About David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

In a nutshell, this book is all about how advantages can be disadvantages, and disadvantages can be advantages.

To put this into a business example, let’s look at a small business versus a very large corporate organization.

Now, you would think that the large organization has the advantage, and in a lot of aspects, yes they do. However, a small business can trump a large organization.

Small businesses are more nimble compared to their giant opponents. They are able to innovate quicker, adapt quicker, and bring products to market quicker. They haven’t got all the red tape that a lot of the big organizations have and fewer people need to be involved in the decision-making process.

Therefore, their disadvantage is that they are smaller than the larger organization, but the fact that they are smaller can also work in their favor and be a huge advantage.

Gladwell explains the reason why underdogs can (and do) succeed – even though everything is against them and they should fail hands down.

My thoughts on this book

It is an engaging read that makes you re-think your situation. However, there is no real actionable content.

It’s not one of those books that deliver a step-by-step method on how to improve your situation. It basically just goes through examples and real-life stories of how advantages can be disadvantages and disadvantages can be advantages. But it does make you rethink your own position and how you could move forward.

Final note

Overall, I think that most people would find this book to be a very intriguing read – it’s very thought-provoking and inspiring, especially if you yourself are an underdog.

This is the first book by Malcolm Gladwell that I have read and it was a joy to read. I didn’t even have to think, I just went from line to line and page to page and I’m looking forward to reading more if his books.

Check out my reading and review list to see which other of this book I plan on reading.

Have you read David & Goliath?

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