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Purpose & Profit
Money, even if it doesn't buy happiness directly, controls most people's lives. I refuse to believe that money is the source of your problems. In fact, I believe that solving your problems is the source of meaningful money.
If happiness—or enjoyment—is the combination of progress being made and contribution to something greater than yourself, and both are accomplished by solving problems—for yourself and others—and problems are solved through creativity, then the only logical and fundamental life path for those who want a good life is to become a creator.
Most people’s definition of money was adopted from their parents, teachers, and society which benefits from narrow minds working on narrow tasks. Money is only superficial to the superficial. If you have even the slightest belief that meaning and money can be merged, there is a sequence of steps you can take to reach that point, but nobody can teach you those steps. You must create them.
If happiness—or enjoyment—is the combination of progress being made and contribution to something greater than yourself, and both are accomplished by solving problems—for yourself and others—and problems are solved through creativity, then the only logical and fundamental life path for those who want a good life is to become a creator.
Most people’s definition of money was adopted from their parents, teachers, and society which benefits from narrow minds working on narrow tasks. Money is only superficial to the superficial. If you have even the slightest belief that meaning and money can be merged, there is a sequence of steps you can take to reach that point, but nobody can teach you those steps. You must create them.
138 pages, Paperback
Published March 22, 2025
103 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 23, 2025
The entire premise of this book is based on Dan's quote within:
"All pursuits are materialistic until a philosophical sense of mastery is formed, even the most “spiritual” pursuits. Then, it becomes your vehicle into the unknown. A vessel to expand and evolve."
As always, great writing and an encouraging sense of calm.
He busts the uncomfortable bubble of
"if we don’t have high-agency parents who also understand how the mind works, we become subservient to the dominant paradigm. In this case, that’s going to school, getting a job, and retiring at some age with far less than what you were promised."
All while doing it gracefully and with meaning.
"All pursuits are materialistic until a philosophical sense of mastery is formed, even the most “spiritual” pursuits. Then, it becomes your vehicle into the unknown. A vessel to expand and evolve."
As always, great writing and an encouraging sense of calm.
He busts the uncomfortable bubble of
"if we don’t have high-agency parents who also understand how the mind works, we become subservient to the dominant paradigm. In this case, that’s going to school, getting a job, and retiring at some age with far less than what you were promised."
All while doing it gracefully and with meaning.
August 5, 2025
"In a world where most people are worried about what skills they should learn, start writing. The mark of a free individual is that they do many things throughout their life. This requires them to learn how to learn, how to think, and how to earn. Writing checks the boxes of all three. Schools and jobs tell us what to learn, hinder our ability to think, and prepare us to earn within narrow boundaries. Writing is how you solidify understanding of your studies, mold your thoughts in physical form, and create something worth paying for."
April 18, 2025
Novel perspective.
Clear roadmap.
Deep meaning.
I already know a lot about Dan's work, yet this helps me see the bigger picture and adds valuable context.
Considering its length and value-density, it would also make a great gift for someone starting their entrepreneurial journey.
Can't recommend it enough.
Clear roadmap.
Deep meaning.
I already know a lot about Dan's work, yet this helps me see the bigger picture and adds valuable context.
Considering its length and value-density, it would also make a great gift for someone starting their entrepreneurial journey.
Can't recommend it enough.
August 12, 2025
Solid read about creating a life you want to live.
April 20, 2025
I’ve spent the last 10 years building what Dan Koe describes in this book: a life where purpose and profit aren’t in conflict but in sync.
A life designed around contribution, systems, and time freedom—not just passion or identity.
What surprised me about Purpose & Profit wasn’t the novelty of the ideas, but how clearly and succinctly Koe captures a path I’ve walked through years of trial and error.
He names what some of us have lived but struggled to explain.
This isn’t just another business mindset book. It’s a reframing of how to live, earn, and grow in alignment with what matters—while staying rooted in reality, not wishful thinking.
I wrote a full reflection on my journey (including critiques and highlights from the book) here:
https://occhipervedere.com/2025/04/19...
