I wanted to revisit two books that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading over the past few years. I have found myself and my way of working reflected in the pages of these non-fiction titles and I believe they carry lessons that remain highly relevant today. The first, The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox, is about the power of optimization and systems thinking. It spoke to me as it’s the very same approach that has shaped many of the companies I’ve built. The second book is titled Range, by David Epstein, and champions the value of generalist knowledge and cross-disciplinary thinking, which I’ve always believed to be essential for innovation; thinking outside the box to create new solutions.

Let’s take a closer look at these fantastic publications. 

 

The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt

One of the first business books that left a lasting impression on me was The Goal. It was written by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, a consultant known for developing the Theory of Constraints, alongside co-author Jeff Cox, and explores how bottlenecks determine the output of a system and how focusing on constraints can unlock efficiency and growth. What struck me at the time was how directly its ideas can be applied to real businesses. 

Many of the companies I have started rely on optimization as a core principle. For example, System73 helps optimize content delivery pathways for live and on-demand streaming, ensuring efficiency and reliability at scale. Then there are technologies like Accelatron, which is a new control system that reduces energy loss in EVs by 50%. Here too we apply the same principles of identifying and solving constraints. 

 

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

The second book I want to highlight is David Epstein’s Range. The book’s central argument is that generalists, people who draw knowledge and experience from a wide array of fields, are often better equipped to innovate than those who specialize narrowly. Generalists can make unexpected connections across disciplines, leading to breakthroughs that might not emerge from a single, focused perspective. I strongly identified with this idea. Over the course of my career, I have found that pulling insights from different industries and fields often leads to the most creative solutions. 

By looking broadly, rather than staying within the confines of one discipline, it becomes possible to bring things together and adapt to new scenarios in ways that create entirely new ideas. For example, I have extensive experience in the worlds of real estate, finance and statistical analysis. These were areas I felt comfortable in. But I wasn’t an expert in any of the sectors of my current businesses when I started. Despite that, I was able to pull on past experience to inform current and future decisions, as well as bring in talent who understood the ins and outs of the technologies we wanted to develop.

You can find more of my reflections on this subject and others on my YouTube channel.