Book Reviews
Book Review: ‘Million Dollar Weekend’ by Noah Kagan
I don’t know about you, but my X timeline has been dominated by a recently released book for the past two weeks. That book is Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours by Noah Kagan (with Tahl Raz, which likely means he did most of the heavy lifting). Seeing how ubiquitous this book’s green cover proved to be as I scrolled social media, I knew I had to check it out for a review. So, as usual, I cashed in an Audible credit and downloaded the audiobook.
Even if you don’t know Noah Kagan by name (I didn’t), you may be familiar with his work. As he shares in the book, after being let go from Facebook, he went on to work at Mint and also founded such companies as AppSumo — a service I’ve previously used to find new tools. For as impressive as that is, I’m still selling his resume well short. In other words, he’s the perfect person to teach others about growing businesses.
Before we get into the content of the book, one thing that surprised me off the bat was the length. Although the hard cover is apparently 240 pages, the audiobook clocks in at a scant 4 hours and 33 minutes. Actually, that runtime is if you’re listening at 1x. By selecting 1.85x, I was able to finish the book in a just 2.5 hours. On the one hand, it’s nice that I was able to consume an entire book in less time than it takes to listen to a single Joe Rogan podcast, but it does seem a bit short to me. If I had to guess, I’d think that the worksheets that audiobook listeners can download from the Million Dollar Weekend site might be printed in the physical book — but I can’t confirm that.
Anyway, Million Dollar Weekend kicks off with a preview of what’s to come. This takes the form of Kagan highlighting common excuses “wantrepreneurs” often give for not building businesses, while also noting which chapters those concerns will be addressed in. At the end of this intro, readers/listeners are also asked to sign a contract (with themselves) that commits them to follow their dream.
As you might expect, the first real chapter is all about getting started. It also tackles what’s surely a common roadblock for many would-be entrepreneurs: rejection. But, to help improve that “ask muscle” and get readers ready for rejection, Kagan offers an interesting challenge: go to your local coffee shop and ask for 10% off. For as strange as this sounds, Kagan explains that this exercise can be life-changing — at least that’s what he and those who’ve reported back to him have said. To be clear, the point of the challenge isn’t actually to save a few cents but to get entrepreneurs used to asking without fear of being told “no.”
Speaking of asking, this has to be the first book I’ve ever read/listened to with an in-text request for a review of the book. Honestly, it was really quite a meta moment to hear this petition over my earbuds. While this bit did catch me by surprise and led me to raise an eyebrow, for the most part, I felt as though Kagan kept his self-promotion in check. That is to say that, even in this instance where he asked readers to leave reviews, he managed to make the plug relevant to the material.
Since I don’t want to provide a Cliffs Notes version of the book, I’ll just note that the rest of Million Dollar Weekend will walk you through the processes of coming up with ideas, verifying that they have million dollar potential, and offering advice for getting them launched ASAP. Along the way, Kagan also provides specific examples and even scripts to help you along. In case it wasn’t clear, this is also where the “million dollar weekend” part comes in as the book throws down a 48 hour challenge.
To be fully transparent, I really don’t have much interest in becoming an entrepreneur (at least not the type as laid out in this book). Nevertheless, there were some takeaways I felt applied to my gigs as a writer and YouTuber. For example, I appreciated Kagan’s emphasis on experimentation and throwing away what’s not working. Similarly, in a world where it feels as though you always need to be on the next big social platform, the author instead suggests that you stick to what platforms are best for you (and where you’re audience is). Another actionable takeaway I got was in regard to email lists — which Kagan notes are far more powerful than many realize.
Even as someone who’s not too steeped in the world of entrepreneurship, I felt as though a lot of what Kagan shares in The Million Dollar Weekend was stuff I had heard before. Sure, there are quirky twists like the coffee challenge, but other parts struck me as generic. Perhaps that’s too harsh and there are some truly mind-blowing lessons in here, but they didn’t jump out to me. Then again, I suspect the experience is far different for someone who’s actively engaged in the book and putting its advice into action immediately versus someone like me who’s passively listening for the sake of review.
One other concern I had about the book is how long some of its advice can really be relevant. As I noted, throughout the book, Kagan shares script ideas for email and other solicitations that are meant to get someone’s attention. Alas, with this book making such a splash and landing on the NYT best sellers list, I can only imagine how certain popular targets in this world will be inundated with emails that all sound the same. That might sound hyperbolic but it’s something I’ve seen first-hand with other “hacks” and strategies. Therefore, I can’t help but wonder if the “Jim Cramer Effect” applies — meaning that, once it’s out there, it’s already too late.
In spite of those concerns, I do feel as though there are plenty of people who will learn from Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours. For those who do undertake the challenge in earnest, I hope their ideas and follow through will lead them to success. As for me, while I found the book interesting and may revisit it in the future, but for now I don’t think it’s for me.
Million Dollar Weekend Book Review
Million Dollar Weekend: A Potentially Powerful Read for Those Ready to Take the Challenge
3.5
Formats
Hard cover, spiral bound, Kindle, audiobook
Pages/Runtime
240 (hardcover)/4 hours 33 minutes
In Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours by Noah Kagan (with Tahl Raz), aspiring entrepreneurs will learn how to quickly assess their business ideas, understand their customers, and launch a successful venture within days. Of course, this book is now a magic bullet and readers will need to follow through in order for the book’s lessons to work. Additionally, while the author’s scripts and suggestions may be effective today, they may lose their potency as others adopt them. Still, those ready to take on the work will find actionable advice contained within.
Pros
- Comes from an authoritative author with plenty of experience on the topic
- Offers actionable insights and tips
- Additional materials available for free online
Cons
- Material is a bit thin (judging by the audiobook run length)
- Current strategies highlighted may be out of date before long
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Author
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