What do you think?
Rate this book
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less
How anyone can be more effective with less effort by learning how to identify and leverage the 80/20 principle--the well-known, unpublicized secret that 80 percent of all our results in business and in life stem from a mere 20 percent of our efforts.
The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.
Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues? That 20 percent of our time accounts for 80 percent of the work we accomplish? The 80/20 Principle shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent that really counts. Although the 80/20 principle has long influenced today's business world, author Richard Koch reveals how the principle works and shows how we can use it in a systematic and practical way to vastly increase our effectiveness, and improve our careers and our companies.
The unspoken corollary to the 80/20 principle is that little of what we spend our time on actually counts. But by concentrating on those things that do, we can unlock the enormous potential of the magic 20 percent, and transform our effectiveness in our jobs, our careers, our businesses, and our lives.
The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.
Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues? That 20 percent of our time accounts for 80 percent of the work we accomplish? The 80/20 Principle shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent that really counts. Although the 80/20 principle has long influenced today's business world, author Richard Koch reveals how the principle works and shows how we can use it in a systematic and practical way to vastly increase our effectiveness, and improve our careers and our companies.
The unspoken corollary to the 80/20 principle is that little of what we spend our time on actually counts. But by concentrating on those things that do, we can unlock the enormous potential of the magic 20 percent, and transform our effectiveness in our jobs, our careers, our businesses, and our lives.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,059 reviews
September 5, 2010
I give it five out of five but here's the deal. I think the book itself follows the 80/20 rule. 20% of the book gives you 80% of the value. Do this: Read a short definition of the 80/20 rule on the web. Skip to chapter 9 and begin reading the book. Stop when you finish chapter 11. Read 13 and then skim the rest of the book.
So if you do that the book is 5 out of 5 stars and if you read the whole thing I'd give it like 2.5 stars.
So if you do that the book is 5 out of 5 stars and if you read the whole thing I'd give it like 2.5 stars.
April 1, 2010
Why You Should Read It: The principles in this book can literally add hours to your days and compound your happiness. It’s worth a look. What’s more important than having time?
Average Read Time: 4.5 Minutes
We’ve all surely heard of the 80/20 Principle, or Pareto’s Law as it’s more formally known. It goes something like this:
80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.
It’s often thrown around in business as nothing more than a buzzword. Few actually do a full 80/20 analysis of their business and almost no one I’ve come across has applied the same to their life as a whole. Other than two people that is: Richard Kock and Tim Ferriss–and the people who have since followed in their footsteps (me included). The 80/20 Principle is the source material for what Tim wrote in The 4-Hour Work Week. It took me reading it a couple times to grasp the simplicity and life-altering implications of the principle. The time saved and gained will blow your mind.
The amazing thing is that the studies in this book show the principle working in just about every possible scenario. Of course it’s not always 80/20. Sometimes 90/10 or 95/5 or even 70/30. But the point is it works–without fail.
Richard’s purpose was to explain this ancient principle in a way that would inspire action and application to every part of life. When applied to work, productivity will go through the roof, but when applied to your life outside of work, happiness and fulfillment do just the same. All it takes is a shift in thinking. Try the following for a few weeks and the time in your life will never be the same.
5 ways to apply the 80/20 Principle to enhance your life:
1. Do the 20% of your work that leads to 80% of your results: Track all the time you spend on projects each hour of each day for a week. How many of these things were necessary? How many got you closer to your goals? How many were a waste of time? How many could someone else have done? Pick the 20% of your tasks that yield 80% of the results and outsource or simply discontinue the rest. Wondering what to do with your remaining time? Enjoy life. I outsourced a significant portion of my work to two very reliable virtual assistants in India starting in 2006. Ravi and Vikash now do that 70 or 80% for me. At $3-5/hour it is very hard to beat. Check out eLance.com if you’re looking to out source. Search “Virtual Assistant”. Once you start outsourcing, you’ll never go back.
2. Locate the 20% of your customers who drive 80% of your profits: Find your top 20% customers (by profit, not revenue) and fire the rest. Yes, fire them. The goal is not to work your life away. It is to make a good living to enjoy your life. If you must work more, then list out the characteristics of your 20% customers and go out and find more of them. You will not believe how liberating it can be to fire a customer who’s been a real pain in the ass.
3. Prioritize the 20% of your friends who provide 80% of your support and enjoyment: If you apply 80/20 to your relationships you will surely find that a few people in your life provide the majority of your support, excitement, laughter and feelings of connection. On the other side, there is likely another 20% group of people who account for most your sleepless nights, tears, anger and frustration. If you don’t want to feel this way, stop spending time around your bottom 20. Fire them and work on duplicating your top 20. This may sound a little calous, but it’s not. It’s practical. The quality of our life comes down to the quality of the people and experiences that fill it.
4. Fill your life with the 20% of your experiences that provide 80% of your happiness: As humans, our two biggest priorities are to move towards pleasure and away from pain. As mentioned above, find the few people, things, places and experiences that provide 80% of your happiness, fulfillment, pleasure and excitement. Also find the things that cause you to feel the majority of your negative emotions. Focus your time on the top 20% and avoid the bottom 20% like the plague.
5. Do the 20% of your workouts that lead to 80% of your physical gains: The majority of fitness results come from a small portion of most workouts. 80% of the muscle is built in the last 20% of the reps. Crossfit is a great example. The workouts are 7-14 minutes long on average but they provide more physical benefit than most hour-long workouts. Spending more time on something is not always a good thing. If you believe your workouts must take an hour then you’ll likely miss a lot more of them. What if they only took 7 minutes, but that seven minutes really tested your limits? You’re likely to show up a lot more often.
I know this sounds simple. But few people stop to actually do it. It is truly possible to spend the majority of your time doing the things that you love. The only way to get there is taking Pareto’s 80/20 principle seriously. It will make all the difference.
Do not let more than 3 months go by without performing a full 80/20 breakdown of all areas of your life (especially your personal life). It will only take a couple hours and those hours will likely save days before you know it… 80/20 in action yet again.
Somewhere along the path of life, most of us were taught to associate fulfillment and worth with the number of hours spent–thinking the more the better. This has lead many of us to working aimlessly just to say we filled the day. This IS NOT the goal. The goal is be fulfilled, happy, efficient, effective and more than anything else, to enjoy life. Happiness is a daily right. It is not something we need to work our ass off for years to finally achieve. That is what Pareto stumbled on all these years ago. I encourage you to do the same.
Average Read Time: 4.5 Minutes
We’ve all surely heard of the 80/20 Principle, or Pareto’s Law as it’s more formally known. It goes something like this:
80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.
It’s often thrown around in business as nothing more than a buzzword. Few actually do a full 80/20 analysis of their business and almost no one I’ve come across has applied the same to their life as a whole. Other than two people that is: Richard Kock and Tim Ferriss–and the people who have since followed in their footsteps (me included). The 80/20 Principle is the source material for what Tim wrote in The 4-Hour Work Week. It took me reading it a couple times to grasp the simplicity and life-altering implications of the principle. The time saved and gained will blow your mind.
The amazing thing is that the studies in this book show the principle working in just about every possible scenario. Of course it’s not always 80/20. Sometimes 90/10 or 95/5 or even 70/30. But the point is it works–without fail.
Richard’s purpose was to explain this ancient principle in a way that would inspire action and application to every part of life. When applied to work, productivity will go through the roof, but when applied to your life outside of work, happiness and fulfillment do just the same. All it takes is a shift in thinking. Try the following for a few weeks and the time in your life will never be the same.
5 ways to apply the 80/20 Principle to enhance your life:
1. Do the 20% of your work that leads to 80% of your results: Track all the time you spend on projects each hour of each day for a week. How many of these things were necessary? How many got you closer to your goals? How many were a waste of time? How many could someone else have done? Pick the 20% of your tasks that yield 80% of the results and outsource or simply discontinue the rest. Wondering what to do with your remaining time? Enjoy life. I outsourced a significant portion of my work to two very reliable virtual assistants in India starting in 2006. Ravi and Vikash now do that 70 or 80% for me. At $3-5/hour it is very hard to beat. Check out eLance.com if you’re looking to out source. Search “Virtual Assistant”. Once you start outsourcing, you’ll never go back.
2. Locate the 20% of your customers who drive 80% of your profits: Find your top 20% customers (by profit, not revenue) and fire the rest. Yes, fire them. The goal is not to work your life away. It is to make a good living to enjoy your life. If you must work more, then list out the characteristics of your 20% customers and go out and find more of them. You will not believe how liberating it can be to fire a customer who’s been a real pain in the ass.
3. Prioritize the 20% of your friends who provide 80% of your support and enjoyment: If you apply 80/20 to your relationships you will surely find that a few people in your life provide the majority of your support, excitement, laughter and feelings of connection. On the other side, there is likely another 20% group of people who account for most your sleepless nights, tears, anger and frustration. If you don’t want to feel this way, stop spending time around your bottom 20. Fire them and work on duplicating your top 20. This may sound a little calous, but it’s not. It’s practical. The quality of our life comes down to the quality of the people and experiences that fill it.
4. Fill your life with the 20% of your experiences that provide 80% of your happiness: As humans, our two biggest priorities are to move towards pleasure and away from pain. As mentioned above, find the few people, things, places and experiences that provide 80% of your happiness, fulfillment, pleasure and excitement. Also find the things that cause you to feel the majority of your negative emotions. Focus your time on the top 20% and avoid the bottom 20% like the plague.
5. Do the 20% of your workouts that lead to 80% of your physical gains: The majority of fitness results come from a small portion of most workouts. 80% of the muscle is built in the last 20% of the reps. Crossfit is a great example. The workouts are 7-14 minutes long on average but they provide more physical benefit than most hour-long workouts. Spending more time on something is not always a good thing. If you believe your workouts must take an hour then you’ll likely miss a lot more of them. What if they only took 7 minutes, but that seven minutes really tested your limits? You’re likely to show up a lot more often.
I know this sounds simple. But few people stop to actually do it. It is truly possible to spend the majority of your time doing the things that you love. The only way to get there is taking Pareto’s 80/20 principle seriously. It will make all the difference.
Do not let more than 3 months go by without performing a full 80/20 breakdown of all areas of your life (especially your personal life). It will only take a couple hours and those hours will likely save days before you know it… 80/20 in action yet again.
Somewhere along the path of life, most of us were taught to associate fulfillment and worth with the number of hours spent–thinking the more the better. This has lead many of us to working aimlessly just to say we filled the day. This IS NOT the goal. The goal is be fulfilled, happy, efficient, effective and more than anything else, to enjoy life. Happiness is a daily right. It is not something we need to work our ass off for years to finally achieve. That is what Pareto stumbled on all these years ago. I encourage you to do the same.
September 6, 2012
I get it. 80% results from 20% effort. I got it before reading this book. Nothing new was shared, there's not really much more to it than that.
I read 100 pages of un-credited examples, made up company names and far reaching generalizations. The point was made through the title alone. The table of contents added some details and ideas on where this phenomena can be found, but really, there was nothing profound here outside of 80/20 itself.
I skimmed the last half of the book hoping something would catch my eye, and it did, unless I started reading the same old thing. "many people..." without credit to any sort of study. "A manufacturing company used this ...". Oh? What sort of industry? Any other contextual information you could spare here? How do I know that the numbers aren't completely fictional?
2 stars. Great title, un necessary body of text.
I read 100 pages of un-credited examples, made up company names and far reaching generalizations. The point was made through the title alone. The table of contents added some details and ideas on where this phenomena can be found, but really, there was nothing profound here outside of 80/20 itself.
I skimmed the last half of the book hoping something would catch my eye, and it did, unless I started reading the same old thing. "many people..." without credit to any sort of study. "A manufacturing company used this ...". Oh? What sort of industry? Any other contextual information you could spare here? How do I know that the numbers aren't completely fictional?
2 stars. Great title, un necessary body of text.
April 22, 2012
This book is a truly enlightening and motivating look at productivity, time management, and happiness. It shows how to apply the 80/20 Principle to your personal and professional life in order to work less, earn more, enjoy more, and achieve more. The main idea: in business and personal life, “pursue those few things where you are amazingly better than others and that you enjoy most,” and eliminate or outsource everything else. This has immediately become one of my favorite self-improvement books.
The 80/20 Principle is the doctrine that in general, 20% of efforts produce 80% of results. There are only a few things (the vital few; the 20%) that ever produce important results, and most activity (the trivial many; the 80%) is a waste of time. The ratio isn’t necessarily always 80/20, but the idea is that the relationship is unbalanced. To learn more about the 80/20 Principle, see the Wikipedia article on the Pareto Principle.
I liked these major ideas:
• It’s more effective to focus on improving the top 20% than the bottom 80%.
• Employ others rather than being employed.
• Calm down, work less, and target a few valuable goals.
• There’s no shortage of time; we only feel that way because 80% of our time is wasted.
• Set impossible timelines to force a focus on only what’s important.
• Happiness depends on relationships, so forge and maintain a few close personal and professional relationships (the 20%).
