3 out of 4 stars
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Vasken Kalayjian’s book Brand-Real, is a 400 page guide designed to help startup companies with setting a vision, planning, and executing. Additionally, this book is a useful guide for anyone looking to build their brand – whether it be as a sole entrepreneur or someone looking to get recognized for their work in the corporate world. Each chapter provides useful lists and definitions for topics such as brand archetypes, visual identity, and building company culture.
I enjoyed reading this book. The format is easy to follow and has a good mix of lists, explanations, and graphics that makes the book a quick read for 400 pages.
One of the best things about this book is the thoughtful organization of the different topics. It starts with how to decide what problem(s) the startup will focus on solving, and highlights that there is so much more to a successful startup than a catchy name and big investors. There is also a useful summary of takeaways and exercises at the end of each chapter.
My favorite part of this book is in the last chapter, which discusses how to make sure a business plan is sustainable and will bring more value than harm to the world. This is such an important talking point, because these days there is just so much focus on building a shiny new app and then selling it to make money; the best startups are the ones that have a valuable vision and a reliable promise. Additionally, the author provides an interesting formula for how to continually innovate and keep creativity alive within any stage of a company’s life.
While I do like that the book goes fast, the only thing I did not like was that there seemed to be a lack of detail in some sections. The book has many qualitative explanations and descriptions, but lacks any statistics for readers who might ask “but how often does this suggestion work”. Additionally, many of the examples are of large companies that have already found success, such as Apple or Google, rather than examples of startups in various phases of the startup journey. I think there was also an opportunity for the book to include examples of bad techniques that can drive startups to ruin, but this book focuses more on the “dos” rather than “do nots”.
In my opinion, this book was interesting and well-written. It looked professionally edited given the high quality of the graphics, and because I only found one spelling error. I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. Since I am mathematically minded, and many startup entrepreneurs I have met are as well, the lack of statistical evidence kept me from giving a 4 star review. Aside from that, Brand-Real is a far cry from only receiving 2 stars; it is a good read for anyone looking to build up their personal brand.
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Brand Real
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