Book Review: Side Hustle by Chris Guillebeau
Even if you have a side hustle under your belt, or several for that matter, Chris Guillebeau's book is worth a read. The material is easily digestible, and makes a great commuting book on tape. After reading the $100 Startup, also by Guillebeau, I had some concerns I would be fleeced by his Side Hustle novel. After all, most $100 Startups would be, in my opinion, side hustles. However after finishing the book, I walked away feeling like the I got my $12.99 worth.
The book's strengths lie with it's clearcut planning mechanism. Each chapter walks you through the 27 day cycle, meaning you could hypothetically read along as you plan your side hustle. To me, this is rapid prototyping at its finest. Usually a term reserved for tech startups, the book will help you flesh out your side hustle, testing it for viability in real time, and allowing you to quickly decide if you should spend more time with your idea, or back out.
I also liked the realistic examples of side-hustle case studies. As an entrepreneur, I hate the pillars used to measure how successful something is. If your startup isn't going public, or going through a Series Round financing, your business might be scoffed at. Why isn't it enough to make a living or even a little extra income doing something you enjoy and find fun? This, to me, is the message throughout Side Hustle, and I constantly found myself underlining inspiring quips from the short chapters. All concepts were explained in layman's terms, meaning you don't need to have any business school knowledge to sponge up the lessons. No joke, I felt the teachings in the book could have been their own 3 credit course at an acclaimed business school, making that $12.99 I spent that more attractive.
Overall, the book is concise, and delivers a way to develop a business plan for your side hustle that is effective. Like the $100 Startup, I highly recommend it for anyone looking to build upon their entrepreneurial mindset. The book is available in multiple formats below: