About This Book
Title
The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers
Author
Alex Banayan
Listed on Forbes’ “30 Under 30”
Listed on Business Insider’s “Most Powerful People Under 30”
What Questions Does "The Third Door" Answer?
How did the most successful people in the world launch their careers?
How do you find "the third door"?
Success is like getting into a night club - there are always 3 doors
The main entrance, where everybody queues
The VIP entrance, where rich and famous people slight right in
The third door is hidden and most people don't know about it - it could be the door to a kitchen for instance.
You need more initiative and some luck to get through this door, but there is a way!
Lesson from Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Work Week"
Persistence is important, but don't be rude.
There's a difference between being persistent and being a hassle.
For instance, if you want something from someone, it's ok to send multiple emails
But: Don't end them with "Thanks in advance" (it sounds rude and entitled).
Instead, end with something like "I totally understand if you don't have time to respond."
Lesson from Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
Live life on your own terms and do what YOU want to know, not what society dictates
Maybe society says that you should reach the highest position available, but is that really what will make you happy?
Live by your own values, even if it puts you at odds with others
Lesson from Qui Lu, one of the IT world's rising stars (Microsoft)
Qui thought that sleeping less could give him a competitive advantage, so he re-engineered his sleeping pattern
He only sleeps 4 hours per night now!
This gives him extra time to work, learn and write
"Luck is a little like a bus. If you miss one, another will come along. But if you aren't prepared, you can't jump on."
Lesson from "Sugar" Ray Leonard, a 6 time world champion boxer
Learn to summon your hidden reservoir
The hidden reservoir is a buried reserve of strength and determination
Success comes to those who can tap into this reservoir
Stay in the fight, find the reservoir, and you can do anything!
Lesson from Elliott Bisnow, co-founder of Bisnow Media
Bite off more than you can chew!
Be ambitious, aim high, and figure out the details later
Lessons from Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft
If you're young, you need a way to blast through people's skepticism
Overwhelm people with your expertise so they don't doubt you
When starting out, take the position that will help you in the long term over short-term profits
Lesson from Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zeppos
It's OK to embrace your ego
Don't deceive yourself about your ego, about your true goals and motivations
Accept that you can accommodate your ego alongside other goals, such as inspiring others
Ask for help
Sometimes, asking is all it takes and you'll be surprised at the answer
Lesson from Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway
Sometimes it's best to look at a problem from a different angle
Don't get frustrated if you don't break through
Instead, reframe the question in a way that allows you to find a solution