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Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, 10th-Anniversary Edition Paperback – October 11, 2016

by Bo Burlingham (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 584 ratings
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How maverick companies have passed up the growth treadmill — and focused on greatness instead.

It’s an axiom of business that great companies grow their revenues and profits year after year. Yet quietly, under the radar, a small number of companies have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Goals like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, providing great customer service, making great contributions to their communities, and finding great ways to lead their lives.

In Small Giants, veteran journalist Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside fourteen remarkable companies that have chosen to march to their own drummer. They include Anchor Brewing, the original microbrewer; CitiStorage Inc., the premier independent records-storage business; Clif Bar & Co., maker of organic energy bars and other nutrition foods; Righteous Babe Records, the record company founded by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco; Union Square Hospitality Group, the company of restaurateur Danny Meyer; and Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, including the world-famous Zingerman’s Deli of Ann Arbor.

Burlingham shows how the leaders of these small giants recognized the full range of choices they had about the type of company they could create. And he shows how we can all benefit by questioning the usual definitions of business success. In his new afterward, Burlingham reflects on the similarities and learning lessons from the small giants he covers in the book.
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Portfolio
  4. Publication date
    October 11, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    0.9 x 5.4 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    014310960X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0143109600
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Burlingham crafts a beautiful collage and analysis of companies that focus on being the best instead of growing like cancer into huge corporations...Bigger is not better, and this book proves it." —Tim Ferriss, in The 4-Hour Workweek

"In short, Small Giants is a Large Masterpiece. Bo's reporting is stupendous, and his writing and storytelling skills make the book equal parts fun and profound." —Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

"Small Giants is one of the most relevant and articulate argumetns for staying bold and creative, intimate and manageable as I have ever read." —Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop

"Small is the new big. If that feels like an offbeat idea to you, you need this book!" —Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow 

About the Author

Bo Burlingham is editor at large at Inc. magazine. He has also written for Esquire, Harper’s, Mother Jones, and The Boston Globe, among other publications, and is the coauthor, with Jack Stack, of The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; Anniversary,Updated edition (October 11, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 014310960X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143109600
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.9 x 5.4 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 584 ratings

About the author

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Bo Burlingham

Bo Burlingham

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Bo Burlingham is currently a contributor to Forbes where he produces the magazine's annual Small Giants section. Previously, he worked for 33 years at Inc. magazine, as senior editor, executive editor, and editor at large. He is the coauthor, with Jack Stack, of The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome and, with Norm Brodsky, of The Knack (renamed Street Smarts in paperback). He is also the author of Small Giants and Finish Big. The popularity of Small Giants led to the creation of the Small Giants Community where business leaders learn and share practices and systems they can use to make their companies great, whether or not the businesses are big.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
584 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and insightful. They find it inspiring for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. However, some readers feel the narrative quality is inconsistent and the story jumps around too much.

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ReadabilityInsightEntrepreneurshipNarrative quality
35 customers mention "Readability"35 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read with relevant examples. They appreciate the well-written content and the easy-to-understand guide for effective, high-performing companies. The content is informative and useful for small entrepreneurs.

"...some search, I found a book that Jim Collins had reviewed: "This well-written book should inspire thousands of entrepreneurs to reject a mantra of..." Read more

"...This book helped us establish a rock solid business foundation. If you just want to read about the latest fad business guru this book isn't for you...." Read more

"...It is a collection of well written stories of various US businesses that decided to stay manageable in size so that the owners keep control over..." Read more

"The content was informative and useful, but for some reason I found this one somewhat difficult to get through." Read more

29 customers mention "Insight"29 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking. They say it provides practical advice on running a small business. The book explores various perspectives and offers practical insights into the struggles of keeping a business small enough. Readers also appreciate the cool concepts and good overview of how leadership can drive a business.

"...The profiles of a disparate variety of businesses is both enlightening and inspiring...." Read more

"...It is refreshing. The owner and CEO of Anchor Brewing, Fritz Maytag, is downright moving in his eloquence...." Read more

"This is a book with a world of potential but sadly, fails in the execution...." Read more

"Wonderful book about belief systems and how bringing in personal beliefs and values into a business can positively affect the success and impact of..." Read more

5 customers mention "Entrepreneurship"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. They say it shines the light on small businesses and shows that the American entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. The book also makes business exciting and fun again, and does a good job of presenting why being huge in the spotlight isn't always the best option.

"...The book inspires even an upcoming entrepreneur to believe they can start from somewhere and form a company that fulfills who they are and not..." Read more

"...into most companies you probably haven't heard of and does a good job of presenting why being huge in the spotlight isn't always the best fit." Read more

"...Business can be exciting and fun again." Read more

"Shining the light on small business! Expertise point of view from many of the top small business' in the country." Read more

7 customers mention "Narrative quality"0 positive7 negative

Customers find the narrative quality of the book poor. They mention that the story jumps back and forth, making it boring after a few chapters. Readers also say the book rambles and is repetitive.

