Book SummaryWho Not How, by Dan Sullivan

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Who Not How

In Who Not How, entrepreneur Dan Sullivan explains that the best way to solve a problem is to find someone who already knows how to solve it—no matter what doing this costs. When you try to solve your own problems, he explains, you’re limited to what you can do alone. Additionally, you’re forced to spend your own time and energy, which can be inefficient and costly. (Shortform note: A third effect the authors don’t mention is that when you do everything yourself, you become a bottleneck that slows everything down and stunts the growth of your business.)

When, instead, you find the right person, you get top-quality results at comparatively incredible speeds. Sullivan explains that because the right person already knows how to solve your problem, they can get to work immediately. You leverage their expert resources and specialist skills, and the result is...

Who Not How Summary How to Find the Right Person

Before we delve into the benefits of doing so, let’s explore the authors’ method for finding the right person for any given task. Use this method when you write the job description for any prospective hire, no matter what role you’re trying to fill.

First, Sullivan and Hardy say, make sure your vision and purpose are clear. Doing so is critical to helping the right person find you, the authors explain—someone out there has the skill set you need and they’re looking for an opportunity to use it to achieve something great. Offer a goal the right person will be proud to have accomplished; this way, you establish a relationship that benefits both parties (no expert will be drawn to a task that doesn't offer them value). To ensure your vision is clear and that you can communicate it well, write it down.

(Shortform note: There’s another reason that you need to know exactly what you want when it comes to hiring experts: If you don’t provide a clear vision and focus, you’ll lose control of your business. An expert is confident in his knowledge and skills, so he’ll...

Who Not How Summary Personnel Speed Up Your Results

Now that we’ve learned how to find good personnel, let’s explore why you should do so. Sullivan and Hardy describe four ways in which investment in personnel creates stellar results in your business and outside of it.

The first advantage to investing in personnel is that doing so increases the amount of time you have and how effectively that time is spent. According to Hardy and Sullivan, the most effective way to spend time is in whatever way achieves the best results as quickly as possible—and most entrepreneurs, they explain, don’t do that. Because they prioritize costs, many entrepreneurs address problems by spending their time instead of their money, wasting both in pursuit of a subpar result. Instead, the authors argue, you should reclaim your time—improving your own effectiveness and your outcomes—by hiring personnel.

(Shortform note: Time management is crucial for entrepreneurs because they’re responsible for an entire company’s results—as such, there’s always a task waiting for them, and there’s always a better way to spend...

Who Not How Summary Personnel Create More Money, Faster

The second advantage to investing in personnel, the authors say, is that doing so optimizes your rate of income and expansion. According to the authors, investing in high-quality personnel kickstarts an ever-expanding cycle of growth for your business ventures.

Because you’ve invested in experts, the authors explain, you’re now efficiently producing stellar results, effectively elevating your business and validating your decision to hire experts. Your personnel will continue to optimize and improve the process they’re engaged in, generating better results faster and further improving your income. They won’t need your help to do it, so you’ll reclaim your time.

(Shortform note: Once you kickstart this cycle of growth, you’ll inevitably need to expand your team to keep up. Team growth can become difficult to handle; you’ll inevitably hit a stumbling block once your team grows to between 25 and 40 people. At this point, it becomes impossible for one leader to manage every employee or for each employee to see the whole picture. You’ll need to set up management structures and autonomous teams and change the way...

Who Not How Summary Personnel Improve Your Relationships

The third advantage to investing in personnel is that doing so improves your relationships. We’ve discussed so far that investing in personnel saves you time, energy, and money—and you can spend those, the authors say, to develop deeper, more fulfilling relationships.

Investing in personnel isn’t just about hiring experts for your business—it’s also about investing your time and energy in mutually beneficial personal relationships. As you free up your time and accumulate resources, the authors explain, it’s natural to deepen your focus on personnel—on people—and the connections you make with them. In doing so, Sullivan and Hardy explain, you further your personal growth more quickly than you could alone.

(Shortform note: Psychologically speaking, connecting with others strengthens our emotional resilience and comfort with intellectual risk-taking—both of which benefit an entrepreneur—but Sullivan’s idea of “growth” is much more tangible. What he means is that if someone’s around to help you, you’ll learn skills much more quickly than you would alone.)

Sullivan and Hardy outline two ways to optimize your connections with...

Who Not How Summary Personnel Optimize Your Purpose

The fourth advantage of investing in personnel is that doing so improves your purpose: how valuable your investments of time and resources are and how much you can accomplish.

Collaboration Generates Meaning and Value

We do our best when we feel that our decisions and behaviors—and our investment of resources and time—have meaning and value, or purpose. Purpose, the authors explain, is what pushes us to give our best—regardless of the job or task. We want the outcome of our investments to have an impact, somehow, on something.

(Shortform note: Many organizations try to cultivate their employees’ passion instead of their purpose, but for the rank-and-file, passion is a poor motivator. In So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport explains that most people, throughout their lives, learn that fulfillment comes from feeling passionate about your work. As a result, passion-seeking employees are unable to cope with boring or frustrating aspects of their jobs—they think the work is pointless or not right for them because it...

Shortform Exercise: Determine What You Need and Who Can Help

Use this exercise when you need to figure out exactly what you need help with, and who can help you do it. Note that this exercise works just as well for personal problems as it does for professional ones.

Describe the project you’re attempting to complete or the problem you want to solve. (For example, maybe you want to eat healthier)

Shortform Exercise: Identify What You Can Offer

Use this exercise to identify an opportunity to generate goodwill by providing value without asking for anything in return.

Name a person you’d like to establish a relationship with and explain how that connection would benefit you or your business.