Do Epic Shit by Ankur Warikoo: Book review by Bits Zone: My yearly campaign of reading books has me trying out all kinds of non-fiction. And though I love reading across the board, autobiographies are at the top of my shelf. There's nothing more insightful (and beautiful) than a life well lived in my opinion, and autobiographies enable us to dive deep into some very beautiful and inspiring lives.
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What gets me even more excited these days is when I see an Indian author making waves. You see, most of the good literature that has come to us in this space has come from the west. And while I grew up reading about Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Sam Walton, etc., I somehow knew that those stories were fundamentally disconnected from India. I could see the difference in the way people operated at the very basic level. This made me wonder..
Why don't we have Indian stories in this space? Why don't Indian entrepreneurs share their learnings?
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Do Epic Shit Short Book Review
I like Ankur Warikoo. I discovered his videos not long ago when looking for some investment advice. I found his videos well structured and easy to consume. Warikoo comes across as a decent guy with an honest and relatable voice. I eventually discovered on his YouTube channel about his new book. I wasn’t excited to buy it right away as I already had my to-reads sorted for this year.
But when I received it as a gift from a dear friend and realized it would be a quick read, I moved it up on my list. It was not worth it.
Most of the book feels like a series of unconnected notes that Warikoo probably scribbled in his journal after reading some good books. The rest of the book is a summary of his published videos. You may think I’m being harsh given the author recommends reading a page a day for daily inspiration, not unlike Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations for Clarity, Effectiveness, and Serenity. I’ll counter by saying that even a page a day may not be enough since most advice is commonsense or more applicable to Warikoo’s unique context. That isn’t saying there’s no good in the book. I ended up highlighting at least three dozen ideas, which is why I don’t think it deserves a bad rating.
The part that I really liked was his thoughts about his relationship with his parents and children. I found it relatable with my upbringing. His letters to his son and daughter are superb. For new parents, it’s gold. These are the values I’d like to impart to my daughter.
Lets Start
If you notice carefully, Indian non-fiction, especially in the business subgenre, is a very recent phenomenon. There are very few books written about Indian entrepreneurs, and even fewer written as autobiographies. I don't know why, but even our film industry has been really aloof to the concept of making honest biopics. May things change and that right soon! And frankly, I guess the change is coming, but I hope it comes faster. Godspeed.
Coming to Mr. Ankur Warikoo, I'm really happy for him. Back in 2017, I was frankly quite surprised to see him making motivational videos after moving on from Nearbuy (they were a client for The Testament and I remember my team liking working with them). At the time, I didn't really understand what was that about and my reaction was mostly on the lines of "What the hell is he doing?". But now looking at how personal branding has become a business that stands on its own, I'm glad he took that path. He's doing really well, and that's super inspiring.
Mr. Warikoo hasn't written this book like a typical autobiography. As per his admission, it's written like a collection of things we know, but should keep reminding ourselves. Each page contains a lesson, followed by a backstory borrowed from his personal experiences.
The book is short, sweet, honest, and full of personal anecdotes which are quite touching. In one of the passages, he talks about how his father took some financial risks which didn't pay off, leading to some serious struggles in the family. In another one, he shares how he failed to crack IIT JEE, and saw his family crying.
I read one of his tweets where he said that his mother broke down while reading the book. I can imagine that. The book has him sharing many vulnerabilities which most people wouldn't open up about, and I must thank him for that. The fact that Mr. Warikoo has reached where he has today is extremely beautiful, not because he's a genius or something. But because he's a kind person with a good heart. Believe it or not, that's extremely rare.
I thank him for writing this book and hope it reaches millions of people. Because more than anything, he's a genuinely nice guy. I'm rooting for him. :)
Book Review Do Epic Shit By Education Learn Junkies
Two things, that set this book apart from the rest……
It is brutally honest and not preachy.
In his first book “Do Epic Shit”, Ankur Warikoo talks about success and failures, importance of habits, self-awareness, entrepreneurship, money and relationships.
He talks about his failures with such ease.......
At times stressing more on the failures and what he has learnt from them.
We need more such mentors to come forward who are open to share and celebrate their failures more than success.
My personal favorite is the chapter on entrepreneurship.
What could be a better time for this book to come out?
The startup ecosystem is flourishing and with every other person wishing to start a venture, Ankur Warikoo comes up with the right reasons to be an entrepreneur.
I started my first venture, "Mosaic Institute of Design" in the year 2007.
I sincerely wish that such genuine guidance was available back then, the journey would had been a lot easier for people like us who started from scratch.
If you are in your 20s or 30s, and confused about jobs, careers and life ahead, the sections on entrepreneurship and money provide great insights.
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Favorite Quotes from the book:
“The three worst reasons to become an entrepreneur:
- I want to make money
- I hate my current job
- Everyone is doing it”
And.........
“Irrational optimism is a founder’s death trap!”
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The writing style of the book is very different…….
No long inter-connected chapters.
Only short quotes and anecdotes.
Since almost every page has a new theme, some people may find it difficult to read at a stretch……. the reasons being the lack of continuity between pages.
But the best way to get most out of this book is to go slow…..
Read…..Reflect…..Plan…..Take Action
…..And then come back to absorb more.
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Found some comments on the net complaining about big font style used, which covers very little content on each page.
But don’t you think, this is how Generation Z prefers to consume content.
In bite sized nuggets of wisdom.
As they do on social media
Simple, easy to grasp & non preachy.
This way the book will reach many first time readers and those who get turned off by long pieces of content.
And what’s wrong in adopting an unconventional approach, if the ultimate purpose is being served.
After all that is what he is advising throughout his book……
To find your own way rather than following the herd.
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Ankur Warikoo has a big following on social media and the book has already becoming quite popular.
Every individual has different takeaways from the book, depending on what stage of life they are in.
The book is something that you would like to come back to again and again for guidance and inspiration.
Throughout the book, the author teaches you something new by sharing his life experiences .
Some thoughts stay with you for long, compel you to get up and take action.
Who is Ankur Warikoo?
Ankur Warikoo is an entrepreneur, teacher, content creator and mentor.
He is a social media influencer with massive following on You Tube, Instagram and Linkedin.
Many in their 20s and 30s look up to him for advice related to career, money, job and finance .
He is admired for his brutally honest thoughts on his personal success and failure, habits and self-awareness.
"Do Epic Shit" is Ankur's first book and is a compilation of his thoughts that he has shared on social media.
He had founded nearbuy.com and was its CEO from its inception in 2015 till 2019. Prior to that, he was the founding CEO of Groupon's India business