Vusi: Business & life lessons from a black dragon

by Vusi Thembekwayo

‘I have learned the truth about the that it isn’t as round as a tennis ball, and it isn’t shaped like itself. It is shaped the way we shape it, according to the way we see it, the way we mould it to our ambitions and our destiny. I know the colour of who I am. I am a black man, running for my life, for my freedom, for opportunity born from struggle, possibility born from sacrifice. And I am running too, for my father, who never became what he hoped to be, and who never got to see what his children would one day become.’ Maverick. Leadership genius. Self-made millionaire. Dragon. The rock star of public speaking. Vusi Thembekwayo has been called many things. Join him in his inspiring journey from the township to the top echelons of South African business, to becoming one of youngest directors of a listed company and CEO of a boutique investment firm. As a 'Dragons' Den' judge and a sought-after public speaker across the globe, Vusi doesn't just talk business – he lives it. Now you can learn the secret of his success and how to shape your own destiny.

Genres: Business

100 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2018

Reviews

[Olebile · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few gaps in this book. The gap from being in high school, to being a big time only black sales person. The book romanticizes finally making it big and lacks to share the transition that took place to get there. The harsh realities of being a poor black man without connections trying to make it as a venture capitalist. A passage about living in one's car does not necessarily cover the full depth of the struggle, the book could've done more. Shared more. If you don't follow him in the media the book does not offer much.

I will note that I did gain something about the importance of how much of an impact a strong sense of self is required if you want to make it anywhere. A strong belief in one's own dreams and abilities.

It's a thin line between self grandiose and a strong sense of self, I choose the latter. The book has a certain authenticity about it that makes me believe in the latter.

[Lebohang Storom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vusi normally speaks as a black South African devoid of socio-political sensitivities and awareness...and now he writes like one. Firstly, the book contains sound bites from some of his interviews...therefore offering up almost nothing new. Secondly, the book is devoid of introspect, reasoning and critical thinking (a process which one expects to take place naturally when a writer writes a book of this nature).

This is a book that will resonate very well with white South Africans who continue to believe that getting out of poverty remains a linear function of effort. Those that believe that all things “self made” are attributable only to effort and character! 🤣

A shockingly under-cooked book, full of self-grandeur and lacking anything of substance. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME or money! The cover looks great...may make for a good paper weight. 🙃

[M. R Phora · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Funding entrepreneurship in South Africa isn't the problem. There is plenty of venture capital to go around. The problem is finding people who are worthy of funding, and the problem inside the problem is structural one: we need to go where the entrepreneurs are, not where we are."

- The Black Dragon

[Sibongile Thwala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am inspired to work even harder to be part of the A-Team. While well aware of the challenges people face in the South African context, he accepts no excuses because sheer hard work has got him where he is. He uses simple but powerful anecdotes and I'm still thinking about the lesson of how money works.

Vusi writes so beautifully and poetically I think he would even be good at fiction. I would read anything he writes. This book is too thin.

[Joseph Rwabose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story this was. I loved the way Vusi shared different aspects of his life, from stories of Father's entrepreneurial spirit to his years as a young 17 year old eloquent speaker in South Africa.

My favourite was his narration of "the barbarians at the gates" in business, how BlackBerry lost it to iPhone etc. Having listened to Vusi for some years now, I wished this was narrated himself in his commanding voice.

[Mwansa Faith Chambalile · Rating 3 out of 5]

