Rework reviewed

I wanted to like Rework by Fried and Hannson, but I feel like I overpaid.

To say it's a short book is an understatement. This is pretty much it:

• Simplicity is the only winning formula.
• Don't hire until quality falls.
• A successful private company can get by with very few employees by outsourcing utility functions (details on this may be in their other book)
• Meetings are bad, but distributed teams need to get together every three months or so. Evidently whatever those teams do together is not "meeting". Whatever "meeting" is.
• True productivity works with a balanced 45-50 hour week -- but when you're doing a startup you should sacrifice sleep and keep your day job.
• You can make money by reselling the detritus of corporate activity, like this book.
• Cash flow is king, be positive early.
• Build enough to sell, then build what you need to keep selling.
• Customers can't tell you what they need.
• Don't fear customers graduating from your services (but I wager they don't make it easy for customers to migrate their data).
• Don't surrender ownership early -- wait until you're a proven company.
• Only hire talented writers - regardless of the position

The book isn't worthless. About two thirds of it feels right, which is better than the average business book. On the other hand, I don't buy average business books.

I'd recommend a pass on this one. Do pick it up at the library or a used book store. $8 would be a fair price.