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  • Start with Why

  • How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action
  • Written by: Simon Sinek
  • Narrated by: Simon Sinek
  • Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (339 ratings)

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Start with Why cover art

Start with Why

Written by: Simon Sinek
Narrated by: Simon Sinek
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Why are some people and organisations more inventive, pioneering and successful than others? And why are they able to repeat their success again and again?

Because in business it doesn't matter what you do, it matters why you do it. 

Steve Jobs, the Wright brothers and Martin Luther King have one thing in common: they started with why. 

This book is for anyone who wants to inspire others or to be inspired. 

Based on the most-watched TED Talk of all time.

©2011 Simon Sinek (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"One of the most useful and powerful books I have read in years." (William Ury, coauthor of Getting to Yes)

"This book is so impactful, I consider it required reading." (Tony Robbins, best-selling author of Awaken the Giant Within)

What listeners say about Start with Why

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  • MS
  • 22-01-22

Too much focus on one org

It was a great learning but felt like an advertising campaign for apple. There are many other organizations that focus on why and succeed.

4 people found this helpful

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Too long and too many repetitions

Honestly this book could be condensed in 1 hour. There is too much of generic information and repetitions of stories. It talks about Apple, Microsoft and a few companies too many times.

3 people found this helpful

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Gets really boring

I love Simon's talks and hence bought this. But this book is too boring for me. I even wonder whether Apple had paid Simon to do this as he speaks about Apple every 5-10 mins. His narration is excellent. But the content is not long enough for a book. Didn't finish.

1 person found this helpful

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Fantastic and super inspiring

amazing book- a must read for every marketer or psychology enthusiast, pick it up right now!

1 person found this helpful

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Good book and good message

Good book content motivation inspiration stories like every bit of the book recommended read..

1 person found this helpful

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Informative, insightful and powered perspective

Short and sweet. The perspective is absolute and applicable to all businesses & beyond.

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powerful!!

absolutely loved it! thank you for reminding me of discovering "my Why"! I am going to x
certainly share it with others.

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An Apple gospel out of tune in 2023

It was probably a very inspiring book in 2009 when Apple was the talk of town. My bad that I read it in 2023. The core concept of starting with Why is still valid. Although I believe, that should be followed by What and then How. In my humble opinion, How is the Engineering question which gets missed out in the Golden Circle. In a product world, Why and What is a Product Management question and How is a Product Engineering question. On a lighter note, elevating the users of Apple to a level where they share the same belief system as Apple is quite ridiculous 🙂 We all know many Apple users and we know many of them quite closely so...

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Amazing perspective

This book was a breath of fresh air to our understanding of the human psyche and a method to the madness in finding one’s purpose in life.

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Now I am finding my Why

This book leaves you with, to build clear sense of “why” of what and how you do.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 19-02-23

Great book

Thank you this book was very informative, I am inspired. I have finally discovered my “Why”.

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  • Mart-Marie de Jongh
  • 23-01-23

Thought provoking read

The way that Simon Sinek is able to convey such valuable and though provoking information in an easily digestible manner, is masterful!
Fantastic book to read at the start of every year to re-evaluate why you are doing what you are doing and what needs to change.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 18-01-23

Amazing Insight!

A fantastic strategic journey to seeing Marketing and indeed, business, done differently. i jad never considered my "why" in my marketing efforts. This book has certainly influenced my perspectives to our stratefic marketing approach.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 12-12-22

Great Book!

Simon doesn't miss. You won't regret spending time absorbing and implementing the gems in this book.

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  • Hershel Safer
  • 11-12-22

Great idea, repetitious text

The idea presented is quite interesting, and I learned a lot. I also enjoyed having the author as narrator. I found the text repetitive, however; the message could have been presented more succinctly.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 05-12-22

My first read on Audible and I loved it!

A friend recommended “Find Your Why” by the same author, but as I began reading it, I realized I needed to start with “Start With Why.” The recommendation was timely. It was nice to be reminded to go back to “Why.”

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  • Alwyn Kotze
  • 19-08-22

Not worthy of a book

The whole premise is extremely vague and the quality of the audio keeps changing - makes for a hard listen during a commute.

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  • Emjay
  • 23-06-22

Simon is just excellent

One of the great thinkers of the modern era. Simon is just excellent. Thank you for making me thing differently and therefore act differently.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 15-06-22

A perfect example of quality and nit quantity

It is a good read. The book was informative and realistic.
I found the examples used very fitting and relevant.
An excellent read for all...