"...The book also rambles a lot - he analyzes specific companies but goes down rabbit trails and starts discussing irrelevant information...." Read more

"This book is very narrative, make sure you expect that or you will be disappointed...." Read more

"...However, I didn’t liked that the author jumps from a story to another, in the same chapter...." Read more

"Book is good, for us, small entrepreneurs, but it offers stories, and not strategies we can actually implement. Overall, good read." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Ashley King
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Bought for a class that I ended up dropping so it was lowkey a waste of money but the shipper sent it fast and the book was in great condition upon arrival.
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  • Alan L. Chase
    5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and inspiring - a business can be small and great
    Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    In "Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big," author Bo Burlingham has done for small businesses what Jim Collins did in "Good To Great" for large, publicly traded companies. Mr. Burlingham's criteria for profiling a "small giant" were that the company must be privately held, successful over several years, and the owner must have passed up opportunities to sell or to take the company public.

    The profiles of a disparate variety of businesses is both enlightening and inspiring. From a chain of restaurants in NYC, to a Brooklyn-based storage warehouse to a Michigan bakery, the common thread that appeared in each story was that the men and women who own and run these businesses have a passion to give great service to their customers and to create a wonderful place for their employees to call home. No matter the size of the company being profiled, there always emerged a sense that there was an intimacy created among the owner, employees and customers.

    This is a book that should inspire any business owner to reach for greatness regardless of the size of the business. The book is a welcome addition to the literature on the search for greatness in the business world.
    One person found this helpful
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  • J.4
    4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Examination of the Small-Scale, but Lacks Figures & Facts
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    After reading Jim Collin's seminal work Good to Great, I became enamored with the idea of "scope" as it pertains to business success. I recalled hearing about Gore, the company, and how they do not allow any one of their offices to grow beyond 250 people - setting 250 as the magic number, above which intimacy, norms of reciprocity and mutual assistance are not possible. I started to crave a book that might address those very ideas from a Collins-esque standpoint. After some search, I found a book that Jim Collins had reviewed: "This well-written book should inspire thousands of entrepreneurs to reject a mantra of growth for growth's sake in favor of a passionate dedication to becoming the absolute best. Bo Burlingham reminds us of a vital truth: big does not equal great, and great does not equal big."

    That was enough of an endorsement for me, and I dove right into reading. I came away somewhat disappointed by the less-than-rigorous methodology, but also energized by the ideas presented. Burlingham does not use the same exactitude in selecting the companies he features (largely because the financial reports are not public for the private groups he chose to focus on). Thus, it is difficult to appreciate his findings in the same way as I can appreciate Collins'.

    However, Burlingham writes like the capable and clever journalist that he is (editor at Inc. magazine) and the pages turn easily. His chapters are divided as logically as possible, given the lack of concrete data. Much of what he presents is based off feeling, interviews, observation, and contemplative conclusions. He does not hesitate to label the success of these businesses as "mysterious" - following from "mojo" or (my preference) "spiritual terroir."

    Read this book if you want to read some incredibly articulate leaders talking about their perspective on business. It is one of the best compilations of leader interviews I have read. The book groups the commentary together when appropriate, or allows one leader to dictate the chapter content entirely. Either way, Burlingham does a marvelous job of letting these men and women speak for themselves and their hard-won success. It is refreshing. The owner and CEO of Anchor Brewing, Fritz Maytag, is downright moving in his eloquence. Jay Goltz, head of Artists' Frame Service is brazenly pragmatic, but uses stories to speak to the underlying support of this leadership approach (managing is "also about learning how not to demotivate [your people]").

    Do not read this book if you are looking for applicable solutions or step-by-step recommendations.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Mateo Buriticá
    5.0 out of 5 stars Buenas historias de negocios con proposito
    Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Un excelente libro que nos muestra que es posible ser muy exitoso en los negocios y crear sistemas que le den sentido a nuestra vida y la de los colaboradores.

    Nos muestra que un negocio no solo es enfocarse en el crecimiento, sino en la rentabilidad, cultura y sostenibilidad, eso es una trabajo de toda la vida y puede estar lleno de propósito y satisfacción para todos los involucrados.
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  • Adam J. Loewy
    3.0 out of 5 stars Average Read - There Are Better Business Books Available
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a book with a world of potential but sadly, fails in the execution.

    The most important thing to know from the onset is the author admits in the closing that he cannot really give a prescriptive analysis on what makes a small company great - that is, there is no surefire roadmap he can offer. While his candor is admirable, I suppose, it really refutes the hype surrounding this book. This is NOT remotely close to any Jim Collins' books, even though the book is marketed this way.

    The book also rambles a lot - he analyzes specific companies but goes down rabbit trails and starts discussing irrelevant information.

