The Monk & the Riddle By Randy Komisar [Buy this book] Review by Ellen Isaacs Rating: +2 -4 -3 -2 -1   0 +1 +2 +3 +4

In The Monk and the Riddle, Randy Komisar tries to put the Silicon Valley frenzied work mentality back into perspective. Komisar is a consultant to Venture Capitalists, and he has been an executive at a number of successful (and not so successful) startups. In the book, he tells his story through Lenny, a young man who came to him with an idea for a startup. Komisar thinks the idea has some merit, but he thinks Lenny wants to do it for the wrong reasons (money), which is holding him back from doing it right. Through email and a few more meetings, he helps Lenny, and later his girlfriend Allison, find the passion behind their idea and shape it into something worth doing. He uses this story as a mechanism for preaching these lessons:

• Don't make the mistake of taking the Deferred Life Plan in which you sacrifice your happiness now for the hope of happiness later. Instead, he advocates the Whole Life Plan, where you try to make now as fulfilling as possible while also staying open to opportunities for the future. He suggests asking yourself, "Would you be willing to do what you're doing now for the rest of your life," and if the answer is no, maybe you're not doing something you believe in. (He's not advocating doing only one thing all your life, of course, but if can imagine yourself doing it, then it must be something you care about.)
• It's not worth devoting your life to a startup (or any company) if you're doing it just for the money. It's worth your time and effort only if you're passionate about the idea.
• It's the people, stupid. If you work with people you respect and who respect you, then your success will follow. If you go for success at the expense of the people, you won't succeed (for long).

All of these are good lessons, and Komisar makes a persuasive case for them in an engaging, palatable way. For some people caught up in the negative side of the Silicon Valley mentality, his words might have just the right effect. Having lived in Silicon Valley for over 15 years and gone through two startups myself (neither one making me rich), I didn't feel like I learned anything I hadn't already learned myself, although I admit I enjoyed having my views validated. I know I'm overgeneralizing, but I thought that some of the traps he talked about may be more of a danger for men than for women (in particular, not getting the importance of work relationships, but also doing things just for the money). Still, the book is probably just the right medicine for some who are ready to swallow it.

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