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14 min 42 sec
Available in:English

Do Epic Shit

Ankur Warikoo shows how to stop measuring yourself against borrowed goals and build a life you define, through small daily habits, patient money choices, trusting leadership and honest relationships.

Table of Content

Plenty of people feel busy yet stuck, measuring themselves against goals someone else set and waiting for a big break. In Do Epic Shit, entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo argues that the break rarely arrives on its own: luck, in his view, is built by showing up again and again. The former head of Groupon India and founder of nearbuy.com offers short, direct lessons on failure, habits, fear, leadership, money and relationships.

One claim runs beneath all of them. A meaningful life comes from deciding for yourself what success means, then taking small, steady, self-aware steps toward it, and reading every setback as information about what you truly value. Warikoo does not hand out rules for living. He assumes you already know much of what you need and offers a reminder strong enough to act on. Expect a handful of sharp questions about your mornings, your money, your team and the people closest to you, and a reason to start on one of them today.

The scoreboard most people use was handed to them by someone else, which is why they always seem to be losing. Warikoo points to an uncomfortable place to find a better one.

A blog started in 2005 ended up opening a door its author never planned for. The reason had nothing to do with talent or timing, and everything to do with what most people stop doing.

Most people blame themselves for being lazy when they stay in a situation that is not working. Warikoo names a different culprit, and a hidden debt that grows the longer you leave it unpaid.

A good idea and fresh funding feel like the finish line to many founders. Warikoo, who built two companies, explains why they are barely the starting point, and what actually keeps a team performing under pressure.

A father’s warning to a son growing up without money set out two very different futures. The mistakes that push people toward the wrong one are common, ordinary and surprisingly easy to spot in your own accounts.

Warikoo begins his advice on friends, partners and family with a test most people would rather skip. The answers, he argues, explain more about your relationships than anything the other person does.

Do Epic Shit reads less like a plan than a mirror. Warikoo’s lessons on mornings, failure, fear, teams, money and family keep returning to one demand: decide what success means to you, then keep proving it in small, unglamorous ways. His blog grew into a book because he kept writing. His father’s words stayed with him and deeply shaped the way he came to understand money. Nothing in the book depends on a sudden leap. It depends on attention, repeated.

That makes the next steps modest. Fix tonight’s sleep before blaming tomorrow’s alarm. Look at your last real setback and name the priority it exposed, especially if it involves people you have been neglecting. Start investing something regularly instead of waiting for a better moment, and leave it alone long enough to compound. Pay down one emotional debt, a thank-you or an apology you have been holding back.

None of this feels epic on the day you do it. Warikoo’s bet is that a few years of it will.

About this book

What is this book about?

Many capable people feel busy but stuck. They chase a salary, a title or other people's approval, wait for a lucky break, and feel they are always falling short. Ankur Warikoo, the founding CEO of Groupon India and later founder of nearbuy.com, argues that the break rarely comes by itself, and that the scoreboard was never theirs to begin with. His book is a set of short, direct lessons drawn from his own life: failure as a signal of what matters, luck made through repeated effort, fear as the real reason people stay put, leadership built on early trust, money as a tool that rewards patience, and relationships that begin with how you treat yourself. Readers get no master system. They get pointed questions and plain advice to act on now: fix the night before the morning, read setbacks for their lessons, invest steadily instead of chasing trends, and settle the emotional debts that grow heavier with time.

Book Information

Rating:

Genre:

Personal Development

Topics:

Habits, Personal Finance, Resilience

Publisher:

Juggernaut Books

Language:

English

Narrator:

Cole

First published:

December 27, 2021

Pages:

312

Length:

14 min 42 sec

Get the book:

Amazon

Who it's for

  • Young professionals feeling behind

    Young professionals chasing someone else's idea of success and feeling behind.

  • First-time founders and managers

    First-time founders and new managers learning to lead a team through pressure.

  • Putting off hard things

    Earners who save but never invest, or who keep postponing hard conversations with people they love.

