The Millionaire Fastlane (Book Review)

I was introduced to "The Millionaire Fastlane" by Ali Abdaar, and I have to say it's a mind-blowing book. What I found particularly refreshing is how the author, MJ Demarco, challenges the conventional financial advice of saving money, maxing out your 401k, and investing in index funds.

While some may find the book's approach radical, I think it offers a unique perspective on wealth creation that's both thought-provoking and actionable. That being said, I do agree that the first 15 chapters can come across as a bit "I'm right, they're wrong!" with little practical advice. If you prefer, you can skip those chapters and jump straight to chapter 16 and onwards, where the real value lies.

In these later chapters, Demarco provides clear definitions and actionable steps for building scalable income streams and achieving financial freedom. I found these sections to be the most helpful and insightful, and I believe they offer a lot of value to anyone looking to build wealth and create a better financial future for themselves.

Book In Three Sentences

1. The common financial advice of getting rich through working hard in a job, saving and investing is slow and risky, you won’t be able to enjoy the freedom you get by the time you reap your sow.

2. Creating a fastlane business through entrepreneurship, innovation, and value creation is the key to achieving massive wealth and financial freedom.

3. To create a successful fastlane business, one must identify and seize opportunities, create scalable and profitable businesses, and prioritize freedom and fulfillment over the pursuit of money alone.

How It Changes Me

• "The Millionaire Fastlane" gave me a wake-up call about the risks of our current retirement plan, mainly CPF. While we may have millions when we're 65, the value may depreciate greatly, and unforeseen events like COVID could destroy our retirement plan.

• The book reminded me how important time is as a commodity - it's unreplenishable and the only fair currency in the world. Now I use my time only in activities that provide value to myself or others.

• It helped me understand what being wealthy really means to me - having the freedom to do and go where I want, having fulfilling relationships that allow me to spend time with loved ones, and being physically fit so I can enjoy life to the fullest even in old age.

• The book motivated me to think about creating other scalable entities to leverage my work.

• It encouraged me to think in terms of others' needs rather than just my own passions when starting something new.

Highlights

• The traditional path to wealth of working a job, saving money, and investing in the stock market is a slow and inefficient way to become wealthy.

• Wealth is having 3Fs. Freedom, Fitness and Friendship (family).

• The traditional path to wealth, such as getting a degree, getting a good job, saving money, and investing in stocks and mutual funds, is too slow and uncertain.

• Income is limited by the number of hours we can work, so we should focus on creating scalable income streams.

• Be the producer, not the consumer.

• Create a MLM network, don't be a network marketer. Create an affiliate scheme, don't be an affiliate. Rent out houses, don't rent them.

• The best way to become wealthy is by starting a business that solves a problem or fulfills a need for others.

• The more people you help or impact, the richer you are. (Like Law of Compensation from “The Go-givers”)

• To create a successful business, you need to focus on the needs and wants of your customers, not on your own desires or passions.

• A business needs to be built around a system that can be replicated and scaled, not just around a single product or service.

• We should focus on building a business that has a high potential for growth and scalability, not just a business that generates a steady income.

• The three main wealth accelerators are the law of control, the law of entry, and the law of time.

• Our business should be based on a process that can be automated, delegated, or outsourced so that you can work on the business, not in the business.

• We should aim to create a business that has multiple streams of income and is not dependent on a single source of revenue.

• You should always be looking for ways to innovate and improve your product or service.

• Business survives. Brand thrives.

• Live below our means, avoid debt as much as possible, aim to save at least 10% of our income and invest it wisely.

Summary

The whole book is basically divided into two parts.

Part 1: The Lie

In this section, DeMarco argues that the traditional "slowlane" of working a job, saving money, and investing in the stock market is a slow and inefficient way to become wealthy.

He points out that the average person who follows this path will likely never become wealthy, and may even end up in debt.

DeMarco argues that the slowlane is a lie because it promises wealth and financial freedom, but it doesn't deliver.

He says that the slowlane is a "dream-stealing, soul-sucking dogma" that keeps people working for their whole lives and never achieving their true potential.

His favourite statement: Always be the driver, not the hitchhiker.

Part 2: The Truth. Welcome to the Fastlane

In this section, DeMarco presents his alternative plan for achieving wealth.

He argues that the only way to become wealthy is to create a business that generates passive income. It is not a get rich easy but a get rich quick scheme (6-10 years).

Passive income is income that you earn without having to work for it. DeMarco provides a step-by-step guide to building a successful business.

DeMarco's plan is based on the following principles:

• Find a need and fill it. The first step to building a successful business is to find a need that people have and then create a product or service that meets that need.

• Create a business that is scalable. Your business should be able to grow and expand without you having to work more hours.

• Leverage debt to your advantage. Debt can be a powerful tool for building wealth, but it's important to use it wisely.

• Be willing to take risks. There is no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to business. If you want to be successful, you need to be willing to take calculated risks.

• Customers are the king. Always exceed customers’ expectations and you have a free marketing team. Learn from complaints, they are nudges of gold in them.

Stay well,

Andrewson