Smart Growth

To help people develop their potential, to articulate and become the self that they want to be, are capable of being, and that best serves them and others in the short and long term is what we as individuals and leaders strive toward.

Over the past two centuries, economic growth has freed billions from poverty and made our lives far healthier and longer. As a result, the unfettered pursuit of growth defines economic life around the world. Yet this prosperity has come at an enormous price. At this time of uncertainty about growth and its value, award-winning economist Daniel Susskind provides an essential reckoning. In a sweeping analysis full of historical insight, he argues that we cannot abandon growth but shows instead how we must redirect it, making it better reflect what we truly value.

Growth has been both an unspoken and an explicit aim of our individual and collective striving. It governs the lives of microorganisms and galaxies; it shapes the capabilities of our extraordinarily large brains and the fortunes of our economies. Growth is manifested in annual increments of continental crust, a rising gross domestic product, a child's growth chart, the spread of cancerous cells. In this magisterial book, Vaclav Smil offers systematic investigation of growth in nature and society, from tiny organisms to the trajectories of empires and civilizations.

Growth is now the first thing that investors, shareholders and market analysts look for in assessing and valuing companies. Hacking Growth is a highly accessible, practical, method for growth that involves cross-functional teams and continuous testing and iteration. Hacking Growth does for marketshare growth what The Lean Startup does for product development and Business Model Gneration does for strategy.

This book documents and addresses the growing pains a company experiences as it evolves from the awkward early startup years into a mid-sized sustainable company with hundreds of coworkers. Calagione is candid in sharing his personal leadership challenges and success and calls on other seasoned vets inside and outside the company who inform and influence the journey of growth and creative expression Dogfish Head is on. This book is rich with practical information entrepreneurs and businesspeople can apply to their own professional journeys.

The entrepreneurial path is full of excitement and risk. The stakes are high, and while it may seem like the sky is the limit, there are no guarantees. Businesses are prone to steep financial and tax challenges. Failure to address these issues could lead to drained accounts, mountains of debt, and doors closing. Mitigating these risks and maximizing services that lead to smart business decisions have the potential to do more than help an entrepreneur sleep at night; they can lay out a solid direction for both the company and the entrepreneur.