Start at the End: How Reverse-Engineering Can Lead to Success

by Dan Bigham

An inspiring and thought-provoking new book that explains the power of applying reverse-engineering to all areas of your life, from a cycling champion who has proven its success. Dan Bigham is the captain of an amateur British track cycling team who rose from obscurity to beat professional, multi-million-pound teams at the highest level. Alongside hard work and dedication, Dan credits his success to one thing: reverse-engineering the result. In Start at the End , Dan uses his own story as well as wider examples and case studies from the worlds of business, personal development and other sports to demonstrate how this approach can help you succeed in any walk of life. Following each stage of the process, from setting goals and assessing your tools to developing the plan and delivering optimum performance, this book will fully explain how to set out and enact the system. A revolutionary new look at a powerful age-old wisdom, Start at the End is a fascinating exploration of how we can achieve success and proof that no goal is impossible. ***
' Start at the End isn't just a great story, but a really nice reminder of how to approach performance forensically, intelligently and purposefully – and that these lessons don't just belong in cycling but in all areas of high performance' Dr Josie Perry 'Phenomenal ... Absolutely fascinating ... Incredible stuff, really clever' Stephen Dixon, Sky News

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Science, Cycling

Paperback

Published March 31, 2022

Reviews

[Rauno Villberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a big self-help book guy, but I wanted to read this since I've enjoyed following Dan Bigham's aero-optimization journey, truly starting with the hour record journey - and this book is from the times before that, so I learned a lot about what he went through and how they managed to do awesome things on the track with a very limited budget but a great mindset.
So yeah, it's inspirational, but there's likely not going to be anything mindblowing here in the "self-help" bits. But hey, I came here for the cycling and I got that!

[Cian Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, mainly because I am interested in the area of coaching and about how to go about getting results a different way.

In Ireland, our national sports are called Gaelic Football and Hurling. These range from top, top amateur level to extremely low amateur level. I fall on the latter side of the amateur level.

Our coaches are extremely one dimensional and seem to all have spawned from the same angry workshop. I want to study coaching and how to engineer results from a team that are a bit downtrodden or disillusioned. Dan Bigham’s book does just that. Even if his method of reverse-engineering doesn’t work for me, the book is still a very interesting read and has given me a newfound appreciation for cycling and the sacrifices these athletes make.

[Steve Croft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and an easy read. Its a mixture of self help/business/fitness/life story but essentially a really interesting story about how a bunch of nobodies decided to take on the English track cycling team by 'not doing things the way they've always been done' and using science backed training principles.

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

No longer successful cyclists are just only focused on physiology, the best time trialists and long distance triathletes are technology nerds. This is the witness of how a good triathlete has become part of the cycling history thanks to his knowledge, cunningness and positive thinking.

It seems to me that his personal story is more gripping than chapters where he explains his method. In that part I would have appreciated more specific data about how much they improved due to what changes, examples. But I understand that it would be tough for the general audience.

To sum up, it is a perfect book for you, who every weekend try to destroy your mates on coffee rides and to compensate your physiological weaknesses with your brain and aero components.

[Anthony T G Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read would have liked to read further thoughts

Excellent read. Would like to see Dan's thoughts on how he developed his own bike adaptations prior to starting the track team and perhaps his predictions on where the next innovation leap will come from

[Tom Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan is one of sport’s great innovators. The book looks at how he reverse engineered success in track cycling but uses examples from across sport to illustrate his ideas. A very inspiring read and a fascinating insight into Dan’s genius.

[Miglė · Rating 2 out of 5]

"think about why something is how it is. and then challenge that thinking"

[Charlie Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for cyclists. A real insight into challenging the system. Those that want to read this might enjoy more technical details!