At the end of the book, Koch addresses objections to applying the 80/20 Principle to life. I liked his response: “We don’t want to be obsessed with efficiency, but we do want to dispose of the non-life-enhancing activities as easily and swiftly as possible.”
The 80/20 Principle appears in many other books, including the concept of the most important thing in Getting Things Done by David Allen (my review), Habit 3: Put First Things First in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (my review), the Hedgehog Concept in Good to Great by Jim Collins (my review), and most of The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (my review).
I read this book because it was featured in 50 Self-Help Classics (my review).
Part 2: Corporate Success
• 80% of profits come from 20% of customers, and 80% of sales come from 20% of products.
• Neither big nor small businesses are necessarily better; it’s simplicity that leads to higher profitability. Because of scale, big and simple is best in theory; in practice, small businesses tend to be simpler.
• Focus on your competitive advantage, and outsource everything else.
• Corollary: the 50/5 Principle: the bottom 50% of customers, products, and suppliers make up only 5% of revenue and profits.
Part 3: Work Less, Earn and Enjoy More
• 80% of achievement and happiness takes place in 20% of time.
• Money not spent today can be saved and invested for future use, but happiness not used today doesn’t carry forward. Use it!
• The 20% of people who achieve the most work for themselves or behave as if they do.
• Just say no to low-value requests from others.
• Focus on what you find easy, not difficult.
Career success
Specialize in a narrow niche, then use the 4 forms of labor leverage:
1. Leverage your own time by focusing on your strengths.
2. Capture 100% of its value by becoming self-employed.
3. Employ as many net value creators as possible.
4. Outsource everything that you and your colleagues aren’t best suited for.
Happiness
• Read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (my review).
• Change your attitude and actions to achieve happiness.
• “Optimism...is a medically approved ingredient for but success and happiness, and the greatest motivator on earth.”
Shortcuts to a happy life
• Maximize control over your life.
• Set attainable goals.
• Be flexible when chance events interfere with plans.
• Have close relationships with your partner, a few happy friends, and a few professional allies.
• Evolve the lifestyle you want.
The 80/20 Principle is the doctrine that in general, 20% of efforts produce 80% of results. There are only a few things (the vital few; the 20%) that ever produce important results, and most activity (the trivial many; the 80%) is a waste of time. The ratio isn’t necessarily always 80/20, but the idea is that the relationship is unbalanced. To learn more about the 80/20 Principle, see the Wikipedia article on the Pareto Principle.
I liked these major ideas:
• It’s more effective to focus on improving the top 20% than the bottom 80%.
• Employ others rather than being employed.
• Calm down, work less, and target a few valuable goals.
• There’s no shortage of time; we only feel that way because 80% of our time is wasted.
• Set impossible timelines to force a focus on only what’s important.
• Happiness depends on relationships, so forge and maintain a few close personal and professional relationships (the 20%).
At the end of the book, Koch addresses objections to applying the 80/20 Principle to life. I liked his response: “We don’t want to be obsessed with efficiency, but we do want to dispose of the non-life-enhancing activities as easily and swiftly as possible.”
The 80/20 Principle appears in many other books, including the concept of the most important thing in Getting Things Done by David Allen (my review), Habit 3: Put First Things First in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (my review), the Hedgehog Concept in Good to Great by Jim Collins (my review), and most of The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (my review).
I read this book because it was featured in 50 Self-Help Classics (my review).
Part 2: Corporate Success
• 80% of profits come from 20% of customers, and 80% of sales come from 20% of products.
• Neither big nor small businesses are necessarily better; it’s simplicity that leads to higher profitability. Because of scale, big and simple is best in theory; in practice, small businesses tend to be simpler.
• Focus on your competitive advantage, and outsource everything else.
• Corollary: the 50/5 Principle: the bottom 50% of customers, products, and suppliers make up only 5% of revenue and profits.
Part 3: Work Less, Earn and Enjoy More
• 80% of achievement and happiness takes place in 20% of time.
• Money not spent today can be saved and invested for future use, but happiness not used today doesn’t carry forward. Use it!
• The 20% of people who achieve the most work for themselves or behave as if they do.
• Just say no to low-value requests from others.
• Focus on what you find easy, not difficult.
Career success
Specialize in a narrow niche, then use the 4 forms of labor leverage:
1. Leverage your own time by focusing on your strengths.
2. Capture 100% of its value by becoming self-employed.
3. Employ as many net value creators as possible.
4. Outsource everything that you and your colleagues aren’t best suited for.
Happiness
• Read Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (my review).
• Change your attitude and actions to achieve happiness.
• “Optimism...is a medically approved ingredient for but success and happiness, and the greatest motivator on earth.”
Shortcuts to a happy life
• Maximize control over your life.
• Set attainable goals.
• Be flexible when chance events interfere with plans.
• Have close relationships with your partner, a few happy friends, and a few professional allies.
• Evolve the lifestyle you want.
July 29, 2011
There's a good side to this book and there's a bad side to this book. Good side first. Ever since reading the book I've put 80/20 thinking to use, that is to say that cause and effect are rarely linked in an equal way. 80% of the world's energy is consumed by 15% of the world's people, 80% of hospital costs come from 20% of the patients, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your products etc. It's not so much the "80" and "20" that are the point with this book, it's the theme that the inputs are never balanced with the outputs. Therefore, take a look at your thriving 20% efforts and figure out how to duplicate them. If you spend 5% of your time hiking but it brings 65% of your total enjoyment of life, then start hiking 10,15,20% of your time and cut out the dead weight that doesn't lead to happiness (insert example: relationships, profit, exercise, etc). The down side to this book is that it could be summed up in one Harvard Business Review article and any self respecting smart person would get the point pretty quickly and be able to use it tomorrow. However, the author took 262 pages to make his point. He rambles quite a bit and really just says the same thing over and over again. just says the same thing over and over again. just says the same thing over and over again. just says the same thing over and over again. It got old pretty fast but I eventually stopped reading after about 170 pages. My last negative point is where I actually put the book down, I didn't even finish it. There was a part of the book where two paragraphs, one after the other, are exactly the same. I thought maybe he was making a clever point or perhaps he was just being coy. No, I had several people look at this too and it just seems that they didn't do a good job editing. That's when I moved on to another book instead. Here are some good quotes I took away from it:
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself" - George Bernard Shaw
- - The rest are from the Author himself:
"Ambition is not served by bustle and busyness"
"Happiness is not equal to money. Money can be saved and multiplied but happiness cannot. Happiness not spent today does not lead to a greater store or multiplication of happiness for tomorrow"
"Simplicity requires ruthlessness"
"The way to create something great is to create something simple"
"Time and time again, those who recognize the effective 20% and seize the day never fail to become seriously rich"
"Many managers would rather run large firms as opposed to exceptionally profitable ones."
