Smarter Not Harder

After college, Tim Ferriss took a soul-sucking sales job at a tech firm. Then, he left to start his own business.



He went from working 40 hours a week for somebody else to working 80 hours a week for himself.



He hated it. The pay was good, but the business left him drained.



After learning about the Pareto Principle (more commonly known as the 80-20 Principle), Ferriss had a revelation: he streamlined his business, eliminating distractions and automating systems until it was not only more profitable but also took less of his time.



Much less.



He took a “mini-retirement”, and then decided to write a book about “lifestyle design”, about creating a life that balances work and play, while maximizing the positives of both.

The 4-Hour Workweek describes the specific actions Ferriss took to implement these steps.