Greg Isenberg is a multi-exit Silicon Valley entrepreneur and owner of Late Checkout product studio. He has:
- Headed Product Strategy at WeWork
- Been an advisor to Reddit
- Founded a startup, Islands, which was sold to WeWork
- Founded 5by, which was sold to StumbleUpon
Guest Author: Greg Isenberg
2001… a year that set the course for my life. It was then that I had an unexpected “encounter “with Bill Gates
Isn’t it strange how the universe has a knack for surprises?
I stumbled into my local library one day, needing to use the bathroom
As I was leaving, my eyes were drawn to a bookshelf.
A book called ‘The Road Ahead’ by Bill Gates
Not a big reader at the time, but this one…this one pulled me in
I found myself absorbed in it for hours on end
It was as if Gates had thrown open the doors to the future, presenting a world of smartphones, internet payments, and social networks – concepts that felt almost science-fiction-like, yet intriguingly plausible
Billions of people, interconnected through digital networks of communities and commerce, was a vision hard to ignore
I was a kid from a declining economy in Montreal, Canada. There weren’t many high paying jobs at the time.
Money was tight for so many of the people I knew
But I wanted more, and through Gates, I figured out how
Through Bill, I discovered Warren Buffet and his jaw-dropping confession:
“I read 600-1000 pages per day.”
Like a lightning bolt, it struck me – the path to world-class expertise, to foreseeing the future, was no secret
It was reading
That’s when I committed to the 4% rule – dedicating an hour each day to reading
A small daily investment with the potential to yield massive, compounding returns over time.
The habit wasn’t easy to form, but the resolve was unshakeable
This reading journey instilled in me a conviction that anyone, regardless of their starting point, could become an expert, a visionary, if they are willing to invest the time to read, to learn
And my 4% time investment? It’s paid dividends beyond what I could have ever imagined. Thanks Buffett and Gates.
People often ask me: how do you get ahead in today’s world?
I think it’s as simple as these 4 rules:
1. Develop a reading habit (4%)
2. Develop a writing habit (4%)
3. Develop a idea building habit (4%)
4. Develop a fitness habit (4%)
It all starts with reading
“Reading an hour a day is only 4% of your day. But that 4% will put you at the top of your field within 10 years. Find the time.”
I agree.
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I put together some free guides for people who want to build internet businesses on my website gregisenberg.com… enjoy.
