Cutting the Curd

Episode 172: Book Review: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Managing Ourselves

Episode Summary

Ari Weinzweig knows how to run a good business. In fact, he wrote the book on running a good business -- literally, and hes this weeks guest on Cutting the Curd. From explanations of the Twelve Natural Laws of Building a Great Business to Writing and Using Guiding Principles, Zingermans co-founder Ari Weinzweig shares eighteen different secrets that will help you grow and run your business in his latest book A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Managing Ourselves. The experiences are compiled into bite size, easy to digest lessons. You can read section by section. This is a book for leaders and entrepreneurs of small companies, large companies, non-profits or anyone in any type of organization. You dont need to be in the food business. What you do need to be feeling are growth pains. Here you can get practical help from someone who can relate to your problems. This book is written by a small-business owner from the perspective of a small-business owner, not a managerial consultant, not a professor reciting a series of studies. This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Going for greatness is more work. Its good work. [15:00] Negative emotion is much more contagious than positive. [23;00] When the numbers are better - stress is lower. When stress is lower, people do better work. [24:00] --Ari Weinzweig on Cutting the Curd

Episode Notes

Ari Weinzweig knows how to run a good business. In fact, he wrote the book on running a good business — literally, and he’s this week’s guest on Cutting the Curd. From explanations of the “Twelve Natural Laws of Building a Great Business” to “Writing and Using Guiding Principles,” Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig shares eighteen different “secrets” that will help you grow and run your business in his latest book A Lapsed Anarchists Approach to Managing Ourselves. The experiences are compiled into bite size, easy to digest lessons. You can read section by section. This is a book for leaders and entrepreneurs of small companies, large companies, non-profits or anyone in any type of organization. You don’t need to be in the food business. What you do need to be feeling are growth pains. Here you can get practical help from someone who can relate to your problems. This book is written by a small-business owner from the perspective of a small-business owner, not a managerial consultant, not a professor reciting a series of “studies.” This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.


“Going for greatness is more work. It’s good work.” [15:00]

“Negative emotion is much more contagious than positive.” [23;00]

“When the numbers are better – stress is lower. When stress is lower, people do better work.” [24:00]

–Ari Weinzweig on Cutting the Curd