Burn the Boats

Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential

By: Matt Higgins

Narrated by: Matt Higgins

Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

*A WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER!*

Listen to the book that has inspired thousands of people around the world to pursue their Plan A—making bold career moves, launching dream businesses, fleeing toxic relationships, and silencing the naysayers.

Feel like you’re always settling for Plan B? Have big goals but something—or someone—is holding you back?

There is a counterintuitive but effective strategy used throughout recorded history to overcome impossible odds and achieve breakout success: Eliminate any thoughts of retreat.

In Burn the Boats, you’ll learn:

• How to break patterns that undermine total commitment (such as imposter syndrome, anxiety, and toxic leadership habits)
• How science proves that a perfectly crafted plan B saps motivation and diminishes successful outcomes
• How to achieve financial independence by leveraging the stream of data you consume in your daily life, known as ‘proprietary insights’
• How to harness the personal power of your pain and shame to turn flaws into your superpower
• How dozens of the people you admire first burned their own boats before becoming household names

In this gripping rags-to-riches instant classic, Matt Higgins provides the blueprint he used to go from a desperate sixteen-year-old high school dropout caring for his sick mother in Queens, New York, to a shark on Shark Tank. Now a serial entrepreneur with a billion-dollar portfolio of some of America’s most beloved brands, Higgins unpacks the burn-the-boats strategy with raw emotion and radical transparency.

Now translated into numerous languages worldwide, Burn the Boats is the definitive tome on the oldest life hack in history. From Sun Tzu to Tariq ibn Ziyad, the ancient Israelites to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—when leaders want to motivate their troops for success, they self-sabotage their own retreat so all energy is directed on a singular objective. They burn their metaphorical boats that sow doubt; it’s win or perish, and their unshakable resolve propels them to victory.

But the clarity of crisis decision-making can also be harnessed in our everyday lives. Higgins draws upon extensive research, historical precedent, and dozens of firsthand case studies—from actress-turned-entrepreneur Scarlett Johansson to NFL Coach Rex Ryan—that prove merely contemplating Plan B diminishes the probability of ever achieving Plan A.

Written in the reassuring tone of a mentor and drawing upon Higgins’s experience as a teacher at Harvard Business School, Burn the Boats will carry you through any rough seas on the most exciting journey of your life.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Matthew Thomas Higgins (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Absolutely Wonderful!!!

Kudos Matt and the whole team! Powerful, Human, Deeply moving and Inspiring. You caused many tears that were necessary. This is a classic my friends!!! When is the next one Matt?

Just OK

If you read a lot of personal development books, this isn’t ground breaking. It’s a nice story about a guy who overcame obstacles, so if you haven’t heard one of those in awhile, you might enjoy it.

A Must-Read Burn the Boats by Matt Higgins

A Must-Read Burn the Boats by Matt Higgins

I am always looking for great books that can provide valuable insights and inspiration. Recently, I had the pleasure of reading "Burn the Boats" by Matt Higgins.

The book is a fascinating and inspiring journey through Matt' experiences as an entrepreneur, investor, and Shark Tank guest judge. His insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership are refreshing, honest, and practical.

The book's central theme, "burn the boats," is a powerful metaphor for the mindset and actions required to succeed as an entrepreneur. Matt' advice to "commit first, figure it out later" is a reminder that taking risks is an essential part of entrepreneurship, no doubt my favorite quote from the book.

Overall, "Burn the Boats" is a must-read for every entrepreneur, investor, and business leader. The book is full of practical advice, inspiring stories, and valuable insights that will help anyone looking to take their business to the next level. I highly recommend it.

A Must Read

This book is brilliantly woven into a story of courage, relentless faith in oneself while acknowledging the reality of real life’s challenges like our childhood past and its enduring influence on our lives. Matt - thank you for sharing your story - it’s truly authentic and raw - and life changing.

Great for seasoned or new founders

I listened to this on my commute and was inspired at his explanation of discomfort as feedback. My favorite takeaway: “When we require a fully baked solution to a problem in order to pursue a goal, we deny ourselves a chance to prove the depth of our ability to perform under duress. problems beget solutions. If you accept the problem with just a vague notion of how to solve it, and if you always maintain a bias toward action, your primitive mind will do the rest of the work for you.
And then, suddenly there you are. You’re in the water and there’s no turning back. “

A Strong Dose of Wisdom & Guidance

This book will take you on a surprising journey. If you are expecting good business advice you'll get it. You'll also get insight ranging from internalized patterns and questions to case study style examples. He's packed a lot of wisdom from his personal experiences into an enjoyable read, even for the jaded.

One of my most favorite reads!

What an inspiring book!
if you’re struggling to focus on one project at a time, this is the book you need, just get it!
It offers incredible value and for me, it has been the exact push I needed to give it all I have and achieve my goal.

average read

really look forward to this book but after listening to the entire thing I know I would not listen to it again. It's mostly a bunch of storytelling... there are some tools in it. but definitely not worth the time. stuff you probably already know. Plus I don't like political correct garbage which is inserted in there here and there


hpj

One of us!

Initially, I had a bit of a slow start to connect with the book, and then slowly, I started to connect with Matt. I truly felt like he was “one of us” ordinary folks, and he wasn’t given a silver spoon when he was a child. One big takeaway is never to give up, and just because your thoughts and feelings aren’t the same as a majority of people, it doesn’t make it wrong.

Lastly, I loved that his opinions weren’t found in a school textbook or after watching several hours of YouTube videos. His views came from personal experience, which I feel. It’s hard to find a coach or a mentor that isn’t just full of it and only “teaches” instead of practicing what they preach.

Phenomenal book about climbing to the TOP from the absolute bottom!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Matt does an exceptional job of illustrating exactly where he came from and how he was able to achieve the success he has today. If you’re looking for a business book that motivates you, gives you insight into the world of big business, and shows you what’s possible in this life, then this book is for you.