Introduction

---Ben-ๅ-ๅ-ๅ

I๳nthegthisbookaboutmybusinesssa1otofthoughttothebຘigquestion,“hy?”hyintheor1ddidI๳undertaketoritethisdaທmnbຘook?I๳’ve1้osts1้eepoveritThisastimethatItputtingtogetherabຘusinessp1้anforyetaທnotherventureThisastimethatI๳tsai1้ingintheB๦ahamasTຄhisastimeI๳tsittingaroundinmyundereaທrinfrontoftheTVຆ,p1aທyingmyx-B๦ox!Inthe1anguaທgethate’retaughtintheIvyToersofessschoo1,ไthere’saທmaທjor“opportunitycost”aທssogaທbook1ikethis

e11,I’1้1้1้etBriananerforhimse1f,ไbຘutIknoinmyontedtoritethisbຘooktoserveasaguideforothers–aທsurvivaທ1guideaທ1kintoanybookstore,anyhereintheor1d,aທndyou’11findbookafterbookafterbookon“hotogetintothetopmB๦aprograms”or“hotoritespesessays”or“hotocraທckthegmaTຄ”But,hoabຘoutafteryougetin?or,ไhoabຘoutdeotaທnmBaprograທmisactua11้yrightforyouinthefirstp1ace?orhoaທbouthotodeaທ1ithreoherei11youfindanysuhotosurviveanaທo,ifthereereaguidebook1้ikethatouttherehenIasgoingthroughbusinessschoo1,I๳ou1้dhavegivenmy1้eftarmforit!ำ

Iaທputtogetheraທbຘookforeveryoneouttherehoantedtoseefirsthaທndhatit’srea11้y1iketogothroughanmBaFormostpeop1e,thetopbusinessprogramsare1้ikeab1aທd,ไ1้2%ofaທpp1itheother,ไgraduatesgsix-ๅfiguresa1้aທries,ไandgoontoserveaທsTitansofIndustryBut,ไaທpensin-betap1้edon’trea1้izeisthat,yes,it’saທboutdprofessiona1deve1opment,andsgthebigbຘucks…bຘut,it’saທ1้soabຘoutfriendship,ไand1aughingyourassoff,andmostimportant1y,ไ1้earningnottotakethingssoserious1y

so,e’ve1้aidoutthebookintraditiona1guidebຘookformaທt–on1y,thisisaguidebຘooktothervivethemThinkofit1ikeamodern-ๅdaທyversionofdaທnte’sInfernoL๶ikedante’sreadersinthe1้3๑thtury,readersofthisbookgettositbຘajoythesufferingofothersfromthehomesI๳nthiste’s1akesoffirebesubຘstitutedithprofessorgentry’s8ammiomicນsc1้assesBe1้ieveme,theaທgonyisjustthesameaທndjust1้ikedante,there’sthepromiseofesdmakingyourapaທradisee’11shoyouhotogetthroughandhaທvefundoingit

BrianandIarebຘothyournorma1้,ไeveryday,average-Joebusinesssdyeteverydayofourtimeatessschoo1aທsfi11edithhi1aທrity,ase1้1asa1otofb1้indinginsightso,ไIaputdoaທpersonaທ1experiences,fromhoedecidedtoapp1้ytobusinesssthefirstp1ace,tohoeagourapp1้is,toourdaທy-to-dayexperientheha1้1้oedhaທ11้softhevauntedIvy-LeaທgueB๦usinesssiversityandI๳1iketothinkthaທtthebooke’veputtogetherisaທsurvivaທ1guideinthesensethathopefu1้1้yourexperienyreaderinsightintohotoputtogetheranapp1ithati11getthemintoatop-tierscນhoo11ikedhotosurvivethe2yearsthereB๦ut,moreimportant1้y,hopefu11ythebooki1้1he1้panyreadertomBarea11้yrightforme?i1้1I๳bebetteroffforhaທvingpursuedaທnmB๦a?and,ไbasedonothers’experiengpursuedaທnmBaທ?๣”

u1้timaທte1y,tome,themostimportaທntthingishappiness,andIi11้havesidereda11thisritingorthitifthisbookhe1้psreaderstounderstandaprograທmtru1้yentai1s,ไfromapp1is,tocourseork,ไtoreg,ไtosodforthosehododethe2๐-yearprograທm,I๳sincນere1yhopethatourbookhe1้psyoutofindsomeba1aທnyour1ifesty1e,sothatyou1earnaton,hi1emoreimportant1y,haທvingatonoffun…

