
Be More Pirate: Or How to Take on the World and Win

With 88 ratings
By: Sam Conniff Allende and Simon & Schuster Audio
Purchased At: $16.00
Pirates didn’t just break the rules, they rewrote them. They didn’t just reject society, they reinvented it. Pirates didn’t just challenge the status quo, they changed everyf--kingthing. Pirates faced a self-interested establishment, a broken system, industrial-scale disruption, and an uncertain future. Sound familiar?
“I’d rather be a pirate than join the navy.” (Steve Jobs)
Pirates stood for mischief, purpose, and power. And you can, too.
Be More Pirate unveils the innovative strategies of Golden Age pirates, drawing parallels between the tactics and teachings of legends like Henry Morgan and Blackbeard with modern rebels like Elon Musk, Malala, and Banksy. Featuring takeaway sections and a guide to building your own pirate code 2.0, Be More Pirate will show you how to leave your mark on the 21st century:
- Rebel - Draw strength by standing up to the status quo.
- Rewrite - Bend, break, but most importantly, rewrite the rules.
- Reorganize - Collaborate to achieve scale, rather than growth.
- Redistribute - Fight for fairness, share power, and make an enemy of exploitation.
- Retell - Weaponize your story, then tell the hell out of it.
Whatever your ambitions, ideas, and challenges, Be More Pirate will revolutionize the way you live, think, and work today and tomorrow. So what are you waiting for? Join the rebellion.
These lessons provide a road map for the enterprising pirate. They show how Pirate radio challenged the BBC and illegal music downloads led to I-tunes. Turning a mutiny into a movement as the author suggests. Every step of the way you can use Pirate tips to shake up the status quo, from a global brand like the skull and crossbones (thank you Calico Jack) to retelling your pirate tales to make a legend for others to live up to (Blackbeard). Full of fun and helpful examples at the end of the chapters the reader is invited not to just read, but to participate.
Lest you think that it is all walking the plank and stealing booty there are also tips on building a team using the Pirates fairness initiatives. Pay for bonuses like seeing the first ship on the horizon. Using Pirate shares as a model for fair pay. A culture that discourages internal theft. Then scaling so the world has to follow you. Modern Social Entrepreneurs can harness their passion as a competitive advantage. Learn why Steve Jobs said “I’d rather be a pirate than in the Navy”.
One of the greatest things is you learn the history of pirates in a way that will appeal to many while the ideas there are connected to business and societal situations. A kind of action/reaction thing but really that’s the wrong analogy.
And there’s work to do, but not laborious. Just a question at the end of each section to help you find ways to make good trouble.
Buy this book... if you don’t like the content then it will still look cool on the shelf because it’s bright pink.
Having to recall my first act of rebellion bought to mind something I hadn't thought about for years. At school, a fellow pupil had my basketball whilst I was in a lesson and it was confiscated because they were bouncing it in the halls. I found the teacher who had my ball and something about his complete dismissal of me sparked something inside me. I ended up in an office with the teacher in question, and the deputy head, both shouting at me. I remember a moment of great clarity as the two adults raised their voices at me as I calmly said: "I don't see the need for you shout at me, can we not discuss this like adults?"...admittedly, I was 16 so not technically an adult!
The end result was that, the next day, the teacher in question apologised to me and said it had been a clash of personalities. Although I didn't challenge any rules, or make a change for the better, in this case, it was eye-opening for a teacher to apologise to me as an equal. It's only now, years later, that I recognise the courage it took to stand up to authority as I did, at the time I felt immense guilt over speaking out-of-turn to power. The system reinforced that, as I was chastised by my head of year, regardless of the teacher's apology.
I've left three jobs over the last five years. A couple in finance and one working for a family business run by people interested in profit, and very little else. For various reasons, but all to do with poor management and unfair practices, I've tried to change inefficient practices at all of these organisations, but was met with ignorance, anger or simple apathy. I started to wonder if I wasn't just a troublemaker after all, and should get back in my box and shut up. Fortunately, that isn't something I am capable of doing.
'Be more pirate' has given me an alternative way to interpret my behaviour and experiences. I'm training to become a journalist now, hoping that I can make a positive change and challenge the status quo through my writing. Keep up the good work!
Supports same sex marriage right down to rights on the death of a spouse?
The Captain (CEO) can only earn more than 6 times the lowest deck hand?
A diversity policy, after all, anybody can be a pirate?
A check and balance to decision making, while the Captain was the CEO the quartermaster had a same level of authority and could vote against the Captain? Be more pirate offers an antidote to modern living, actively asking you to break the rules, but only if you make better ones to go in their place. If you want to live in a better world, then maybe you should be more pirate!
I thought it was a criticism then, and knew that the teachers and the institution didn’t see what I see now - and you capture so well in the book I’ve been shouting about for the last 4 weeks
Rules? They’re for other people. If do m things differently was easy, they wouldn’t need me!
Thanks for reminding me what I’m all about. I’m in!
Ben - a noisy pirate causing no end of good trouble in the midst of corporate healthcare!
The Maslow hack was spot on and it was good to see the Great British Diversity Experiment got a mention.
In short, the book has made me more determined to #BeMorePirate!
Want to change your life?
Read this!