"Defending the role of the middle manager is one of the lamest most self serving defense mechanisms ever contrived"
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself" - George Bernard Shaw
- - The rest are from the Author himself:
"Ambition is not served by bustle and busyness"
"Happiness is not equal to money. Money can be saved and multiplied but happiness cannot. Happiness not spent today does not lead to a greater store or multiplication of happiness for tomorrow"
"Simplicity requires ruthlessness"
"The way to create something great is to create something simple"
"Time and time again, those who recognize the effective 20% and seize the day never fail to become seriously rich"
"Many managers would rather run large firms as opposed to exceptionally profitable ones."
"Defending the role of the middle manager is one of the lamest most self serving defense mechanisms ever contrived"
October 30, 2015
For those proclaiming this book to be life-saver, you will be in for a shock to know that what this book expounds is but only one among gazillion other data analysis methods.
Let me explain, there is data and there is information. What you do to the data and in appropriate context makes it information. What the author has expounded in this book is that ‘a little of something causes so much of everything” or rather has stamped an approval (it was not his original idea, remember, only the name “80/20 principle” that is his. Read up on Vilfredo Pareto and Pareto Principle) on the theory of imbalance. Exactly why I was left feeling a bit pissed off when I finished this book – the author takes way too long to admit it that the ‘80/20’ ratio of causation was only one of the many ratios though he does indeed admit it albeit somewhere after the half-way mark in the book.
The one other major grief I have with this book is that it does very little to explain the practical application of this idea for the spreadsheet junkies (which business analyst isn’t?) save a vague chapter or few pages on it.
That said, I will not be so arrogant as to deny the author a four star as he has done such a good job in bringing the idea to the fore in the first place. Only, to lean on this book to be your career saver would not be a sound idea. What it will instead do is direct your attention to the world of data analysis; Trust me, as mundane as that phrase sounds, it is quite a skill to have in your repertoire.
Let me explain, there is data and there is information. What you do to the data and in appropriate context makes it information. What the author has expounded in this book is that ‘a little of something causes so much of everything” or rather has stamped an approval (it was not his original idea, remember, only the name “80/20 principle” that is his. Read up on Vilfredo Pareto and Pareto Principle) on the theory of imbalance. Exactly why I was left feeling a bit pissed off when I finished this book – the author takes way too long to admit it that the ‘80/20’ ratio of causation was only one of the many ratios though he does indeed admit it albeit somewhere after the half-way mark in the book.
The one other major grief I have with this book is that it does very little to explain the practical application of this idea for the spreadsheet junkies (which business analyst isn’t?) save a vague chapter or few pages on it.
That said, I will not be so arrogant as to deny the author a four star as he has done such a good job in bringing the idea to the fore in the first place. Only, to lean on this book to be your career saver would not be a sound idea. What it will instead do is direct your attention to the world of data analysis; Trust me, as mundane as that phrase sounds, it is quite a skill to have in your repertoire.
July 11, 2009
Good, could have been alot shorter. Meh.
Worth rereading
Quotes:
"The 80/20 Principle asserts that a minority of cause, input, or effort usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs, or rewards."
"The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower productivity into an area of higher productivity." [J-B Say:]
"Celebrate exceptional productivity, rather than raise average efforts. Look for the short cut, rather than run the full course. Exercise control over our lives with the least possible effort. Be selective, not exhaustive. Strive for excellence in few things, rather than good performance in many. Delegate or outsource as much as possible in our daily lives and be encouraged rather than penalized by tax systems to do this (use gardeners, car mechanics, decorators, and other specialists to the maximum, instead of doing the work ourselves). Choose our careers and employers with extraordinary care, and if possible employ others rather than being employed ourselves. Only do the thing we are best at doing and enjoy most. Look beneath the normal texture of life to uncover ironies and oddities. In every important sphere, work out where 20 percent of effort can lead to 80 percent of returns. Calm down, work less and target a limited number of very valuable goals where the 80/20 Principle will work for us, rather than pursuing every available opportunity. Make the most of those few "lucky streaks" in our life where we are at our creative peak and the stars line up to guarantee success."
"We tend to assume that our organizations, and our industries, are doing pretty much the best they can. We tend to think that our business world is highly competitive and has reached some sort of equilibrium or endgame. Nothing could be further from the truth."
"Simplification, through elimination of unprofitable activity; focus, on a few key drivers of improvements; and comparison of performance."
"Important as focus on the few best products is, it is much less important than focusing on the few best customers."
"The doctrine of the vital few and the trivial many: there are only a few things that ever produce important results. Most efforts do not realize their intended results. What you see is generally not what you get: there are subterranean forces at work. It is usually too complicated and too wearisome to work out what is happening and it is also unnecessary: all you need to know is whether something is working or not and change the mix until it is; then keep the mix constant until stop working. Most good events happen because a small minority of highly productive forces; most bad things happen because of a small minority of highly destructive forces. Most activity, en masse and individuality, is a waste of time. It will not contribute materially to desired results."
"Rule one says that not many decisions are very important. Rule two affirms that the most important decisions are often those made only by default. Rule three: gather 80% of the date and perform 80 percent of the relevant analyses in the first 20 percent of the time available, then make a decision 100 percent of the time and act decisively as if you were 100 percent confident that the decision is right. Fourth, if what you have decided isn't working, change your mind early rather than late. Fifth: when something is working well, double and redouble your bets."
"Impose an impossible time scale: This will ensure that the project team does only the really high-value tasks."
"What is working well when it shouldn't or at least was not intended to? What are we unintentionally providing to customers that for some reason they seem to appreciate greatly?"
"Like individual entrepreneurs, the free markets shift resources out of areas of lower productivity into areas of higher productivity and yield. But neither markets nor entrepreneurs, let alone today's overcomplex corporate or government bureaucracies, do this well enough. There is always a tail of waste, usually a very long tail, where 80 percent of resources are producing only 20 percent of value. This always creates arbitrage opportunities for genuine entrepreneurs. he scope for entrepreneurial arbitrage is always underestimated."
"If you are unhappy, do not worry about the proximate cause. Think about the times you have been happy and maneuver yourself into similar situations. If your career is going nowhere, do not tinker around at the edges seeking incremental improvements: a bigger office, a more expensive car, a grander-sounding title, fewer working hours, a more understanding boss. Think about the few, most important achievements that are yours in your whole life and seek more of the same, if necessary switching jobs or even careers."
"You are hugely more productive at some things than at others, but dilute the effectiveness of this by dong too many things where your comparative skill is nowhere near as great."