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  • Sean French
  • 23-05-22

Why above all else

Makes so much sense. Important message. Often in competition the how trumps the why and then the company, customers & shareholders lose.

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  • Derek Darkins
  • 15-06-22

Repetitive and dated

Sinek is a good narrator, though at times he comes across as quite smug. This book was written in 2009 and the examples Sinek uses are now showing their age. His core message comes through, but it is quite repetitive, as ar his illustrative examples. There are flashes of interesting content, but this could've been done in 30 minute YouTube video. Look for newer content if looking for motivational works on leadership, ethos and drive.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 01-03-22

Mind blowing & Insprirational

Simon Sinek provides an eye opening insight & perspective on why some organisations, people & movements inspire & create loyalty, while others seek short term benefits but sacrifice long term gain & a lasting legacy.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 02-12-21

Simon Sinek - nice guy still tells it straight

There's a part at the end where he says he gives this way as it's inline with his why.

it sums it up nicely. If you want to know a fundamental of business and perhaps your own psychology listen to this, it's not complicated and full of examples if it were to seem that way.

inspirational.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 15-03-23

Brilliant - Loved it.

Really makes you think deeply and gives guidance through great examples. How much does the current mindset fuzzy the why I wonder...

It's definitely a must-read.

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  • Joseph Enyan
  • 14-03-23

Inspiring

It has inspired me to stick to my why. However I believe it over praised Apple and failed to explore and analyse some of the criticisms of Apple

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  • H S - CHS
  • 05-03-23

Inspiring!

Found start with why inspiring and compelling!
The core message will always stay with me

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  • Anna
  • 03-03-23

all about apple

This book was not what I expected,m. I thought this might be more helpful in learning about connecting with my own “why” or reading about other people’s “why”. The book is overwhelmingly about Apple. The book is also overwhelmingly repetitive- down to sentences and examples being repeated again and again which left me wondering if I’d picked up in the wrong place. The basic message of this book is scant on an idea and lacking in examples of how to illustrate it (except for talking about Apple!).

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  • MR D Shukla
  • 02-03-23

useful from a motivational perspective

good book about understanding that you need to have a purpose for them business but short on the practical strategies required to make that a success nonetheless I would recommend it to people to read

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  • emily carney
  • 25-02-23

Had to stop

Maybe I misunderstood its purpose, I wanted a book go help me with leadership team mamangent. This was not as expected, had to stop a few chapters in, tried skipping some but still just the same repetition, long winded examples, with little in the way of solid take aways. Makes a point then veers off into a seemingly unrelated point. Now it has put my off trying leaders eat last which might have been more appropriate.

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  • M. Pearsall
  • 24-02-23

Superb

Such a great book to listen too. If you’re starting a business or involved in marketing this book is a must!

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  • Vanessa L.
  • 21-04-22

Good, but can be easily summed up

Great book, but you can probably get away with just watching a YouTube summary of it. There were a lot of examples and repetition. It's good for those in business, but you don't need to listen to the whole thing to understand what to do.

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  • anthony
  • 05-12-21

the question is, why haven't you read this yet?

man I wish I had a read this years ago, really opened up remind to what business really is

1 person found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 20-03-23

Life changing stuff

As someone looking to start a business I think this book could be the reason I become successful about something I’m passionate about

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  • Andrew Ko
  • 27-02-23

Great message

Very important message about the importance of knowing your "why" and Simon gives several examples from companies who succeeded or failed at showing their"why". Just know that the whole 7 hours of this audiobook is about this one message so it's a bit long winded.

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  • ShapelessOne
  • 31-01-23

changed my perspective

this book changed my perspective on business, marketing, and which companies I support! a must read for anyone in business or marketing

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  • Julie Watson
  • 25-01-23

Brilliant

Sounds so simple but there is so much to learn about your own WHY. This book describes me to a tee!

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  • kiwibananas
  • 11-01-23

Excellent book for people leaders

As a manager in an industry where people usually just show up for work because they have to or just for the money this is a great resource in my journey to change the culture of my store and the organisation as a whole.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • carlos sellanes
  • 08-01-23

Amazing!!

Amazing book. I could not stop listening to it. I listened and learned and was amazed from start to finish.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 30-12-22

Practical & enlightening

Real lightbulbs about marketing psychology. It all makes good sense and has clarified the instincts I couldn’t have articulated before. Very grateful to SS for this offering

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