A life designed around contribution, systems, and time freedom—not just passion or identity.
What surprised me about Purpose & Profit wasn’t the novelty of the ideas, but how clearly and succinctly Koe captures a path I’ve walked through years of trial and error.
He names what some of us have lived but struggled to explain.
This isn’t just another business mindset book. It’s a reframing of how to live, earn, and grow in alignment with what matters—while staying rooted in reality, not wishful thinking.
I wrote a full reflection on my journey (including critiques and highlights from the book) here:
https://occhipervedere.com/2025/04/19...
March 25, 2025
I read my first time is a good essay for one solo business person and gave u hacks about it
April 18, 2025
Dan is a good thinker and I love his ideas. He’s just getting started and soon will be a household name as a successful writer and entrepreneur. Great book.
Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 3, 2025
I really appreciated Dan Koe's insights on how our beliefs about money influence our earning potential. If we view money as evil, we may subconsciously avoid working hard to earn it, believing it to be inherently negative. Conversely, if we see money as a necessary tool, we are more likely to pursue it and embrace opportunities for financial growth.
Additionally, I found it crucial to understand the importance of writing in today's era of artificial intelligence. Effective communication remains a vital skill, even as technology evolves
Additionally, I found it crucial to understand the importance of writing in today's era of artificial intelligence. Effective communication remains a vital skill, even as technology evolves
September 15, 2025
Fire as hell be revisiting 100%
January 17, 2026
I wanted to like Purpose and Profit more than I ultimately did.
Dan Koe is at his best when he talks about agency. The insistence that people should actively shape their lives rather than drift into them is correct, bracing, and increasingly rare in a culture that prefers structural explanations for everything. The book is good at jolting you out of passivity and reminding you that meaning is often downstream of choosing something and taking responsibility for it.
Where it weakens is in its narrowness. Koe repeatedly treats entrepreneurship and “being a creator” as not just good options, but the option, especially in an AI-shaped future. This feels like an overfit to his own life path. It is true that leverage, ownership, and asymmetric upside matter more than ever. It is not true that everyone must start a business, build an audience, or monetize a personal brand to live a purposeful life. Many high-agency paths look nothing like entrepreneurship, including research, institutional reform, craftsmanship, or even very competent participation inside large systems.
The AI framing also feels a bit hand-wavy. Automation does change labor markets, but the conclusion that non-creators will inevitably be left behind is asserted more than argued. Historically, technology tends to rearrange status hierarchies rather than collapse them into a single winning archetype.
Overall, this is a motivating book with some genuinely useful insights, especially around personal responsibility and long-term thinking. It would have been stronger if it separated those ideas from a single preferred career outcome. Worth reading, but with the understanding that “agency” is broader than “become an entrepreneur.”
Dan Koe is at his best when he talks about agency. The insistence that people should actively shape their lives rather than drift into them is correct, bracing, and increasingly rare in a culture that prefers structural explanations for everything. The book is good at jolting you out of passivity and reminding you that meaning is often downstream of choosing something and taking responsibility for it.
Where it weakens is in its narrowness. Koe repeatedly treats entrepreneurship and “being a creator” as not just good options, but the option, especially in an AI-shaped future. This feels like an overfit to his own life path. It is true that leverage, ownership, and asymmetric upside matter more than ever. It is not true that everyone must start a business, build an audience, or monetize a personal brand to live a purposeful life. Many high-agency paths look nothing like entrepreneurship, including research, institutional reform, craftsmanship, or even very competent participation inside large systems.
The AI framing also feels a bit hand-wavy. Automation does change labor markets, but the conclusion that non-creators will inevitably be left behind is asserted more than argued. Historically, technology tends to rearrange status hierarchies rather than collapse them into a single winning archetype.
Overall, this is a motivating book with some genuinely useful insights, especially around personal responsibility and long-term thinking. It would have been stronger if it separated those ideas from a single preferred career outcome. Worth reading, but with the understanding that “agency” is broader than “become an entrepreneur.”
