The 80/20 Individual: The Nine Essentials of 80/20 Success at Work Paperback – 10 Jun. 2003

Richard Koch is a very special author with great insights and writing ability. The book's themes are clear and succinct; his ideas regarding the Pareto principle are absolutely spot; on meaning you can refer back to them time and again, which is what I have done and why I have written this review.The book is to be recommended to any individual wanting to get focused on what matters.

Author Richard Koch contends that individual initiative is responsible for most progress, given that 20% of entrepreneurs or innovators are responsible for 80% of results and new ideas. Koch focuses on how to be a successful entrepreneur by working with a small team of supporters. He discusses the importance of good ideas, great colleagues, a powerful value proposition, good partners and, of course, ample capital. He suggests a trend toward a new breed of corporations based on individualism, though Bill Gates and Warren Buffett alone do not necessarily make a trend. While Koch writes in a breezy, engaging style, the 80/20 mantra becomes generalized and repetitious. It's a popular expression, but does it always apply? The other chapters are more solid, though they restate known entrepreneurial principles and techniques, dressed in 80/20 lingo. As such, we suggest, they may be a good introduction for the new entrepreneur, if not for the rugged individual who has already mastered the percentages.