"Most of our failures are in races for which others enter us. Most of our successes come from races we ourselves want to enter. We fail to win most races because we enter too many of the wrong ones: their races, not ours."
"What we must do is to plant firmly in our minds that hard work, especially for somebody else, is not an efficient way to achieve what we want. Hard work leads to low returns. Insight and doing what we ourselves want lead to high returns."
"Those who achieve the most have to enjoy what they do. It is only by fulfilling oneself that anything of extraordinary value can be created."
"Top 10 low-value uses of time:
1. Things other people want you to do
2. Things that have always been done this way
3. Things you're not usually good at doing
4. Things you don't enjoy doing
5. Things that are always interrupted
6. Things few other people are interested in
7. Things that have already taken twice as long as you originally expected
8. Things where your collaborators are unreliable or low quality
9. Things that have a predictable cycle
10. Answering the telephone
[11. Email:]"
"Top 10 highest-value uses of time:
1. Things that advance your overall purpose in life
2. Things you have always wanted to do
3. Things already in the 20/80 relationship of time to results
4. Innovative ways of doing things that promise to slash the time required and/or multiply the quality of results
5. Things other people tell you can't be done
6. Things other people have done successfully in a different arena
7. Things that use your own creativity
8. Things that you can get other people to do for you with relatively little effort on your part
9. Anything with high-quality collaborators who have already transcended the 80/20 rule of time, who use time eccentrically and effectively
10. Things for which it is now or never"
"Work out what you want from life."
"10 golden rules for career success:
1. Specialize in a very small niche; develop a core skill
2. Choose a niche that you enjoy, where you can excel and stand a chance of becoming an acknowledged leader
3. Realize that knowledge is power
4. Identify your market and core customers and serve them best
5. Identify where 20 percent of effort gives 80 percent of returns
6. Learn from the best
7. Become self-employed early in your career
8. Employ as many net value creators as possible
9. Use outside contractors for everything but your core skill
10. Exploit capital leverage"
"Specialize in an area in which you are already interested and which you enjoy. You will not become an acknowledged leader in anything that cannot command your enthusiasm and passion."
"Radical simplification disturbs vested interests (not least, those of the managers in charge themselves), creates disruptive change, and requires everyone to be both accountable and useful. Most people prefer life to be quite, stable, and unaccountable."
Worth rereading
Quotes:
"The 80/20 Principle asserts that a minority of cause, input, or effort usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs, or rewards."
"The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower productivity into an area of higher productivity." [J-B Say:]
"Celebrate exceptional productivity, rather than raise average efforts. Look for the short cut, rather than run the full course. Exercise control over our lives with the least possible effort. Be selective, not exhaustive. Strive for excellence in few things, rather than good performance in many. Delegate or outsource as much as possible in our daily lives and be encouraged rather than penalized by tax systems to do this (use gardeners, car mechanics, decorators, and other specialists to the maximum, instead of doing the work ourselves). Choose our careers and employers with extraordinary care, and if possible employ others rather than being employed ourselves. Only do the thing we are best at doing and enjoy most. Look beneath the normal texture of life to uncover ironies and oddities. In every important sphere, work out where 20 percent of effort can lead to 80 percent of returns. Calm down, work less and target a limited number of very valuable goals where the 80/20 Principle will work for us, rather than pursuing every available opportunity. Make the most of those few "lucky streaks" in our life where we are at our creative peak and the stars line up to guarantee success."
"We tend to assume that our organizations, and our industries, are doing pretty much the best they can. We tend to think that our business world is highly competitive and has reached some sort of equilibrium or endgame. Nothing could be further from the truth."
"Simplification, through elimination of unprofitable activity; focus, on a few key drivers of improvements; and comparison of performance."
"Important as focus on the few best products is, it is much less important than focusing on the few best customers."
"The doctrine of the vital few and the trivial many: there are only a few things that ever produce important results. Most efforts do not realize their intended results. What you see is generally not what you get: there are subterranean forces at work. It is usually too complicated and too wearisome to work out what is happening and it is also unnecessary: all you need to know is whether something is working or not and change the mix until it is; then keep the mix constant until stop working. Most good events happen because a small minority of highly productive forces; most bad things happen because of a small minority of highly destructive forces. Most activity, en masse and individuality, is a waste of time. It will not contribute materially to desired results."
"Rule one says that not many decisions are very important. Rule two affirms that the most important decisions are often those made only by default. Rule three: gather 80% of the date and perform 80 percent of the relevant analyses in the first 20 percent of the time available, then make a decision 100 percent of the time and act decisively as if you were 100 percent confident that the decision is right. Fourth, if what you have decided isn't working, change your mind early rather than late. Fifth: when something is working well, double and redouble your bets."
"Impose an impossible time scale: This will ensure that the project team does only the really high-value tasks."
"What is working well when it shouldn't or at least was not intended to? What are we unintentionally providing to customers that for some reason they seem to appreciate greatly?"
"Like individual entrepreneurs, the free markets shift resources out of areas of lower productivity into areas of higher productivity and yield. But neither markets nor entrepreneurs, let alone today's overcomplex corporate or government bureaucracies, do this well enough. There is always a tail of waste, usually a very long tail, where 80 percent of resources are producing only 20 percent of value. This always creates arbitrage opportunities for genuine entrepreneurs. he scope for entrepreneurial arbitrage is always underestimated."
"If you are unhappy, do not worry about the proximate cause. Think about the times you have been happy and maneuver yourself into similar situations. If your career is going nowhere, do not tinker around at the edges seeking incremental improvements: a bigger office, a more expensive car, a grander-sounding title, fewer working hours, a more understanding boss. Think about the few, most important achievements that are yours in your whole life and seek more of the same, if necessary switching jobs or even careers."
"You are hugely more productive at some things than at others, but dilute the effectiveness of this by dong too many things where your comparative skill is nowhere near as great."
"Most of our failures are in races for which others enter us. Most of our successes come from races we ourselves want to enter. We fail to win most races because we enter too many of the wrong ones: their races, not ours."
"What we must do is to plant firmly in our minds that hard work, especially for somebody else, is not an efficient way to achieve what we want. Hard work leads to low returns. Insight and doing what we ourselves want lead to high returns."
"Those who achieve the most have to enjoy what they do. It is only by fulfilling oneself that anything of extraordinary value can be created."