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About the Author

Ankur Warikoo

Ankur Warikoo was the founding CEO of Groupon India from 2011, served as Head of Groupon Asia-Pacific from 2013 to 2015, and founded nearbuy.com, which he ran as CEO from 2015 to 2019. He now teaches online courses, mentors entrepreneurs and invests as an angel investor, and more than seven million people follow his work. He has appeared on Fortune's 40 under 40 list for India, the Forbes Top 100 Digital Creators list for 2022, and LinkedIn India's Top Voices for 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings at a glance

4.1

Overall score based on 92 ratings.

What people think

Listeners find the book to be an engaging and relatable read, with one noting it touches on every facet of life. The material receives divided feedback; some listeners think it is good, while others disagree. Perspectives on the message quality are also split, as some appreciate the reminders while another listener finds it hardly inspirational. Concerns exist regarding the physical condition of the book, with several listeners reporting that the cover was damaged.

Top reviews

Plernpiriya

Picked this up because I follow Warikoo’s YouTube channel and wanted to see if his energy translated to the page. It absolutely does. The tone is conversational and relatable, making it feel less like a lecture and more like a chat with a mentor. Every page is filled with these small nuggets of wisdom and reflections on his own failures, which I found incredibly refreshing in a world full of fake perfection. It’s the kind of book you can open to any random page and find something worth thinking about for the rest of the day. Personally, I think the best part is how he talks extensively about his mistakes so we don’t have to repeat them. Life is short, and these reminders help. A beautiful experience overall.

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Violet

Ever wonder why some people seem to have their life together while you’re still figuring out the basics? This book doesn’t give you a magic formula, but it provides a growth mindset that is essential for anyone looking to take their life to the next level. Warikoo shares practical advice on building a business and creating a fulfilling life without the usual fluff found in self-help. The themes of determination and perseverance are central here. I love the artistic, journal-like feel of the pages. It's full of surprises and sparks. If you are looking for an inspiring guide that is easy to understand and apply, this is it. It’s a valuable resource for anyone who wants to stop making excuses and start doing epic things.

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Seksan

Wow, the way Ankur reflects on his own failures makes this feel so much more authentic than your standard hustle culture manual. I've been listening to the snippets on Audible too, and the conversational tone is just so pleasant. It feels like he’s sitting right there in front of you, sharing his life journey. The book is filled with inspiring stories and case studies that help you understand how to overcome obstacles. I found the practical tips for developing a growth mindset to be very applicable to my current business challenges. It’s a motivational guide that actually encourages you to ask for what you want, because if you don't ask, the answer is always no. Highly recommended for any aspiring entrepreneur.

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Witthaya

The structure of this book is quite unconventional, but that's exactly why it works for me. It’s not a dense narrative; it’s more like a collection of thoughts and 'bitter pills' to swallow if you want to regain your inner peace. While some might say it’s just a printed version of his social media posts, I found having them organized in one physical place to be quite useful for daily reflection. I’ve been reading one snippet every morning to help make better choices in my personal and financial life. My only gripe was the physical condition upon arrival, as the cover had some slight damage, but the content inside is solid. It's a great reminder that success comes from simply showing up every single day.

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Yui

As someone who struggles with reading long, dense non-fiction, the bite-sized format here was a breath of fresh air. It touches on almost all aspects of life—from career and money to relationships and self-awareness. Look, it’s not going to reveal any groundbreaking secrets that have never been heard before, but it serves as an excellent daily reminder. I especially liked the section on how time leaves us with either regret or results. That hit home. The writing style is very easy to digest, and the artistic layout keeps you engaged. It’s a great gift for someone starting their career who needs a little push. Just a heads up that the cover might arrive a bit scuffed due to the matte finish.

