Opens in a new tab
14 min 58 sec
Available in:English

The Execution Factor: The One Skill that Drives Success

Shows how to turn an idea you keep postponing into real progress by building five learnable traits: a tested vision, passion that accepts sacrifice, small first steps, resilience under setbacks and supportive relationships.

Table of Content

Plenty of people carry a good idea around for years and never act on it. In The Execution Factor, entrepreneur Kim Perell argues that the idea is rarely the problem. As an angel investor in more than 70 start-ups, she has watched the same thing decide success again and again: the ability to carry out a plan. She insists that ability can be learned.

Her own story is the first piece of evidence. At 23, broke and out of work, she named three goals: freedom, being her own boss and controlling her own destiny. Seven years later, in 2008, she sold her first company for $30 million.

Perell divides execution into a set of five qualities: vision, passion, action, resilience and relationships. Each one can be trained. Followed in order, they become a working method: test an idea cheaply, start without risking your income, absorb the blows that follow and gather the people who make the work possible.

A president facing a rival superpower made one public promise that set a whole country’s direction for a decade. Perell argues the same move works for one person, even when the road it leads down looks nothing like the dream.

A hospital manager followed the advice of everyone who loved his cooking, and it cost him his job and his happiness. One cheap afternoon could have told him the truth first.

Perell traces the word passion back to an older meaning that has little to do with excitement. A girl shoveling out horse stables shows what that meaning looks like in practice.

Most plans die before the first move, smothered by too many options. A corporate finance worker found a way to start her business without resigning, risking her savings or guessing about demand.

One of the world’s top brands was beaten to its most famous products by competitors. Its edge came from somewhere else, and that same habit can carry you off course if nobody checks the map.

A building can survive a hurricane, but a sailor can use the same wind to travel. Perell wants you to be both, and a disastrous night of concert tickets shows how to practice.

Perell calls one trait the most decisive of all, and it depends on people. Once a year she sorts everyone in her life into two groups, with exceptions that matter as much as the rule.

Perell’s case makes success look more like a craft than a gift. Ideas are common. The rare thing is the habit of carrying one out: knowing where you are heading, wanting it enough to pay for it, moving in small tested steps, recovering when plans collapse and surrounding yourself with people who make you stronger. None of these traits is fixed at birth, and each improves with practice.

Her closing exercise is worth borrowing. Picture a friend of yours who is thinking about leaving her job to launch a company. Her idea is vague, she has no business plan, her savings are limited and a family depends on her. What would you advise? Most people answer quickly: test it small, keep the job, take one step and review it. Advice flows easily from a distance, so give yourself that distance.

Write your vision in one sentence and put it on the mirror. Find the farmer’s market version of your plan and try it before you resign. Spend a few minutes each evening asking whether the day pointed the right way. The distance between Darren’s food truck and Stacey’s weekend stall is the distance between a dream someone handed you and one you can carry out.

About this book

What is this book about?

Many people have an idea for a business or a different life. Few of them ever carry it out. Kim Perell, an entrepreneur who has invested in more than 70 start-ups, argues that the gap between the two groups is execution, the ability to act on a plan. She also argues that execution is a skill rather than a talent you are born with. Perell breaks it into five traits. Vision gives you a fixed direction. Passion supplies the willingness to sacrifice for it. Action means small, low-risk first steps and a daily check on where they lead. Resilience lets you absorb setbacks and learn from them. Relationships widen what you can do alone. Her examples range from President Kennedy's Moon pledge to a hospital manager whose food truck made him miserable, a finance worker who tested a juice business at a farmer's market, and her own concert-seating fiasco with 20 colleagues. Readers get a practical method for testing an idea cheaply, starting without risking their income, reviewing their direction each day and building a network that helps them follow through.

Book Information

Rating:

Genre:

Career & Success, Personal Development

Topics:

Execution, Goal Setting, Networking, Resilience

Publisher:

McGraw Hill

Language:

English

Narrator:

Laura

First published:

September 10, 2018

Pages:

288

Length:

14 min 58 sec

Get the book:

Amazon

Who it's for

  • Business idea on hold

    Professionals with a business idea they keep postponing who cannot afford to quit their job.

  • Founders and side hustlers

    Early founders and side hustlers who want a simple method for testing ideas and staying on course.

  • Questioning a new path

    Career switchers unsure whether a new path is truly their own or someone else's suggestion.