July 27, 2025
This isn't a book. It's a call to action to all those worried about Replacement™. Replacement by advances in technology. Replacement by corporate greed, layoffs, and offshoring. Replacement by cheaper labor. Replacement orchestrated by the elite who are looking for cheaper labor. It's also a call to action to those who have a greater calling than being part of the workforce. This isn't a book. It's a solution. The solution being entrepreneurship. The biggest contribution of this book is how it marries purpose and profit. Find something that truly speaks to you. Then find a way to monetize it. Otherwise, you're consigning yourself to a life of working for someone else's profit, laboring for someone else's dream, susceptible to someone else's whim. Another big contribution of the book is that it doesn't ask you to categorically start a business. You can be someone's employee, a researcher, even a full time stock trader, and yet be entrepreneurial. It's a mindset shift toward taking ownership and solving real problems that people would benefit from. Because, to paraphrase: life, tools, and money will evolve, but problems will always be there - problems that need to be solved. This isn't a book. It's common sense that isn't so common. People would hate on money and the rich, and hate selling, but then go and work their whole lives for someone who's rich and is selling something. It sounds better instead to try to earn selling something that's deeply meaningful to someone. Some sentences and phrasing felt a little off to me, but that doesn't take away from the purpose (ahem) of the book.
February 9, 2026
There’s some good ideas in here but the writing is so infuriatingly self-indulgent and holier-than-thou. Maybe that’s because this book was minimally edited, something the author proudly states in the introduction.
The main thesis of the book is that writing is good for you and in an internet-based society writing is how you export your ideas, thereby making yourself and your experiences the product. That’s it. And the author is clearly knowledgeable about this, but the writing is just so aggravating.
For one example:
“Your life’s work is to reach your potential. To see what you are capable of. To expand your capacity for knowledge and skill to tackle deeper, more interesting challenges. Your life’s work is getting paid to be yourself. To profit from purpose. By doing so, you become a beacon of value for others to follow and improve. The only other options are the opposite. To work for the sole purpose of survival and status. No creativity. No depth. No contribution to something greater than yourself. A selfish and unconscious existence where you become a puppet to society. You will never escape work, but everyone has the potential to fill their day with work that feels like play.” (p. 79).
It suffers from the main problem with the whole book, which is that it sounds like it would be right at home in a dudebro self-help podcast, but in written form it’s just sad. Furthermore, there’s no substance to anything he says. It’s not backed up by anything, just Koe spouting whatever he wants.
I got it for free and to be honest I only finished it because I enjoyed seeing what absurd prose would be delivered next.
The main thesis of the book is that writing is good for you and in an internet-based society writing is how you export your ideas, thereby making yourself and your experiences the product. That’s it. And the author is clearly knowledgeable about this, but the writing is just so aggravating.
For one example:
“Your life’s work is to reach your potential. To see what you are capable of. To expand your capacity for knowledge and skill to tackle deeper, more interesting challenges. Your life’s work is getting paid to be yourself. To profit from purpose. By doing so, you become a beacon of value for others to follow and improve. The only other options are the opposite. To work for the sole purpose of survival and status. No creativity. No depth. No contribution to something greater than yourself. A selfish and unconscious existence where you become a puppet to society. You will never escape work, but everyone has the potential to fill their day with work that feels like play.” (p. 79).
It suffers from the main problem with the whole book, which is that it sounds like it would be right at home in a dudebro self-help podcast, but in written form it’s just sad. Furthermore, there’s no substance to anything he says. It’s not backed up by anything, just Koe spouting whatever he wants.
I got it for free and to be honest I only finished it because I enjoyed seeing what absurd prose would be delivered next.
February 13, 2026
I downloaded this book as a PDF from the author's own website to check it out. I read it on my Kindle, and now I want to buy the paperback to support him. He knew how to activate the reciprocity principle by delivering massive value in this little book. Sneaky bastard.