"Top 10 low-value uses of time:
1. Things other people want you to do
2. Things that have always been done this way
3. Things you're not usually good at doing
4. Things you don't enjoy doing
5. Things that are always interrupted
6. Things few other people are interested in
7. Things that have already taken twice as long as you originally expected
8. Things where your collaborators are unreliable or low quality
9. Things that have a predictable cycle
10. Answering the telephone
[11. Email:]"
"Top 10 highest-value uses of time:
1. Things that advance your overall purpose in life
2. Things you have always wanted to do
3. Things already in the 20/80 relationship of time to results
4. Innovative ways of doing things that promise to slash the time required and/or multiply the quality of results
5. Things other people tell you can't be done
6. Things other people have done successfully in a different arena
7. Things that use your own creativity
8. Things that you can get other people to do for you with relatively little effort on your part
9. Anything with high-quality collaborators who have already transcended the 80/20 rule of time, who use time eccentrically and effectively
10. Things for which it is now or never"
"Work out what you want from life."
"10 golden rules for career success:
1. Specialize in a very small niche; develop a core skill
2. Choose a niche that you enjoy, where you can excel and stand a chance of becoming an acknowledged leader
3. Realize that knowledge is power
4. Identify your market and core customers and serve them best
5. Identify where 20 percent of effort gives 80 percent of returns
6. Learn from the best
7. Become self-employed early in your career
8. Employ as many net value creators as possible
9. Use outside contractors for everything but your core skill
10. Exploit capital leverage"
"Specialize in an area in which you are already interested and which you enjoy. You will not become an acknowledged leader in anything that cannot command your enthusiasm and passion."
"Radical simplification disturbs vested interests (not least, those of the managers in charge themselves), creates disruptive change, and requires everyone to be both accountable and useful. Most people prefer life to be quite, stable, and unaccountable."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2011
Unfortunately an illustration of its own principle: 20% valuable content with a lot of padding and assumptions.
Kudos to Koch for brave honesty in the end section discussing critiques of the original edition – even printing some negative reviews in full – and responding to them.
Kudos to Koch for brave honesty in the end section discussing critiques of the original edition – even printing some negative reviews in full – and responding to them.
December 7, 2022
I've already studied the 80/20 principle at university, so unfortunately nothing in this book is new to me.
"Usually 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort."
"Usually 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort."
June 12, 2020
Probably the worst business book I have ever read.
90% of it fluffing and regurgitating the concept (without even explaining it - 80% of X is 20% of Y is not an explanation). Do we want talk about the last chapters where it completely goes off the tangent? The methods to achieve happiness? What about the chapter where he praises himself by cherry picking reviews from Amazon?
It's ok to cut corners?
I'd say 100 pages of the book where about him giving advice with no solid credentials for saying those things, he's not a psychologist nor a neuroscientist (but that didn't matter).
Avoid this book, save yourself from 300 of nonsense which could have been distilled into a coherent blogpost instead.
90% of it fluffing and regurgitating the concept (without even explaining it - 80% of X is 20% of Y is not an explanation). Do we want talk about the last chapters where it completely goes off the tangent? The methods to achieve happiness? What about the chapter where he praises himself by cherry picking reviews from Amazon?
It's ok to cut corners?
I'd say 100 pages of the book where about him giving advice with no solid credentials for saying those things, he's not a psychologist nor a neuroscientist (but that didn't matter).
Avoid this book, save yourself from 300 of nonsense which could have been distilled into a coherent blogpost instead.
July 24, 2019
While not brilliant, it's a pretty good read, however I read a summary, as the book itself suggests when picking up a book like this.
I liked the fact that It did have some interesting points that could actually be used in real life. Give it a shot.
I liked the fact that It did have some interesting points that could actually be used in real life. Give it a shot.
May 24, 2023
Фундаментальная книга про один из важнейших принципов жизни, который надо использовать постоянно в любой деятельности. До многих вещей, которые есть в книге, доходил долго сам годами. И есть моменты над которыми мне ещё надо поработать.
ГЛАВНАЯ МЫСЛЬ КНИГИ:
Большинство людей вокруг привыкли мыслить линейное. Мы думаем, что результаты в любой деятельности прямо пропорциональны затрачиваемым усилиям. Но это не так. Жизнь несбалансирована во всех областях. Эта неравномерность определяется Принципом 80/20. Он гласит, что в любой системе 80% результатов являются следствием всего лишь 20% причин.
Чтобы добиться больших результатов в жизни надо определить для себя где мои, те самые 20%, которые дают 80% всей отдачи. По настоящему успешные люди и эффективные компании умеют находить эти 20% и использовать их для с��бя. Кох в книге показывает, как находить эти 20% в большинстве областей свой жизни, включая работу, время и личную жизнь.
МЫСЛИ И ВЫВОДЫ ИЗ КНИГИ:
Для предпринимателя важен творческий и решительный подход.
Линейное мышление - это сверхупрощение реальности.
Задача предпринимателя перенаправлять ресурсы(свои, чужие и заёмные) из непродуктивных областей применения в высокопродуктивные.
Каждый ресурс имеет свою область применения, где он в десятки или сотни раз эффективнее, чем в большинстве других областей. Я должен понимать какие у меня главные ресурсы и находить для них области, где они будут максимально эффективны.
Надо учиться распознавать момент, когда звезды благоприятствуют моему успеху и использовать их по максимуму.
Искусство применения принципа 80/20 заключается в том, чтобы определить направление течения, в котором в данный момент движется реальность, и использовать это знание по максимуму.
Важно не давать себя втягивать в деятельность и бизнесы, где у меня мало шансов победить, развиваться и быть счастливым
ГЛАВНАЯ МЫСЛЬ КНИГИ:
Большинство людей вокруг привыкли мыслить линейное. Мы думаем, что результаты в любой деятельности прямо пропорциональны затрачиваемым усилиям. Но это не так. Жизнь несбалансирована во всех областях. Эта неравномерность определяется Принципом 80/20. Он гласит, что в любой системе 80% результатов являются следствием всего лишь 20% причин.
Чтобы добиться больших результатов в жизни надо определить для себя где мои, те самые 20%, которые дают 80% всей отдачи. По настоящему успешные люди и эффективные компании умеют находить эти 20% и использовать их для с��бя. Кох в книге показывает, как находить эти 20% в большинстве областей свой жизни, включая работу, время и личную жизнь.
МЫСЛИ И ВЫВОДЫ ИЗ КНИГИ:
Для предпринимателя важен творческий и решительный подход.
Линейное мышление - это сверхупрощение реальности.
Задача предпринимателя перенаправлять ресурсы(свои, чужие и заёмные) из непродуктивных областей применения в высокопродуктивные.
Каждый ресурс имеет свою область применения, где он в десятки или сотни раз эффективнее, чем в большинстве других областей. Я должен понимать какие у меня главные ресурсы и находить для них области, где они будут максимально эффективны.