Listen to Preview

About the Author

Kim Perell

Kim Perell is an American entrepreneur, speaker and startup mentor. She started her first company from her kitchen table at 23 and later sold a company for $235 million. She founded 100.co, an AI-based online marketplace for developing and marketing brands and products, has invested in many startups and appears on Entrepreneur Magazine's show Elevator Pitch. The Execution Factor made the USA Today national bestseller list, and her book Mistakes that Made Me a Millionaire looks at the errors behind her success.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings at a glance

4.4

Overall score based on 67 ratings.

What people think

Listeners find that this work provides practical guidance and acts as a roadmap for achieving results. Furthermore, the material is accessible and fast to get through, as one listener mentions it is especially useful for beginners. They also value the motivating message, where one review points out its emphasis on developing connections. The content is praised for being focused on execution, with one listener characterizing it as a guide for developing a mentality of persistence and movement.

Top reviews

Pong

Finally got around to finishing this, and I have to say, Perell delivers a masterclass in getting things done. She turns the vague concept of 'hustle' into a repeatable science that anyone can follow if they are willing to put in the work. The book serves as a literal blueprint for success, breaking down the essential traits of vision, passion, action, resilience, and relationships. Frankly, the section on resilience was exactly what I needed to hear during a particularly rough patch in my own startup journey. It is a quick and easy read, but the impact of her advice is anything but small. You won't find fluff here, just a direct roadmap for turning your professional goals into a tangible reality.

Show more
Sin

Wow, I didn't think a business book could be this engaging while still providing a step-by-step roadmap for professional growth. Perell’s story is genuinely inspirational, and she uses her personal experiences with resilience—like her journey with IVF—to illustrate how these principles apply to all of life. The chapter on vision is particularly helpful for 'doers' who often jump into tasks without knowing where they are headed. By the time I finished, I felt like I had a concrete plan to improve my own execution skills through the five traits mentioned. In my experience, most business authors overcomplicate things, but Perell keeps her message succinct and high-energy. This is a must-read if you want to stop dreaming and start actually achieving your goals.

Show more
Rung

After hearing so much about Kim Perell, I wanted to see if her book lived up to the hype, and I wasn't disappointed. The Execution Factor provides a refreshing take on what it actually takes to build a business from the ground up. I loved how she emphasized that execution is a skill you can develop through practice and persistence. The five traits are explained with apt examples that make the concepts easy to grasp and even easier to apply to your own life. Personally, I think the 'vision' section is a game-changer for people who are naturally inclined to just 'get on with it' without a clear destination. It’s an inspirational read that feels like a conversation with a mentor who actually wants you to succeed. I’ll definitely be keeping this on my desk for future reference.

Show more
Pia

As someone who struggles with overthinking every project, the 'action' chapter was a massive wake-up call for me. Perell makes a compelling case for moving forward even when you don't feel 100% prepared, which is a mindset I've always lacked. The five traits she identifies—especially the focus on building strong relationships—provide a concrete framework that feels much more attainable than the advice in typical business books. While some of the personal stories about her red jeep and major company sale felt a bit repetitive, the core message remains incredibly strong. This is particularly valuable for those just starting out who need a push to actually execute. I found the thought experiments at the end of the sections to be practical tools for immediate application.

Show more
Luckana

Ever wonder why some people just seem to 'make it' while others stall out despite having great ideas? Perell argues that the difference is the 'execution factor,' a skill that can be cultivated rather than an innate talent you are born with. I appreciated how she balanced the internal work of vision and passion with the external work of relationships and collaboration. The advice is clear, actionable, and practical under each heading, making it a great blueprint for anyone looking to sharpen their professional edge. Not gonna lie, I expected another generic 'believe in yourself' book, but this actually gives you the steps to build a resilient mindset. It’s a quick read that doesn't waste your time with unnecessary jargon or overly complex theories.

Show more
Saovapa

This isn't your typical fluffy self-help book; it's a direct blueprint designed for people who are ready to stop dreaming and start doing. Perell manages to demystify the process of success by treating execution as a learnable skill rather than a mystery. I particularly liked the focus on resilience, as it’s often the missing ingredient when people face their first major setback. The advice is very action-oriented, which I appreciate as someone who values practical steps over abstract philosophy. While the book is a fast read, the lessons on building relationships and refining your vision require some deep reflection to truly implement. It serves as a great reminder that having a product or a plan is only half the battle. You need the grit to see it through to the very end.

