Amy Wilkinson
The Creator’s Code
ISBN: 978-1-4516-6607-6
What takes an ordinary entrepreneur or creative and makes what they do extraordinary? According to Amy Wilkinson in her book, The Creator’s Code, there are six essential skills that divide extraordinary entrepreneurs from the rest of the crowd. These six skills connect and build on one another, and form a loop that the greatest entrepreneurs use time after time to make the kinds of decisions that power the best companies and organizations throughout the world.
I received a copy of this book by winning a random drawing at a Denver Startup Week 2017 that focused on creating great brands. This was one of the most interesting sessions I attended during that week – not just due to the content presented during the hour, but because the presenter was accompanied by a guy on a violin during the entire presentation. It certainly made for a memorable event! Unlike many of the other books I’ve received during or after presentations at the events I’ve attended, the talk in which I won this book wasn’t based on the book itself, and did not involve the author of the book in any way.
I really appreciated the amount of detail Wilkinson used to illustrate the six essential skills. Dozens of resources were listed in the book, and each of the six skills was backed up by stories of entrepreneurs and creatives who used them to create amazing things. The greatest thinkers and makers use all six sections of the loop repeatedly in each business or organization they create, but utilize the loop each time they create something new. In addition, the author also discusses the importance of personal network in getting the loop to work. Investing in one’s personal network, regardless of the six essential skills, is one of the best things an entrepreneur can do to build a business. (Why else do business organizations always seem to have networking events?)
While most of the book has held up well in the years since being published, there are a few instances in which the author may consider releasing a follow-up or an updated edition of the book. Using Theranos as an example of an amazing organization hasn’t aged terribly well. However, beyond a few holes here and there, this book does follow the patterns I’ve noticed in other books and other research focusing on finding opportunities in the market, the importance of product-market fit, and not being afraid to try and fail over and over again in order to reach the desired end result. I hope that readers are able to look past the bits of the text that haven’t aged terribly well to see the good in the overall message of the book.
Overall, 7/10, would recommend as a great quick read on what differentiates the best entrepreneurs in the world from everyone else. It’s a short book that is easily read on a flight or a train ride, and leaves you nodding your head in agreement.