Надо учиться распознавать момент, когда звезды благоприятствуют моему успеху и использовать их по максимуму.
Искусство применения принципа 80/20 заключается в том, чтобы определить направление течения, в котором в данный момент движется реальность, и использовать это знание по максимуму.
Важно не давать себя втягивать в деятельность и бизнесы, где у меня мало шансов победить, развиваться и быть счастливым
January 10, 2018
The book ultimately proves its own theory. 20% of the book comprises about 80% of the content. The rest is repetition.
Some interesting arguments are made. This book is definitely more business minded, though I would say it’s still worth a read for anyone looking to make a time revolution at home. I’m a bit skeptical if this theory is truly relevant to ALL jobs. It seems to me that the lower you are on the corporate ladder, the less likely the 80/20 principle can be utilized practically in your “career”.
As it’s written from a white, male perspective, I’m also wondering how the theory applies to working mothers (especially single working mothers) and professionals of colour. Race and gender in the workplace are not mentioned at all.
Some interesting arguments are made. This book is definitely more business minded, though I would say it’s still worth a read for anyone looking to make a time revolution at home. I’m a bit skeptical if this theory is truly relevant to ALL jobs. It seems to me that the lower you are on the corporate ladder, the less likely the 80/20 principle can be utilized practically in your “career”.
As it’s written from a white, male perspective, I’m also wondering how the theory applies to working mothers (especially single working mothers) and professionals of colour. Race and gender in the workplace are not mentioned at all.
November 2, 2021
80% of outcomes is from 20% causes of the 100% privileged.
I had to quit fast once the audio guy started talking of the data - the 'dah-ter' - following his rendition of a rap featuring the 80/20 principles.
If you're looking for profit and success, tally ho, off you go.
I'll turn off this road back to inquiry, community and wellbeing.
I had to quit fast once the audio guy started talking of the data - the 'dah-ter' - following his rendition of a rap featuring the 80/20 principles.
If you're looking for profit and success, tally ho, off you go.
I'll turn off this road back to inquiry, community and wellbeing.
November 13, 2020
The 80/20 rule also applies to this book. Reading the first chapter gives you the basis for the rest of the book!
May 21, 2019
Amazing principle. Very valuable book, but you can easily skip 30-50% of it.
December 25, 2018
How anyone can be more effective with less effort by learning how to identify and leverage the 80/20 principle--the well-known, unpublicized secret that 80 percent of all our results in business and in life stem from a mere 20 percent of our efforts.
The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.
Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues? That 20 percent of our time accounts for 80 percent of the work we accomplish? The 80/20 Principle shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent that really counts. Although the 80/20 principle has long influenced today's business world, author Richard Koch reveals how the principle works and shows how we can use it in a systematic and practical way to vastly increase our effectiveness, and improve our careers and our companies.
The unspoken corollary to the 80/20 principle is that little of what we spend our time on actually counts. But by concentrating on those things that do, we can unlock the enormous potential of the magic 20 percent, and transform our effectiveness in our jobs, our careers, our businesses, and our lives.
The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.
Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues? That 20 percent of our time accounts for 80 percent of the work we accomplish? The 80/20 Principle shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent that really counts. Although the 80/20 principle has long influenced today's business world, author Richard Koch reveals how the principle works and shows how we can use it in a systematic and practical way to vastly increase our effectiveness, and improve our careers and our companies.
The unspoken corollary to the 80/20 principle is that little of what we spend our time on actually counts. But by concentrating on those things that do, we can unlock the enormous potential of the magic 20 percent, and transform our effectiveness in our jobs, our careers, our businesses, and our lives.
August 8, 2022
The book keeps repeating the same point again and again without much addition. The examples are pretty shallow and often don't exist for a lot of situations.
September 5, 2019
I agree with 80/20 as a short-term philosophy to make money or get ahead in business or at work. I also always have wholeheartedly believed in permanently cutting personal relationships that are negative or draining. But as I was getting towards the end of the book completely won over by its business teachings I wavered a bit as I thought about a business that has fully adopted 80/20, the movie industry. Now the only movies that get made are super hero, sci-fi, and animation. I have been to the movies only once in the past 5 years because there has literally been nothing to see. Actors don’t emote anymore, and aside from making money that profession must be increasingly empty. The pure 80/20 strategist would point out that the change in movie offerings has made for better television which is where audiences (and actors) must turn for good storytelling carried out my humans. And that’s true. What’s wasteful in one medium may be better suited to a different medium. Something else fills the void. But something tells me I will be a short-term convert. Then I will reintroduce into my professional life some of the variety and spice that 80/20 eliminates.
September 20, 2022
The 80/20 principle is one of the most important tools I know.
However I don't get how so many people can enjoy a book where the author is ignoring the principle completely. 1% of the book contains all of the information one should need. And still the book is ridiculously long without any additional value.
He juggles around with examples that he wants to see which apparently underline the 80/20 principle. But those are neither supported by data nor something that adds value to the core idea. And at the same time he mentions multiple times how little he thinks of diversity, even when it comes to employees.
I'd rate the principle with 5 stars. But I wouldn't recommend this particular book to anyone who values their time.
However I don't get how so many people can enjoy a book where the author is ignoring the principle completely. 1% of the book contains all of the information one should need. And still the book is ridiculously long without any additional value.
He juggles around with examples that he wants to see which apparently underline the 80/20 principle. But those are neither supported by data nor something that adds value to the core idea. And at the same time he mentions multiple times how little he thinks of diversity, even when it comes to employees.
I'd rate the principle with 5 stars. But I wouldn't recommend this particular book to anyone who values their time.
January 28, 2021
Dit boek staat op mijn lijstje betere boeken die ik afgelopen 10 jaar gelezen heb (ik heb uit 500+ boeken er 30 geselecteerd om nogmaals te lezen), dus had ik me voorgenomen om deze voor de 2e keer te gaan lezen. Het opnieuw lezen is inmiddels gebeurd.
Erg prikkelend boek. De theorie is op vrijwel alle vlakken toe te passen en daarom is het opnieuw lezen net zo waardevol als voor de 1e keer lezen. Leest lekker weg en gaat over allerlei verschillende vlakken van je leven. Blijft een enorme aanrader en dus opnieuw 5 sterrren.
Erg prikkelend boek. De theorie is op vrijwel alle vlakken toe te passen en daarom is het opnieuw lezen net zo waardevol als voor de 1e keer lezen. Leest lekker weg en gaat over allerlei verschillende vlakken van je leven. Blijft een enorme aanrader en dus opnieuw 5 sterrren.
