The Self-made Billionaire Effect

A study of self-made billionaires reveals the key distinction between "producers" and "performers."

There are about 800 self-made billionaires in the world today. What enables this elite group to create truly massive value, and what can the rest of us learn from them?

John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen set out to answer this question with the first systematic study of 120 self-made billionaires, including extensive interviews with icons like Steve Case, Mark Cuban, and T. Boone Pickens Jr. The authors conclude that self-made billionaires aren't necessarily smarter, harder working, or luckier than their peers. The key difference is what they call the "producer" mind-set, in contrast to the far more common "performer" mind-set.

Performers strive to excel in well-defined areas, and they are essential to any company. But producers are even more valuable because they redefine what's possible, rather than simply meeting preexisting goals and standards. Producers think up entirely new products, services, strategies, and business models, with dramatic results.

This book offers fresh stories and insights into producers' habits of mind. It also provides corporate leaders with a new approach to selecting and managing breakthrough talent, and advice about innovation and value creation for aspiring leaders or entrepreneurs.