The $100 Startup

Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

By: Chris Guillebeau

Narrated by: Chris Guillebeau, Thomas Vincent Kelly

Lead a life of adventure, meaning and purpose—and earn a good living.

“Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project

Still in his early thirties, Chris Guillebeau completed a tour of every country on earth and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.

Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and focused on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment.

Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment. It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise”—even if you don’t consider it such—and what other people will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid.

Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick. Among Chris’s key principles: If you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish—sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins.

In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold. Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives. And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.

Critic reviews

“The $100 Startup is a twofer: It's a kick in the pants to get started on your dream and a road map for finding your way once you begin. If you're not ready to launch your own business after ”—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

“In this valuable guide Chris Guillebeau shows that transforming an idea into a successful business can be easier than you think . . . You are in charge of which ideas deserve your time, and this book can help you wake up every morning eager to progress to the next step.”—Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com

“The money you have is enough. Chris makes it crystal clear: there are no excuses left. START. Start now, not later. Hurry.”—Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling author of The Bootstrapper’s Bible

“Everything Chris Guillebeau does is in earnest. The ideas inside this book will lead you to a better place.”—Chris Brogan, President of Human Business Works and author of Trust Agents

“With traditional career doors slamming shut, it’s easy to panic, but Chris Guillebeau sees opportunities everywhere. Making a career out of your passion sounds like a dream, but in this straight-forward, engaging book he shows you how to get it done, one simple step at a time.”—Alan Paul, author of Big in China

“Delivers exactly what a new entrepreneur needs: road-tested, effective and exceptionally pragmatic advice for starting a new business on a shoestring.”—Pamela Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur

“Guillebeau has been in the trenches for years, and in The $100 Startup he guides you step-by-step through how he and dozens of others have turned their passions into profits. It's essential reading for the solopreneur!”—Todd Henry, author of The Accidental Creative

“This book is more than a 'how to' guide, it's a 'how they did it' guide that should persuade anyone thinking about starting a business that they don't need a fortune to make one.”—John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine

“Crammed with data, checklists, models, and concrete examples. Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project

AWFUL narrative, but...

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur and are interested in one day running your own business, I would highly recommend this book. Narrative was robotic and boring with zero feeling or emotion. The information itself though was rather valuable. I will be picking up the physical copy and retracing my steps. I wish more authors would read their own books!

You are $100 away from living your dream

Would you consider the audio edition of The $100 Startup to be better than the print version?

Chris Guillebeau is making his living by do what he loves. This book shows how he did it, and how he inspired others to follow their dreams. The anecdotes are inspiring, and the ideas are practical. I enjoyed hearing Chris' voice in the introduction, and Thomas Kelly does well with the book itself. Well worth listening to, as it is inspiring me to take action on my dreams.

I'm going to start a business with aliens.

I've been meeting with aliens a lot now. Once a month they come and pick me up and we cruise around. they really like the musical artist Katy Perry and Kreayshawn. Together we read this book and the aliens are now thinking of how they can become entrepreneurs in addition to being intergalactic explorers. We Loved this book. five stars you will learn a lot about business especially small business and startups that will earn you a considerable amount. The book is fantastic and I think everybody on Earth should read it or listen in this case. I love you.

This book was amazing.

Really glad I listened to it! If you're on the fence about starting a business the will get you started.

Great book a must read for any entrepreneur wanting to start a micro business

I absolutely love this book. A lot of good information shared, and all of the stories very relatable I referred to it multiple times and I found it to be a tremendous resource.