If you feel like you have great untapped potential and you are not living according to your human nature, want to escape dead end jobs, and want to do something more with your life in this coming AI age that he terms the "second renaissance," give it a read. It will unlock your next chapter.
If you feel like you have great untapped potential and you are not living according to your human nature, want to escape dead end jobs, and want to do something more with your life in this coming AI age that he terms the "second renaissance," give it a read. It will unlock your next chapter.
April 2, 2025
A super and succinct take on how to think (not what to think/do) in pursuit of the good life. Koe's writing is always engaging, well paced and prescient. I love his modern translation of Alan Watts and other philosophers while making it intensely practical for our modern world of 'work'.
I've made plenty of highlights already on this one and only intended to enjoy it first!
"Nobody wants to be a monkey in a cubicle."
I've made plenty of highlights already on this one and only intended to enjoy it first!
"Nobody wants to be a monkey in a cubicle."
February 2, 2026
loved this book
I’ve become a fan of Dan Koe. At such a relatively young age , he writes with such clarity, wisdom, and pragmatism. It’s obvious he has studied the classics , from Plato and Socrates , to newer luminaries like Watts and Krishnamurti. He has also been influenced by great modern thinkers and creators , like Jordan Peterson and Steve Jobs. I’m going to share this book with every thoughtful and/or ambitious person I know.
I’ve become a fan of Dan Koe. At such a relatively young age , he writes with such clarity, wisdom, and pragmatism. It’s obvious he has studied the classics , from Plato and Socrates , to newer luminaries like Watts and Krishnamurti. He has also been influenced by great modern thinkers and creators , like Jordan Peterson and Steve Jobs. I’m going to share this book with every thoughtful and/or ambitious person I know.
January 11, 2026
So I’m a huge fan of Dan Koe’s YouTube videos and I guess that’s why this book didn’t do it for me, as it was nothing new and basically a compilation of all topics he discusses in his videos.
All in all, it was a good reminder and I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who is new to his content!
All in all, it was a good reminder and I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who is new to his content!
April 17, 2025
Um livro simples, curto e com uma mensagem poderosa sobre como podemos (e devemos) criar.
Crie. Qualquer coisa. O que estiver dentro da sua mente, da sua alma, coloque pra fora e transforme o mundo num lugar melhor.
Não pare, não escute os outros (na medida do possível) não se autosabote. Crie.
Crie. Qualquer coisa. O que estiver dentro da sua mente, da sua alma, coloque pra fora e transforme o mundo num lugar melhor.
Não pare, não escute os outros (na medida do possível) não se autosabote. Crie.
May 25, 2025
A short coherent essay for a call to entrepreneurship, especially now considering much lower barrier to entry. It also emphasizes writing as a force-multiplier meta-skill, the ideal launchpad for anyone still undecided about where to start.
July 25, 2025
Interesting read for people who struggle with spiritual beliefs according to earning money. It certainly helped me clarify some mental models which aren’t optimal in today day and age.
Thanks Dan and be well my friend!!!
Thanks Dan and be well my friend!!!
March 26, 2025
pretty good
April 7, 2025
Dan's outlook on differentiating yourself is sound and exciting to think about. It makes you think outside the box when it comes to solving problems -> earning money.
May 4, 2025
เป็นหนังสือที่ให้ความรู้เกี่ยวกับ Purpose และ Profit ตามชื่อเลยครับ
May 19, 2025
I'm sure I'll come back and give it five stars, but I'll do that when I get paid by my first client. This is how confident I am that it will hapen.
May 22, 2025
a gold-mine of insights and wisdom on taking the unconventional path...
June 27, 2025
Loved the way Dan Koe connects purpose and money together. It's a must twice or thrice read book. Yes, it's futuristic.
July 13, 2025
Amazing. Eye opening.
July 31, 2025
lol i learnt how to write more than anything else
August 17, 2025
Deep and heady stuff but really insightful
August 26, 2025
Eye-opening. My most valuable read this year.
September 2, 2025
Very good
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews