Josh Kaufman – The Personal MBA, online education.
It was a cold morning in 2005 when Josh Kaufman sat in a busy coffee shop in Michigan. He was looking through business school books, feeling frustrated. He wanted to learn the secrets of successful businesses but was turned off by the expensive and irrelevant MBA courses. That day, he decided to create a better option, “The Personal MBA.”
“The Personal MBA” has been a huge hit, selling over 900,000 copies worldwide. It has gotten more than 450 five-star reviews on Amazon and over 3,600 on Audible. People love it because it gives you the main business knowledge without the high cost and time of traditional MBA programs. Famous names like James Clear and Derek Sivers have praised its clear and effective approach.
Today, online business education and self-learning are becoming more popular. Josh Kaufman’s method shines a light for those wanting to start their own businesses or improve their careers. He makes complex business ideas simple, helping people around the world get better at making decisions and running businesses from home.
Key Takeaways
- Josh Kaufman is a best-selling author known for “The Personal MBA”.
- The book aims to make business education simple, affordable, and accessible.
- More than 900,000 copies of “The Personal MBA” have been sold worldwide.
- The book focuses on practical business ideas that support self-education and entrepreneurship.
- Josh encourages starting successful businesses with little money.
- The online business education site, PersonalMBA.com, gets millions of visits.
- Many readers have seen improvements in their careers and personal productivity.
The Essentials of The Personal MBA
The Personal MBA is a key guide to business basics. It combines essential rules that help every successful company thrive. It’s designed for self-study, helping those who want to improve in business and be more productive.
Overview of The Personal MBA
Josh Kaufman’s The Personal MBA breaks down tough business ideas into easy steps. It teaches the value of creating value, marketing, selling, delivering value, and managing money. These are the 5 key parts of any business.
The course focuses on making value for others, getting attention, keeping promises, and making profit. These steps must work together well for a business to succeed.
Who Should Read The Personal MBA?
The Personal MBA is for a wide range of people, from new starters to experienced professionals. It’s perfect for those who want to learn business on their own. It helps readers boost their income, success, and happiness in life and work.
It’s great for anyone looking to become a top business expert. The focus on key business skills and productivity is ideal for those wanting to stand out in the business world.
Key Business Concepts and Models
The Personal MBA covers important ideas like the Iron Law of the Market and the 12 Standard Forms of Value. These ideas are crucial for understanding markets, creating value, marketing, selling, finance, and improving systems. They are key to any business strategy.
This makes the course a must-have for both new entrepreneurs and experienced professionals. It offers deep insights into business basics.
Josh Kaufman’s Approach to Self-Education
Josh Kaufman believes in lifelong learning and quick skill building. He teaches people to take charge of their learning with effective methods. This is key in today’s fast-changing world where staying ahead means continuous learning.
Lifelong Learning and Business Education
Kaufman questions the old way of learning in business school. He suggests a more personal way to learn business. His Personal MBA guide and reading list have been downloaded over 1.28 million times, showing people want flexible, affordable learning.
His website gets over 50,000 visitors every month. Since starting in 2005, it has had over 2 million visits. This shows how popular his learning methods are.
The Personal MBA Curriculum
The Personal MBA is for those wanting to learn business without a pricey degree. Kaufman uses online courses and self-education strategies to offer timely, important business knowledge. It uses the power law of practice, a skill-building idea from 1926. This law says focused practice is crucial for improving skills in business and life.
- Identify the critical skills and knowledge needed to excel in business.
- Deconstruct these skills into manageable, practical components.
- Engage in focused, deliberate practice for around 20 hours to see significant improvements.
- Continuously revisit and refine these skills through iterative learning cycles.
Kaufman’s research shows that about 20 hours of focused practice can help you reach a goal. Spending just 45 minutes a day for a month can make you pretty good at a new skill. This shows how effective continuous learning can be in today’s fast-paced business world.
Benefits of Online Education According to Josh Kaufman
Josh Kaufman sees many benefits in online education. He talks about the perks of self-paced learning. He also mentions the quick access to new research and the chance to apply what you learn right away.
