ideas it contains are motivating, entertaining and invaluable. I've purchased several copies for colleagues. I highly recommend it.

Hilarious and engaging

If you spent the latter part of the '90s working with brilliant, slightly unhinged tech wizards with a disdain for footwear and an even greater disdain for being "managed," then you'll love this book. Or if you spent the '90s trying to decide which brilliant, slightly unhinged dot com ideas you should fund, then you'll love this book. Even if you spent the 90s working on your stamp collection, this book is a very funny look at the inner workings of a small company, with words of wisdom, wit and inspiration that extend way beyond the dot com era.

Will be a classic "Little Book"

It seems that whenever you are looking for deep insights into some aspect of business someone will say, "There is this great little book called ..." "Think and Grow Rich", "Richest Man in Babylon", and the "One Minute Manager" all fall into the category of "A great little book..." The beauty of little books is that the author has managed to buck the economics of publishing (which values books by page count and size) and has focused clearly on one topic. This clarity is priceless and hard to find. Bo Peabody has created another in a list of "Great little books..." He clearly paints a picture of the kind of person who should be an entrepreneur and the things that person needs to focus on and learn. The book makes its points well and has compelling stories that illustrate the ideas. It has a frank view of the mystique of the entrepreneur and the way that ego can destroy our companies. It's a great little book!

Good weekend reading

I enjoy reading stories about entrepreneurs and the (sometimes) crazy stuff they do. Bo Peabody is a crazy and, might I add, highly entertaining, entrepreneur. Bo made wads of cash selling his internet company Tripod at the height of the bubble. He was in his mid 20s. "Lucky or Smart" is a small book, in length no greater than a weekend NY Times magazine article. The tone is positive, irreverant, and homely. There is some classic diatribe. For example, in talking about the corrosive effects of Blackberry's on the concentration span of executives nowadays, he recommends that smart entrepreneurs send them to competitors to rob them of their power of thought (p45). Sad but very likely true. Bo sees the business world as made up of A-students and B-students, the former being primarily managers, the latter entrepreneurs. Each plays a very important role in a new venture. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two, with the B-students pushing the envelope, selling, and ignoring accepted wisdom in search of new frontiers, while the A-students refine and focus based on the view in the rear-view mirror. There isn't a lot in the way of inspiration or guidance but Bo shows us that you can be lucky or you can be smart, and a truly smart person realizes when she's getting lucky and capitalizes on it. If you enjoyed "Dot Con" by John Cassidy, "Dot Bomb" by J. David Kuo, or "A Good Hard Kick in the Ass" by Rob Adams, you might enjoy Bo's book.

Must Read

This was truly one of the best business books I have read in ages. It was filled with humor and timeless truths which are communicated from a very personal perspective. It is this perspective which allows the reader to immediately identify with the message. The good Mr. Peabody has struck gold many times in his professional career...he has allowed us a glimpse into the personality traits, and the pysche, which have allowed him to take advantage of these opportunties. It was just fantastic...hysterical, yet the messages never lost in the comedic presentation. Every entrepeneur from 15 to 60 needs to read this piece...it reads like a very funny Aesop's fable for the business world.