My take away notes

1. Usain Bolt wins because he couldn’t picture himself not winning.
2. Because you are black doesn’t mean you blame someone for your disadvantages.
3. It’s not what you drive that matters it is drives you .
4. Fail again , fail better -Samuel Beckett
5. Thomas Alva Edison found 10,000 times of failing better.
6. Hope works harder than a dream
7. Promoter scale - A scale people recommend your product or services to other.
8. It is not land that matters in This error it is the landscape of your mind in which you plant ideas, and upon which you build the property of your intellectual capital that counts most today.
9. The horse, when the motor car was invented, was suddenly just a horse without a cart, it needed to find a new reason to be.
10. if you grew up in a small town, you are like a fish in a fish bowl. The fish doesn’t know it’s in the fishbowl. It doesn’t know that it belongs in the ocean that’s small-town thinking it stays with you for life.
11. And when it comes to leadership, silence can be a form of power.
12. Always show up with your A game be strong , be resourceful, Be bold, be creative and a little bit crazy.
13. Money is a fleeting gift. If you spend it it’s as if you never had it.
14. The greatest way we can measure our success is not by how many successes we create, but how many failures we leave behind and can go back to succeed with. We need to go back where we are from and plant new roots.
15. Always ensure that you watch your business and how it’s evolving with time how it needs to change and the need for it to change in particular situation. A great example is Netflix, which started out modeled on logistic and distribution, but now into data and analytics.
16. To stay the same in the world, that keep changing is inviting the future to leave you behind.
17. In modern age, it is not merely enough to change. One must transform.

[Dorcus Sithole _ Chronicles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a while back “before my bookstagram” and I must say my approach towards this one was way-off, clearly one “mustn’t judge a book by it’s cover” 😆

Here am I thinking this is gonna be a grave one! In a sense that even “the life lessons” would be more about business inclusive of the business itself. Even though there were a lot of take-aways from this book, laughter was the order of the day.

Vusi Thembekwayo penned such a heartwarming book filled with beautiful memories and of cause inevitably so… it also presented us with sadness; The tragic of losing his father so suddenly who was not only loved by his family but by the community as well, his passing was puzzling. And the difficulties thereafter…
Despite all his challenges in life.. in the end grace rained supreme, his focus and determination paid-off.

I really enjoyed how he narrated life ekasi and about u-Mma wakhe, And the flair in his writing style was gripping.

[Kristina Mimam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vusi is one business man I absolutely love!!! That's the primary reason I started his book. I love the fact that we agree on a lot of things, one being that: NO ONE OWES YOU ANYTHING.

However, the book is difficult to read, I was able to read it because I admire the author and since he was discussing ideologies I agreed with, I could see the literary ride to the last bus stop.

I won't recommend this read to anyone. Don't get me wrong, I utterly admire Vusi but this book could have easily been a podcast not a book.

He's the best at what he does, I mean he's the BLACK DRAGON of the venture capitalist world and a first class orator. It's rather sad I'd have to rate the book a 3/5.

[Gareth September · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really appreciated the view into the "origin story" of Vusi Thembewayo. In the book he shares the lessons and values that have helped to shape the dragon through vivid language and good story telling. A touching message at the end. Worth a read if you're following everything that Vusi Thembekwayo is doing for entrepreneurs and the content of Africa.

[Arthur Charlez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how open Vusi’s mind is to the world around him. How articulate he is about it and that he is passionate about sharing himself with what can be thought of as the next generation.
I just wish he read it himself.

[Yacoub Hachine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story by one of the few African intellectuals, thoroughly enjoyed reading it. As a fellow African it is really motivating that a fellow African inspite of the ods being favored against us, we can achieve our dreams even when we are the first one to do it in our family.

[~Kamo~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

No doubt the advise is of a dragon that see's all from the skies yet his bombastic words don't include everyone. Besides I agree that we can learn much from his book but he shows off with too much bombastic.

[Gabriel Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book which offers some
Good advice throughout. I will definitely revisit in the future.

[Kelvin Muoria]

Good book

[Saff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the memories and stories in this book. It's a quick read and there are some interesting perspectives particularly about BEE.

[Michael Mpundu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vusi has said it as it is, No Excuse! The idea of thinking small shouldn't be an idea at all. Great read.

[Michael Mwando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[Mogau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took a lot of life lessons from this. Also for someone whos been criticized for being whitewashed and forsaking his roots, it helped me understand him better. I love how he talks about being black, and not letting ones mere skin color define their identity. I also love the lessons he learnt from this father about fighting through the pain.

[Tokelo Hlagala · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book which narrates a bit about the life of the young Vusi from a Township in Gauteng and how he was able to defy some of the odds that are quiet often stacked against people of color in South Africa, he narrates some of the things that i as a young black person in South Africa can relate to, about the negative role models that we model in our townships, he writes about how that influences the paths we end up taking, he writes about the enslavement of our minds, and how we must break those barriers and challenge the status quo.