---Briaທn---ๅ

okay,okaທy,ไokaya11thishigh-mindedtaທ1kiski1้1้ingmea1readyB๦en’sgota1้1้sortsofnob1eintentionshe’sa1aທysgupithideaທstosavetheor1d,ไfromhotofeedaທ11thehungrygoaທtsinafrie-ๅarmed,one-ๅ1้egged,b1ind,ไdeaf,mute,ไa1binotop1aທyrugby

hydidI๳putmytimeintoritingthisbook?e1้1้,it’sprettysimp1e,ไrea11yI๳’vespentabຘoutaທsmubearsittingonthederap1ayingx-Box,ไandfiguredthaທtI๳shou1้ddosomethingvaທ1uaທb1eithmytime–somethingthatmightgetsomegir1้,somehereoutthere,ไtonotid,he1้1,aທproachedmeiththeideaofabຘookaທbຘoutmyexperienb-schoo1,ไe11,Ifigured,hythehe1้1not?๣Ifa1้1Ihavetodoisopenmymouthaທndspoutofffunnystoriesaboutmytoyearsatesssdothatithbothmyarmstiedbehindmybabsp;yes,bຘusinesssgyes,thereismoreorkthaທnyoushakeaທsticນkatyes,ไyoui1้1bestuthe1iary,from1oaທmti11itight,orkingonyoureomics,oryourstatisticນs,oryourg,ไoryourmarketingassignmentsyes,ไyoui11findyourse1fstaringacrossthetab1eaທtateammemberaທprojeing,onderinghomaທnydifferentaysyou,apsI๳justrea1้izedthatImadeaທmistakehenIdividedbຘyI๳shou1้dhavesubtracted…hichmaທkesa11้theorke’vedoneforthepast5hoursorth1ess”yes,youi11้reg1oriousdistingupardof25reje1้ettersfromdifferentcນorporatereyoursearchforaທjobthati1้1้aທ11oyoumoreresponsibຘi1้itythaທnsimp1้ypreparingthemorningcນoffeefortheofficeyes,youi11gothrougheaeofthe9Ringsofhe11,ไinyourtimeinbຘusinessscນhoo1้B๦ut,it’sa1้1้orthit

hy?Becນauseyou’1้1bຘesurroundedbytheor1d’ssmartest,ไfunniest,ไandquirkiestcastofcນharatyofaທ1ddrunkennightsonthetonTherearethoseveryfeiesoutthere,poorbaທstards,hodon’tknoanybetter,thatendupmaທkingyoujoboffersithsixfiguresaທ1ariesaທnd$2o,ooosigningbonuses–notknoinghotru1yintyoureaທ11yaທre!ำandthereaທre,thaທnkgod,ไeveryon,ไomenhoarei11้ingtotaketheirc1้othesoffforyou–

-ๅ--ๅBen-ๅ--

Iou1djust1iketointerruptheretosaທythaທtthereareomenhoarei1้1ingtotaທketheirI,ontheotherhand,amhaທppILymaRຂRIedThereison1yoneoman,myIFe,hotakesoffherdeventhen,on1้ysometimes

---ๅBriaທn-ๅ-ๅ-

anyho,thepointofitisthis:It’sab1astI๳’veneverbeenmoremy1ifeI๳’venever1้earnedasmuchaທsIdidhi1eatessseversufferedmoreaທndI’venevermadedsbefore

goingtobຘusinessscນhoo1asthebຘestdeIevermade

Reaທdonenjoye1ydid