This way of learning is open to more people. It lets learners choose what they study to fit their career goals.
Self-paced learning helps you understand topics better without the rush of traditional classes. It’s great for those who have other commitments like work or family. You can go back to tough topics as many times as you need, making sure you get it right.
“One can experience pleasure from two different sources: the misfortunes or well-being of other individuals.” – Josh Kaufman
Online education also offers a lot of digital business resources. These give you quick access to the newest research and trends in your field. You can also get into interactive learning, like virtual simulations and live feedback, which are key for applying what you learn.
Let’s look at how online education compares to traditional education in cost and flexibility. We’ll use data from the Harvard Extension School and Harvard College:
Traditional Education | Online Education |
---|---|
Average Tuition: $25,143/year (2008-2009) | Extension School: $35,000-$40,000 (total program) |
Harvard College: $33,696/year (2009-2010) | No SAT/ACT requirements |
Fixed Schedule | Flexible, self-paced schedule |
Location-bound | Accessible from anywhere |
The financial and logistical benefits of online education are clear. By using digital business resources, you can get ahead in your career. This way, your education fits your life and career needs.
Top Business Books Recommended by Josh Kaufman
Josh Kaufman has carefully selected 99 must-read business books for entrepreneurs. These books are key for learning about business strategy. They cover many important topics. They help both new and experienced business people.
The Importance of Diverse Reading
Reading widely is key for learning about entrepreneurship. By reading about marketing, finance, leadership, and project management, you get a full view. This helps you make better decisions and plan strategies. Josh Kaufman’s list includes books on many business topics, giving you a deep understanding of each area.
Examples of Must-Read Books
Here are some of Kaufman’s top picks:
- “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman – This book explores decision-making psychology, key for business strategy.
- “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne – A must-read for making your market unique.
- “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie – A classic on communication and influence.
- “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries – Introduces new ways to manage and grow startups.
- “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini – Key insights on persuasion for marketing and negotiations.
These books are just a few from Kaufman’s list. Each one has a special role in business education. They help you build and keep successful businesses.
Other great books like “Design of Everyday Things” by Donald Norman and “Rework” by Jason Fried are also valuable. Adding these to your reading list makes your business skills more diverse. They help you master the business world.
The list from The Personal MBA keeps growing with new insights. This keeps your business knowledge up-to-date and relevant.
Conclusion
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman is a key guide for those wanting to do well in business. It challenges the old ways of learning business skills, pushing for a self-led and ongoing learning path. This is very relevant today, with careers changing fast and the need for skills that can adapt.
This book is all about getting to the point with its knowledge. It makes hard business ideas easy to understand, helping both newbies and experts. It teaches important skills like making good decisions, communicating well, and building strong relationships. These skills help readers grow in their careers and personal lives.
Kaufman also recommends a list of must-read business books to deepen your knowledge. In a world where being versatile is important, The Personal MBA shows the importance of knowing a lot about different business areas. It’s great for anyone starting out or adding to their experience. This guide is a powerful tool for self-improvement and learning, helping you use what you learn every day. By following these ideas, you’re on your way to lasting career growth and success.
Source Links
- The Personal MBA – Josh Kaufman
- Welcome to the official website of Josh Kaufman, bestselling author – Josh Kaufman
- About Josh Kaufman – Josh Kaufman
- The 5 Parts of Every Business
- The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business
- The Personal MBA Recommended Reading List
- Josh Kaufman: It Takes 20 Hours Not 10,000 Hours To Learn A Skill
- The first 20 hours — how to learn anything | Josh Kaufman TED
- Essays – Josh Kaufman
- Hacking Higher Education, Part 2
- How to Learn Any New Skill Fast – Education Blog
- 2012 Personal MBA Reading List Update – Josh Kaufman
- The Personal MBA – 99 Best Business Books (148 books)
- Do You Have These Core Human Skills? – Josh Kaufman
- Safety (Psychology) – The Personal MBA
- Summary and Review of “The Personal MBA” by Josh Kaufman