Among the bestsellers in the self‑help category on Audible, The 10X Rule is a book about productivity in the business world. It underlines the importance of not limiting goals and of taking 10× higher levels of action to achieve them, placing success as essential: “if you’re not first, you’re last.”
The author is Grant Cardone, an American entrepreneur. He began his career as a car salesman, later became CEO of Freedom Motorsports Group Inc., and worked on a National Geographic TV series called Turnaround King, helping small businesses get back on their feet. Author of several books, he now directs Cardone Acquisitions, Cardone Enterprises and The Cardone Group; he has been listed by Forbes among notable marketing influencers.
Book Review
The beginning was a bit disappointing: somewhat irrational and full of hyperbole—less than what I expected from a five‑star bestseller. Cardone uses an aggressive salesman style, at times challenging the reader’s values in a subtly disrespectful way. I almost stopped reading and was ready to discard it.
There was some potential in the ideas though, so I talked about it with a friend. He read the book, agreed with my objections, and was still fairly optimistic. So I felt compelled to finish it, also because the narration is quite enjoyable. One thing that set me off: Cardone stresses that commitment to success is a duty owed to the simple fact that we exist. He discredits the values of a modest/frugal life, stating they are taught by propaganda to keep people under control. Of course that’s one of Cardone’s opinions—no one is obliged to embrace it.
Yet this is one of the books we mention most often in conversation, for a simple reason. It talks about a single fundamental rule people sometimes forget: if you want 100, go for 1000—as we say in Italian.
Many people look at “once‑in‑a‑blue‑moon” successes and forget that statistically, for every success there are countless failures; only by increasing the amount of effort can you strengthen your skills and improve your chances. Throughout the book there are many smart ideas and interpretations that support this principle, making it a worthwhile read.
These controversial concepts have surely gained the book a lot of attention; it became a New York Times bestseller. And as Cardone reminds us: there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
My 6 Key Takeaways
- Set goals that are ten times more ambitious.
- Act ten times more than what you consider normal.
- Competing is not enough; aim to dominate.
- Obsession is not a disease; it’s a blessing.
- Getting clients is more important than supporting them.
- Commit and take opportunities; figure out the details later.