Built to Sell: The Book Every Business Owner Should’ve Read Yesterday

Still the MVP of your own business? Yeah, that’s a problem.

If your company falls apart the moment you step away, you don’t own a business—you own a job with extra stress and no PTO.

Built to Sell by John Warrillow is the guide every founder needs if they ever want to scale, exit, or just take a real vacation without checking Slack every 12 minutes.

In this guide, we break down why this book hits different, what it teaches about building a company that runs without you, and how to apply its biggest takeaways whether you plan to sell or just want to sleep better at night.

Let’s get into it.

👋 Why This Book Matters

If you’re the glue holding everything together, congrats you’ve built something impressive.

But also… yikes.

Built to Sell isn’t just about flipping your company for millions. It’s about creating a business that doesn’t fall apart the second you step away.

This book is your blueprint for building systems, hiring smarter, and getting out of the weeds so your business can grow (or even sell) without being chained to your calendar.

Who It’s For

• Founders who want to stop being the bottleneck

• Business owners thinking about an exit (or just some breathing room)

• Service-based businesses stuck in “custom-everything” mode

• Anyone who’s ever said, “I need to hire help… but no one can do it like me.”

3 Big Takeaways

1. If everything is custom, nothing is scalable.

Warrillow’s biggest message? Productize. You can’t sell (or scale) a business that reinvents the wheel for every client.

👉 Start by packaging your services into a repeatable, teachable process—then build your team around that.

2. You need systems, not superheroes.

If your business runs on “just let me handle it,” you’ve already hit a ceiling.

Great businesses run on clear systems that anyone on the team can follow.

👉 The less you’re needed, the more valuable your business becomes.

3. Your goal isn’t just to grow—it’s to make your business transferable.

You might not want to sell today, but future-you might. A transferable business is one that’s well-documented, well-staffed, and doesn’t depend on your personal magic.

👉 Even if you never sell, building a sellable company gives you options.

Our Take:

This isn’t a hype-y, hustle-y business book.

It’s clarity.

Whether you’re tired of being the linchpin or just want to work on—not in—your business, Built to Sell is the blueprint.

The best time to read it? Yesterday.

The second best? Right now.