The Sweaty Startup

How to Get Rich Doing Boring Things

By: Nick Huber

Narrated by: Nick Huber

Filled with common sense and practical, actionable, advice, Nick Huber’s book reveals that you don’t have to be a genius with a world-changing idea to build a business empire and become a multi-millionaire.

Business media, television and movies, and top college courses all tell entrepreneurs the same thing: To succeed in business, you need to have a revolutionary idea. To them, success is about changing the world through constant innovation. But the truth is, 99.999 percent of businesses that pursue this strategy will fail.

In The Sweaty Startup, Nick Huber shows us that you don’t need a ton of money, a brilliant new idea, complex technology, or extreme scale to succeed. There is another way to do business and find success by keeping things simple. Nick encourages listeners to pursue opportunities with good odds, low risk, and moderate rewards that will set you up for a successful life, not just a successful business. Forget about mastering your craft, Huber advises. Focus on mastering sales, hiring, and delegation instead. It’s not about doing what you love or pursuing your passion. It’s about following the path of least resistance and executing on a proven idea in a proven market to win.

Bringing together the stories of dozens of successful businesses, including his own, Huber reveals an accessible but often-overlooked path to wealth and a life well-lived. To Nick, entrepreneurship isn’t about trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s not about new ideas, raising venture capital funding, or going on Shark Tank. Instead, it’s about doing common things uncommonly well. The Sweaty Startup is a refreshing and straightforward road map outlining his philosophy for a new generation of entrepreneurs.

©2025 Nick Huber (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Motivation

Good book that inspired me to get after it and break my golden handcuffs.

Get Sweaty!

I really enjoyed the no-nonsense, practical advice in this book. Nick’s story is a prime example that success in business isn’t always sexy—but it is almost always sweaty. The Sweaty Startup cuts through the startup hype and shows how “unsexy” service businesses can create real wealth and freedom. Nick offers a clear blueprint for identifying opportunities, standing out with great customer service, and scaling through grit, systems, and smart delegation. It’s perfect for anyone stuck in overthinking or analysis paralysis and is ready to stop dreaming and start doing.

Must Read for ALL Prospective College-Bound Kids (& Parents)

I've followed Nick on X for some time now. Simple, honest & unfiltered advice & commentary. Did not disappoint!

Wish i read when i was 19

After wasting years trying to build the next tech startup, i should have just read this! Would be millions richer

Clear concept executed well

I love contrarian points of view and this book is exceptional in that it goes against the grain from most books on startup. It argues a clear case that you can make good money from starting a company that’s a little on the basic side (not a unicorn startup) and doing things better than other people.

You could say the book itself is its own use case. There are plenty of other startup books out there, but this one does everything a little better and more authentically.

Great overview of entrepreneurship

Thanks Nick. Shared a lot of great ideas, an overview of entrepreneurship, and leadership. Great for someone trying to get started on this path.

Great Foundational Book

I have followed Nick for several years after hearing him on the My First Million podcast. Nick does a great job of telling his story and focusing on the fact that you don’t need an exciting new idea to make money. You just need to execute and offer a better experience than your competition. Nick is brutally honest which I appreciate. This is the perfect book for someone wanting start their own business or side hustle. He confirms the get started and figure out mindset that works 99% of the time. Give it a listen!

fantastic business book best I've ever read

I like how it was short but packed with insight. There was no nonsense and the author has good values and mental toughness. I feel like I am on Lv 0 and there is so much I could implement, but it's empowering. excellent job Nick.

Clear and Actionable

I picked this book up recently and now have the audible version and hard cover. I follow Nick on all his platforms and heard several business insights and details about Nicks journey he had never revealed before.

Nick gets straight to the point and gives clear and actionable insight all throughout. I have found that the advice and info given in this book IS NOT what I WISH to be true but as Nick lays it on the table it becomes clear and obvious. Swallowing the truth is the hardest part for me.

I am trudging along with my own small lawn care and landscaping business and strive to act on these truths without emotion and fear. I am more risk-averse than the path Nick’s business life has taken but I know I can still implement these strategies and truths to move the needle up for my sweaty startup.

I hate this guy with a passion but it’s a great book.

I blocked this guy on Twitter years ago, he tweets like a real a-hole. This book is fantastic. Just ordered the hard-cover version after finishing the audio book.