March 22, 2017
another great book from Richard Koch on 80/20 principle discovered by Paretto and how it actually applies in the business, personal life and investments. While almost everybody knows about the principle it is not that easy to be apply the non-linear thinking and focus on the most important 1-20% and omit the remains. The book teaches what can be done specifically to apply the principle. Some parts intersects with "Simplify!" book.
May 28, 2020
Skimmed through most of the book. Few chapters are really good. Chapter 9-11, 13.
November 27, 2021
even if I were to overlook the lack of self awareness and bombastic worldview it showcases, allowing this “book” to be more than two paragraphs would still be generous
September 16, 2023
[Note: This review is of the year 2017 paperback edition of the book]
Practice the 80/20 Principle to achieve your goals faster!
"The 80/20 Principle" by Richard Koch is a wonderfully written book on how to apply the title principle into parts of your work life, in order to make changes for the better. In fact, the author is the first to have given a name to this strategy, as its application was seen in prior historical accounts but was never really given a name. And now the long overdue credit is finally given, and with a satisfying reading experience.
In most basic terms, the idea of 80/20 is about metaphorically splitting situations into 80 percent and 20 percent for vast improvements. For example, 80 percent of a business is run by a leadership team of 20 percent, the latter of which gain more profits as they approve execution of operational tactics that help improve services to customers. Or utilization of only 20 percent of tools to enable 80 percent of the work to be done at an easier and faster rate. The author provides more accurate and also real life examples on how this principle works.
Non-business application of the 80/20 principle is also discussed in the book. Various ways to implement the principle in people's personal lives are suggested as fairly as possible, although the author is aware that the principle is better applied to improve your professional life more than personal. He even shares some examples of others whom had rated and reviewed his book on websites such as Amazon. It is admirable for an author to openly accept criticism of their work, as this feedback helps to generate discussions on possible solutions. In his own way, Mr. Koch provides as much as possible the best way to apply the principle to non-work life, even if its application here cannot be totally perfect.
"The 80/20 Principle" is a book that will inspire readers to take action to improve their professional lives, eventually leading up to improving themselves outside of work. I myself have tried some of the methods in this book, and I am pleased to confirm noticeable improvements in my own work life. Highly recommended reading!
Practice the 80/20 Principle to achieve your goals faster!
"The 80/20 Principle" by Richard Koch is a wonderfully written book on how to apply the title principle into parts of your work life, in order to make changes for the better. In fact, the author is the first to have given a name to this strategy, as its application was seen in prior historical accounts but was never really given a name. And now the long overdue credit is finally given, and with a satisfying reading experience.
In most basic terms, the idea of 80/20 is about metaphorically splitting situations into 80 percent and 20 percent for vast improvements. For example, 80 percent of a business is run by a leadership team of 20 percent, the latter of which gain more profits as they approve execution of operational tactics that help improve services to customers. Or utilization of only 20 percent of tools to enable 80 percent of the work to be done at an easier and faster rate. The author provides more accurate and also real life examples on how this principle works.
Non-business application of the 80/20 principle is also discussed in the book. Various ways to implement the principle in people's personal lives are suggested as fairly as possible, although the author is aware that the principle is better applied to improve your professional life more than personal. He even shares some examples of others whom had rated and reviewed his book on websites such as Amazon. It is admirable for an author to openly accept criticism of their work, as this feedback helps to generate discussions on possible solutions. In his own way, Mr. Koch provides as much as possible the best way to apply the principle to non-work life, even if its application here cannot be totally perfect.
"The 80/20 Principle" is a book that will inspire readers to take action to improve their professional lives, eventually leading up to improving themselves outside of work. I myself have tried some of the methods in this book, and I am pleased to confirm noticeable improvements in my own work life. Highly recommended reading!
June 13, 2021
The 80/20 Principle: (7.7/10)
"It is not the shortage of time that should worry us, but the tendency for the majority of time to be spent in low-quality ways"
This book had been sitting on my shelf for the past 6 years - I think every half year I read a couple chapters lol these nonfiction books are simply not binge-a-ble for me.
In summary, the 80/20 Principle (aka the Pareto Principle) is an economic concept based on a simple message: 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Koch aims to prove that not only has this concept been in the works within society for hundreds of years already, with examples being:
• 80% of a country's wealth comes from 20% of individuals [Economic POV]
• 80% of revenue comes from 20% of clients [Corporate POV]
• 80% of one's happiness comes from 20% of friends [Personal POV],
but also that every single person should understand and leverage it to maximize their gains with less inputs
Lots of good insights, especially around managing personal finances & learning how to realize, prioritize and cut down on irrelevant and unnecessary work.
TLDR; work smart, not hard.
For more book reviews, check out my bookstagram at
https://www.instagram.com/abstractnov...
"It is not the shortage of time that should worry us, but the tendency for the majority of time to be spent in low-quality ways"
This book had been sitting on my shelf for the past 6 years - I think every half year I read a couple chapters lol these nonfiction books are simply not binge-a-ble for me.
In summary, the 80/20 Principle (aka the Pareto Principle) is an economic concept based on a simple message: 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Koch aims to prove that not only has this concept been in the works within society for hundreds of years already, with examples being:
• 80% of a country's wealth comes from 20% of individuals [Economic POV]
• 80% of revenue comes from 20% of clients [Corporate POV]
• 80% of one's happiness comes from 20% of friends [Personal POV],
but also that every single person should understand and leverage it to maximize their gains with less inputs
Lots of good insights, especially around managing personal finances & learning how to realize, prioritize and cut down on irrelevant and unnecessary work.
TLDR; work smart, not hard.
For more book reviews, check out my bookstagram at
https://www.instagram.com/abstractnov...
April 23, 2023
The first half of the book is purely business focused. Unless you own your own business or have access to the finances of the company where you work, it can be a bit boring and unrelatable. It also seemed a bit generic, I was craving some more specific examples I can relate to. The second half gave me what I asked for. Very specific, related to happiness, work, lifestyle, relationships. Sometimes, it feels like you are given exact instructions on how to be happy, which seems a bit strange, but it definitely makes you think.
And 80/20 indeed applies to so many aspects of our lives. There are some things I want to try out and some sections I want to re-read
And 80/20 indeed applies to so many aspects of our lives. There are some things I want to try out and some sections I want to re-read
June 17, 2019
A classic book with excellent message that needs to be read following the 80/20 principle too.
May 4, 2023
Great principal, but the book is veeery repetitive. The whole point of this book could have been expressed in 30 pages.
September 12, 2023
I took the authors advice and only read 20% of this book. In all fairness I could have read less and still attained the essence.
The book takes the concept of repetition to a whole new level, a level I do not enjoy.
The book takes the concept of repetition to a whole new level, a level I do not enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,059 reviews