Show more
Sophia

The book offers a solid framework for productivity, but I struggled with the tone of the personal anecdotes throughout the chapters. Look, it is impressive that she sold her company for millions and achieved her personal goals, but hearing about it constantly felt a bit like a victory lap. To be fair, the five-pillar structure of vision, passion, action, resilience, and relationships is quite helpful for organizing one’s professional life. It is a smart, fast read that would be perfect for a beginner who hasn't read much in the self-help or business genre yet. I wish there was more depth regarding the actual mechanics of her marketing businesses. It’s a good book, though I do wish the writing style was a bit more varied to keep things interesting.

Show more
Methinee

Truth is, the five-pillar structure is quite helpful for organizing your thoughts, even if the writing style is a bit overly simplistic at times. Perell breaks execution down into vision, passion, action, resilience, and relationships, which serves as a decent checklist for any new project. I found the section on relationships to be the most insightful part of the entire book, as it emphasizes collaboration over solo effort. However, there isn't much here that hasn't been said before in other popular business titles. It's a fine read if you need a quick shot of inspiration or a basic blueprint to get moving on a goal. I would have liked to see more 'how-to' and less 'me-too' regarding her personal success stories. Overall, it’s a decent guide for those who need a gentle nudge toward taking action.

Show more
Por

Picked this up because I wanted to understand how to bridge the gap between having a vision and actually finishing a product. The book covers the basics of execution well enough, highlighting five key skills like resilience and collaboration. To be fair, it is a very easy read, and you can probably finish it in a single afternoon if you're focused. I did find some of the advice to be a bit generic, and the constant focus on the author's personal wealth felt slightly out of touch. Nevertheless, the actionable advice provided in the thought experiments gives the reader something to actually work on. It is a good starting point for anyone who feels stuck in the planning phase of their career. Just don't expect any revolutionary secrets that you haven't heard in other business podcasts.

Show more
Yuwadee

Not what I expected from a high-level entrepreneur because the advice felt incredibly surface-level and lacked any real industry-specific depth. I've been following the author’s success for a while, but after reading this, I still have no idea what her companies actually do on a day-to-day basis. The five traits—vision, passion, action, resilience, and relationships—are basically common sense to anyone who has worked in a professional environment for more than a year. Truth is, I found the constant mentions of her multimillion-dollar exit and her luxury purchases to be more distracting than they were motivating. If you are a complete beginner, you might find some value here, but seasoned professionals will likely find it repetitive and lacking in new information. I listened to it on Audible and found the narration style a bit grating as well.

Show more
Show all reviews

Questions about this book

Kim Perell argues that success depends less on the idea than on the ability to carry out a plan. From investing in more than 70 start-ups, she concluded that execution decides which dreams become real. She breaks it down into five qualities: vision first, then passion, then action, followed by resilience, and finally the ability to build relationships, and she insists that anybody willing to put in the effort can develop every one.

Perell says a vision should be clear enough to state in one sentence and picture in detail, and it must fit your values, tastes and personality. Her warning is Darren, a hospital manager who opened a food truck because friends loved his chili, then hated cooking for strangers. Her fix is a small test first, such as entering a cook-off before buying a truck.

Avoid analysis paralysis by picking one path and taking a small step, without quitting your job. Perell’s example is Stacey, who worked in corporate finance and wanted a juice company. She sold juice at a weekend farmer’s market first, which showed her whether she liked the work and whether there was demand, without risking her savings.

Each day, write down the actions you took that related to your vision, then ask whether each one fit it, brought you closer, fed your passion and pointed in a direction you still want. A no to any question means it is time to rethink and change course. Perell pairs this with constant forward movement, citing Apple’s habit of improving every product it released.

It suits people with an idea they have not acted on, especially those who cannot afford to quit a job to pursue it. Early founders, side hustlers and career switchers get a sequence of practical steps, from testing a vision cheaply to running an annual audit of their relationships so they spend more time with people who support and challenge them.

AUDIO SUMMARY AVAILABLE

Listen to The Execution Factor in 15 minutes

Get the key ideas from The Execution Factor by Kim Perell, plus 5,000+ more nonfiction titles.

  • 5,000+ titles
  • Listen as much as you want
  • 7-day free trial
  • Cancel anytime

The Execution Factor

Preview · Full summary 14 min 58 sec
Home

Discover

Open app

Log in