Business · Book club
The E-Myth Enterprise book club questions
Here are 11 book club questions for The E-Myth Enterprise by Michael E. Gerber, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
The E-Myth Enterprise is Michael Gerber's follow-up to The E-Myth Revisited, and it extends his argument about why small businesses fail into the broader question of what it takes to build what he calls a "World Class Company." Where The E-Myth Revisited focused on the technician-manager-entrepreneur split and the importance of working on the business rather than in it, The E-Myth Enterprise focuses on the enterprise as an idea — as a system for creating value that transcends the founder's personal involvement.
Michael E. Gerber · 1997 · 4h 0m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 11 questions
- 1.
Gerber says most business owners have built themselves a job rather than a business. Is this true of you or anyone you know? What would need to change to shift it?
- 2.
The franchise prototype idea is compelling in theory. What would it take to actually document your business's core processes to the point that someone new could follow them reliably?
- 3.
Gerber argues that consistency is the foundation of brand trust. Where in your business are customers currently getting inconsistent experiences, and what is causing that inconsistency?
- 4.
The book emphasizes designing the organizational chart based on functions needed, not on who you have. What does your ideal organizational chart look like for where you want to be in three years?
- 5.
Gerber is more philosophical than tactical in parts of the book. Do you find the emphasis on purpose and vision useful, or does it get in the way of practical guidance?
- 6.
What are the three most important systems in your business that are currently undocumented? What would it take to document them this month?
- 7.
The E-Myth Enterprise overlaps with Gerber's earlier books. What's new in this book that you didn't get from The E-Myth Revisited?
- 8.
Gerber says most business failures are failures of design, not execution. Do you agree? Can you think of a business failure that was primarily a design problem rather than an execution problem?
- 9.
The book was written in 1997. What aspects of building a 'World Class Company' do you think are harder now than they were then? What is easier?
- 10.
What would your business look like if you had to step away from it entirely for six months? What would break? What does that tell you about where to focus your systems work?
- 11.
Gerber argues that the purpose of a business is not profit but a specific kind of value creation. How does having a clear purpose change the day-to-day decisions in a business?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for The E-Myth Enterprise?
Here are 11 book club questions for The E-Myth Enterprise by Michael E. Gerber, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on entrepreneurship, business systems, small business.
How long should a book club discussion of The E-Myth Enterprise last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in The E-Myth Enterprise?
Entrepreneurship, Business systems, Small business, Organizational design, Growth. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like The E-Myth Enterprise or questions for other book club picks.