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Jan

Looking past the catchy title and the massive marketing blitz, there is a genuine heart in these pages. The truth is, most of us already know what we need to do, we just need someone to remind us to actually do it. Warikoo acts as that reminder. I found his reflections on his startup mistakes to be the most valuable part of the book. It’s a quick read, but the nuggets of wisdom stay with you. I appreciated the advice on financial choices and inner peace, which felt very grounded. While the scrapbook style isn't for everyone, it makes the 'bitter pills' of life a lot easier to swallow and digest. It’s a solid 4-star read for me.

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Bam

Finally got around to finishing this today, and I have some mixed but mostly positive thoughts. It’s definitely not a traditional book with a linear plot, but rather a series of observations. 'The pro is the amateur who simply showed up every day'—that quote alone made the purchase worth it for me. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to take their life to the next level through small, consistent changes. Some parts felt a bit like common sense, but the way he phrases things makes them stick in your head. It’s a very relatable guide to achieving success. I would suggest keeping it on your nightstand and reading just two pages a night to let the ideas sink in.

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Aroon

After hearing so much hype about this on social media, I finally gave in and bought it. To be fair, it’s a very quick read—you can finish the whole thing in about an hour because of the huge font and the scrapbook-style layout. However, I can see why some readers are annoyed. It does feel a bit like a collection of 'shower thoughts' and tweets strung together rather than a structured book. For a beginner who has never touched a self-help book, this is a fantastic entry point. But if you’ve read the classics, you might find the advice a bit self-evident or filled with common cliches. It’s a good product, just perhaps a bit overpriced for what is essentially a high-quality pamphlet of motivational quotes.

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Brahim

Frankly, this isn't a book so much as it is a printed version of a Twitter feed. I was expecting a deep dive into Warikoo's startup journey, but instead, I got a series of one-liners and 'toxic positivity' that felt a bit superficial. The title is catchy, sure, but it has very little connection to the actual content within the pages. Some of the advice even felt like it was deriding the reader for wasting time, which is ironic considering I was spending time reading his book. It lacks a proper structure and feels like a marketing team convinced him to sell his scribbles as a full-priced hardback. Not gonna lie, I felt like the success of this book came at the expense of the readers' wallets.

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Krisada

Not what I expected at all, and unfortunately, I found it quite disappointing. I’m a fan of Ankur’s videos, but this book is basically a collection of cliches printed in a very big font to take up space. It feels like a bad product designed by a PR team to capitalize on a personal brand rather than provide actual value. The 'epic' title is just bait. To make matters worse, the copy I received had a bent cover and looked used. It’s hard to stay inspired when the book itself feels like a collection of tweets I could have scrolled through for free. If you want real substance, look elsewhere. This is just a compilation of sayings that border on toxic positivity.

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Questions about this book

Warikoo argues that a meaningful life comes from defining success on your own terms and moving toward it through small, consistent actions. Setbacks are signals that show what you value, luck is created by repeated effort, and fear, more than laziness, is what keeps people stuck. He applies this to habits, leadership, money and relationships.

He treats luck as something you build. Reaching out to people, putting your work where others can see it and sticking with good routines all raise your chances of success, even when progress feels slow. His own example is a blog he began writing regularly in 2005, which over the years led to opportunities he had not planned, including writing a book.

Warikoo warns against borrowing without doing the math, locking cash in illiquid investments, cashing out early and breaking compounding, living beyond your means, and chasing market trends. He recommends investing steadily toward long-term goals, preferring assets such as stocks or businesses that earn while you rest, starting early, and valuing your time, for example by preparing for salary negotiations.

Start small. Improve your sleep before trying to wake earlier. Review a recent setback and ask what priority it revealed. Choose one habit that fits your values and repeat it daily. Begin investing a regular amount. If you lead people, hand over one decision with clear trust, and have the honest conversation you have been avoiding.

It suits young professionals and students unsure what success should mean for them, early founders and new managers learning to build and lead a team, and anyone whose money habits or relationships need attention. The lessons are short and direct, written as reminders to act on rather than as a detailed system.

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Do Epic Shit

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