Writing is one of the most powerful ways to identify, articulate, save, and share important ideas. I hope to write many more books in my lifetime, but for now these two book do a good job of capturing both sides of my brain.
- Analytical / data-driven: The Path to Pivot is the result of two years of writing, research, interviews, and introspection on the challenges of finding PMF and guiding startup founders to best way to make the decision to change course in a significant way. A Useful Book written for a very specific audience.
- Expressive / psychosocial: weirdly brilliant was created in a creative flurry—a 30 day book writing sprint documented through a daily videos on Twitter. In a cheeky, visual format, the book lays out my personal framework for helping outliers navigate a world that doesn't understand or appreciate them.
The Path to Pivot: The Playbook for Founders Who Want to Reboot Their Startup
If you're a founder at a crossroads with your startup, keep reading. How many times have you heard that you have to stay the path to get that $1B+ exit? All those stories of grinding it out through the tough years.
And yet, some of the most successful companies—Instagram, Notion, Loom, Discord—were the result of giving up on Plan A to go after Plan B (or C or D, etc).
Being a founder is full of tough choices. When your startup’s growth hits a wall, you’re faced with two choices: grind it out or start over. So which one is right for you?
The Path to Pivot is the practical playbook for founders finding your way to exponential growth. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Frameworks to nail the why, when, and how of pivoting
- Deep dives into the pivots of 12+ startups like Lyft, Notion, Nuvocargo, Loom, Rupa Health, and more
- Actionable tools to rebuild your business
How this book will help you restart your startup’s growth?
If you’re a founder serious about making it big, The Path to Pivot is for you. Just like all great companies, your startup is likely to come up against moments of existential doubt. This book will guide you through the hardest of those trials: the act of pivoting.
If you’re thinking about a pivot or in the midst of one, this is your startup’s chance at a stellar second-act.
- Shoot the Zombie: A set of questions to identify if your startup is dying and a guide to transform doubt into courage.
- Grit, Pivot, or Quit: A 3-part matrix to help you decide whether you should pivot.
- Pilot Your Pivot: The Align-Explore-Commit framework to test-drive your pivot before going all in.
- Align Incrementally: A 5-step roadmap to conversations that will align your co-founder, team, and investors on the pivot.
- Extend Your Runway: A look behind the neat PR announcements from real pivots—learn tactics to reduce your expenses and increase cash flow.
- Leverage Your Assets: 2 hidden advantages and 6 types of trends you can use to rebuild your business from the ground up.
- Make The Call: The master blueprint to measure your options before pulling the trigger.
- Own Your Story: A step-by-step guide to your startup’s brand new story, including the sticky name change question
- Stay Resilient: 5 tools to better your own health—so that you don’t just survive the pivot, you come out stronger
Weirdly Brilliant: How Ambitious Outliers Swing Big, Own Their Genius, and Play a Different Game
When you are told over and over that you are different and not normal, you start to believe that it’s a bad thing. Even after you begin to succeed, to make use of your strange talents and ways of being, the criticisms and the rejections never seem to end.
But here’s the truth: the System needs you more than you need them.This is a book for ambitious outliers—the ones who break with convention, who feel like too much yet not enough, and ready to put their own dent in the universe.
Do you see the world differently and struggle to conform to societal norms? You're not alone, and you're not the problem—you're the solution our world desperately needs.
In WEIRDLY BRILLIANT startup founder turned executive coach Jason Shen challenges the status quo and celebrates the power of outliers. This captivating book is a rallying cry for those who've felt marginalized by their uniqueness, offering a fresh perspective on how to harness your distinctive talents and make a lasting impact on the world.
Through inspiring stories of unconventional thinkers like Temple Grandin, Ludwig Guttmann, and his own outlier experience, Shen illustrates how embracing our differences can lead to groundbreaking innovations and social change. He provides practical strategies for redefining ambition, developing talents, and finding your place in a world that often misunderstands brilliance that deviates from the norm.
WEIRDLY BRILLIANT is a book for dreamers, the rebels, and the insanely talented troublemakers. It's for anyone who's ever felt out of place but knew, deep down, they had something extraordinary to offer.
Discover how to:
- Confront "The System" that tries to put you in a box
- Redefine your ambition on your own terms
- Develop your unique talents and leverage your "antidiscipline"
- Find environments where you can thrive and make your mark
- Tell your story and grow your circle of influence
If you've ever been told you're "too much" or "not enough", this book is for you. It's time to stop trying to fit in and start standing out. WEIRDLY BRILLIANT will inspire you to embrace your quirks, celebrate your differences, and use your distinctive perspective to change the world.
Remember: You are not the problem. You are the answer. It's time to let your weirdly brilliant light shine.