📖 Overview
John Warrillow is a business author and entrepreneur known for his expertise in building and selling companies. His work focuses on helping business owners increase the value of their companies and prepare them for eventual sale.
Warrillow founded The Value Builder System, a software platform that helps business owners improve their company's value. He hosts the Built to Sell Radio podcast, which features interviews with entrepreneurs about their experiences selling their businesses.
His best-known book is "Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You" (2011), which became a bestseller and was recognized by Fortune and Inc. magazines. He has also written "The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry" (2015) and "The Art of Selling Your Business" (2021).
Warrillow's expertise comes from his experience founding and selling four companies, including a market research business that was acquired by a public company. His work has been featured in various media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Reuters.
👀 Reviews
Readers value Warrillow's practical, step-by-step advice for building sellable businesses. Many cite the fictional narrative format in "Built to Sell" as making complex concepts accessible. Business owners report implementing his methods with positive results.
What readers liked:
- Clear action items and implementation guides
- Real case studies from Built to Sell Radio
- Focus on creating systems vs remaining dependent on founders
- Specific valuation metrics and benchmarks
What readers disliked:
- Some find concepts oversimplified
- Subscription model advice doesn't apply to all industries
- Limited coverage of service-based businesses
- Examples skew toward larger companies
Ratings across platforms:
Built to Sell:
- Goodreads: 4.27/5 (3,900+ ratings)
- Amazon: 4.7/5 (1,100+ reviews)
The Automatic Customer:
- Goodreads: 4.16/5 (1,400+ ratings)
- Amazon: 4.6/5 (400+ reviews)
The Art of Selling Your Business:
- Goodreads: 4.31/5 (160+ ratings)
- Amazon: 4.7/5 (200+ reviews)
📚 Books by John Warrillow
Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You
A step-by-step guide for business owners to structure their companies so they can operate independently of the founder.
The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry An analysis of subscription business models across various industries, with case studies and implementation strategies.
The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top A practical guide covering the process of preparing and executing a business sale, including valuation methods and negotiation tactics.
Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big An examination of companies that prioritize excellence and quality over rapid growth and expansion.
The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry An analysis of subscription business models across various industries, with case studies and implementation strategies.
The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top A practical guide covering the process of preparing and executing a business sale, including valuation methods and negotiation tactics.
Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big An examination of companies that prioritize excellence and quality over rapid growth and expansion.
👥 Similar authors
Michael Gerber writes about systematizing small businesses and creating operations that can run without the owner, similar to Warrillow's focus on building sellable companies. His book "The E-Myth" established core concepts about working on your business rather than in it.
Verne Harnish focuses on scaling up companies through specific management and growth frameworks that complement Warrillow's exit planning strategies. His work emphasizes cash flow management and developing strong leadership teams.
Bo Burlingham examines what makes companies appealing to buyers and how to build enduring businesses that retain their value. His research includes case studies of companies that successfully scaled and sold, paralleling Warrillow's analytical approach.
Gino Wickman created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) for building valuable, sustainable companies that can thrive without the founder. His methodology addresses organizational structure and process documentation, which align with Warrillow's value-building principles.
Robert Kiyosaki writes about building business assets and creating systems that generate wealth without active owner involvement. His focus on exit strategies and passive income streams shares common ground with Warrillow's teachings on building sellable businesses.
Verne Harnish focuses on scaling up companies through specific management and growth frameworks that complement Warrillow's exit planning strategies. His work emphasizes cash flow management and developing strong leadership teams.
Bo Burlingham examines what makes companies appealing to buyers and how to build enduring businesses that retain their value. His research includes case studies of companies that successfully scaled and sold, paralleling Warrillow's analytical approach.
Gino Wickman created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) for building valuable, sustainable companies that can thrive without the founder. His methodology addresses organizational structure and process documentation, which align with Warrillow's value-building principles.
Robert Kiyosaki writes about building business assets and creating systems that generate wealth without active owner involvement. His focus on exit strategies and passive income streams shares common ground with Warrillow's teachings on building sellable businesses.