    I really wanted to like this book but I found it quite boring after the initial few chapters. IT isn't bad - there are just other books that are more interesting.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • GregP
    5.0 out of 5 stars The most important book in my collection
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This was one of the first "business" books I read just after we started our business back in 2008. My business library is well over 300 and I recently went back and read this updated version (my third reading of this book). I pass this book out to key new staff members so they can see why striving to be great at what we do, and why we treat our team the way that we do, is so much more important than growing as fast as possible.

    This book helped us establish a rock solid business foundation. If you just want to read about the latest fad business guru this book isn't for you. If you want a vastly underrated classic you can't go wrong here.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cody Charles
    5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended by Tim Ferris
    Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book because it was recommended by Tim Ferris in his books and YouTube program, it was totally different from what I expected, it’s about taking a counter intuitive approach to building a business, putting the focus around employee satisfaction and gains rather than building the company to the sky.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've read.
    Reviewed in India on September 27, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Unique insights and much needed for people who want to run successful companies but in a managable way.
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  • Raro
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bom livro para quem acredita na ideia
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 24, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Para quem tem uma pequena empresa e está na crise do crescer ou não, é uma boa leitura, pois apresenta os benefícios de permanecer pequeno. Porém é um pouco frustrante no final quando o autor revela 10 anos depois o que aconteceu com as small giants da primeira edição.
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  • ホッツ
    2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed in how this book turned out: in one ear, out the other.
    Reviewed in Japan on March 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Not a bad or boring book by any means, but I didn’t find it actionable or inspiring.

    It gave me a glimpse into ten companies that didn’t take venture capital.

    But I didn’t come away with any new knowledge about how to accomplish this:

    How did they develop and test the seed idea?
    Where did they get the capital to hire people?
    Who were their first hires, and how did they attract their first talented engineers from outside the company?
    How did they acquire their first customers?
    How did they spread, market, and sell?

    Despite reading the book, I can’t answer any of those questions about any of those companies. The story was too high-level to be of any use. Specific issues:

    1.) Companies come from too many different backgrounds. Restaurants, a brewery, a fashion line, a touring band, special effects. Normally, variety is good, when they are compared and contrasted in excruciating detail. But this book tries too hard and too visibly to blend them together to tell a cohesive tale, brute-forcing them to fit a single thesis statement, like "It’s generally not the people at the top of the organization who create the intimate bonds. It’s the managers and employees who do the work of the business day in and day out." Given how the author repeatedly says how many small giants fit the criteria and have to be left out of the book entirely, there are enough companies to write a book about each category. Each category deserves its own book. Then, a reader who is starting a restaurant can learn more specific tips from the restaurant small giants book. I’m a writer/game director, so I don’t care about breweries and pizza parlors. The author keeps mentioning many more that didn’t make the cut, as if it’s some caveat to how many exist. Well, then write separate books and give more companies the level of coverage they deserve! Ironically, readers can benefit more when the writing is more applicable to their field.

    2.) Chapters were too long. No subheaders or subchapters, sometimes only little dots when jumping from one company to the next, often just a new line. The author tries too hard to manufacture common points between two companies, to avoid abrupt changes in conversation. Some chapters span 30+ pages, covering over three or four disparate companies, without subheaders in between. Why do this? Just break the chapter up, and make it easier to readers to digest, change context, and/or look up the parts most applicable to their industry. As it stands, with only 10 chapters, the book is incredibly hard to use as reference, as I can’t simply jump to the parts that deal with my own industry or field.

    3.) Superficial. No detail given about specific actions or marketing tactics that led to growth. Everything treated at a surface, results level. X decided not to take venture funding, then grew organically to Y. They never discussed how they got their early money, their first users, word of mouth strategies, recruiting first employees, motivation, leadership. As such, book isn’t really actionable. It’s too high-level.

    For example, when discussing Clif Bar’s pivotal decision to turn down venture capital, "Somehow he and the people in his company pulled it off. Despite crushing debt, Clif Bar survived. More than survived, it prospered. Over the next five years, the company more than doubled its sales, from $39 million in 1999 (the last full year before the aborted sale) to $92 million in 2004, and it did so without taking on any outside investors or even greatly expanding its workforce." (p. 9)

    How? I don’t care about the figures; anybody can look up data and milestones with Google and Twitter. the author neglects to discuss the most important details, like what changed and provided them with the money? What plans did their key people put in place? What did their management do? How did they change their sales, their product, or their strategy?

    Too much of this book skims along the surface, saying who turned down what amount, and then skips to what they became at their peak. This is just wind — fact regurgitation. What matters are the tactics used in the trenches, during the valleys, when things are hard. When key people leave, when they have to acquire new customers, when they have to raise their price, or lower their pay. The storyteller needs to focus less on what happened at the end, and more on how they got there, in concrete nitty-gritty actionable details, or at least dramatized scenes.
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  • Happy Threads
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    great book
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