The Zigzag Principle ─ The Goal-Setting Strategy That Will Revolutionize Your Business And Your Life

Zigzag Your Way to Success!

Have you ever set your sights on the top of a mountain and then started your ascent by heading straight through the trees and up the sheer cliffs? Or driven in your car to the other side of town—as the crow flies? Of course not! Because you instinctively know that, just as a river has to wend its way around obstacles, the best route is never actually a straight line!

In The Zigzag Principle, Rich Christiansen applies a foundational law of nature to business management, entrepreneurship, goal-setting, and life in general as he explores why zigzagging toward our intended outcomes is more effective than trying to bulldoze our way through whatever stands between us and our objectives.

Christiansen helps you get started, make your way over the big hill to initial profitability, and minimize risks along the way. A s the head of well-established corporations and as the brains behind numerous start-ups, Christiansen has been through it all, and he’s charted all the zigs and zags you’ll encounter. In The Zigzag Principle, he documents everything he has learned, including how to:

Identify your destination
Create a defined set of values to help you as your business finds its way
Add resources and hire the right people, as you turn the cash you have into fuel for more
Replicate your successes to bring your product to the masses
Protect your resources, your family, and your sanity
The simplicity of a straight line can be seductive. But it’s not a realistic way to go about achieving your goals, because you will always come upon unexpected obstacles in the road. Zigzagging requires you to be nimble and flexible, to “bootstrap,” and to be able to take advantage of multiple opportunities. What it delivers is success—in business and in life—far beyond your initial plans and dreams.

Use The Zigzag Principle to assess your resources, use them to their fullest, and keep yourself and your team motivated—all while living a life of balance.

Praise for The Zigzag Principle

“Rock-solid principles so simple that you will read this book wondering how you could have missed seeing truths that are so obvious.”
—Stephen R. Covey, bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“Our economy will be saved and grow again through the industry of focused entrepreneurs who will hire thousands of employees to meet the needs of customers. This thoughtful and inspired book will guide creative and energized business men and women to accomplish their loftiest dreams and restore America’s prosperity once again.”
—Alan E. Hall, entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist, cofounder of Mercato Partners

“The Zigzag Principle is the new way of doing business. It will increase your chances of success by 90 percent and eliminate so much of the stress that business owners face.”
—Garrett Gunderson, New York Times bestselling author of Killing Sacred Cows

“The Zigzag Principle has revolutionized the way I run my business. It works, it measures, it performs. Every business should know and implement this principle!”
—Curtis Blair, cofounder and general manager, Froghair

“Rich Christiansen is one of the most insightful, practical, and cost-conscious entrepreneurs in the world today. Listen to Rich. He won’t steer you wrong.”
—Roy H. Williams, author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling Wizard of Ads trilogy

”I don't believe entrepreneurship is something you can truly learn from a book. Everyone has to make their own mistakes. Nevertheless, if you've already made some mistakes then you'll find The Zig Zag Principle to be a no b.s. guide to starting, nurturing and succeeding at entrepreneurship.”
—Jeffrey Eisenberg, author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal marketing bestsellers Call to Action and Waiting For Your Cat To Bark?

“Entrepreneurs, you need not fear failure anymore! With The Zigzag Principle in hand, you will have all the tools you need to increase your probability of success the instant you apply the concepts in this book.”
—Rick Sapio, founder and CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance, Inc, Dallas, Texas

“The Zigzag Principle isn’t feel-good fluff—it is a logical and practical formula that you can put your hands on, and it will increase the rate of success of any business you apply it to.”
—Moe Abdou, Principal and founder, 33 Voices

“The Zigzag Principle is more powerful than the ‘release and iterate’ mentality which is so prevalent today. I have adjusted my planning to incorporate this principle in our product launches. Properly executed, The Zigzag Principl will keep folks like me out of financial hot water.”
—David McInnis, founder of PRWeb.com and founder and CEO of Cranberry LLC, Venture Partners

“Most entrepreneurs find it complicated and difficult to build their businesses. Rich has done a masterful job with The Zigzag Principle to make complex things simple and the difficult easy—and it works! It will help you get where you want to be with more confidence and certainty.”
—Murray Smith, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Answer and CEO of MainStreetMentor.com

“Whether you are a parent, an entrepreneur, a factory worker, or a middle manger, The Zigzag Principle will provide you with a framework and a formula that will empower you to make changes in your world you had never felt were possible.”
—Joseph Grenny, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

"The Zigzag Principle delivers the epiphany of the decade for business owners. These strategies are non-intuitive, but proven to be solid and dependable, which is why this is such an important work. Not only will you profit faster than you thought possible, you'll also enjoy greater balance and fulfillment in the process."
—Leslie Householder, Award-winning bestselling author of The Jackrabbit Factor: Portal to Genius

Rich Christiansen spent the first half of his career as an executive, running the PC division of Mitsubishi Electronics, working at vell, and becoming general manager of About.com. Today, he is in high demand as a mentor and small business consultant. Christiansen is coauthor of Bootstrap Business: A Step-by-Step Business Survival Guide.