Released Monday, February 2, 2026
Rule No. 15 — Work on your business, not just in it.
Rule No. 15 summary: Most entrepreneurs don’t build businesses—they build traps. They start with a skill, launch into doing the work, and before long, they’re drowning in tasks, chained to the very thing they thought would give them freedom.
Rule No.15 draws a hard line: if you’re always working in your business, it will never grow beyond you. But if you step back, systematize, and lead strategically, you can build something that runs without your constant presence. This isn’t about working less—it’s about working on what matters most.
Successful businesses aren’t built by overworked operators—they’re built by owners who step back, see the big picture, and design systems that scale.
This rule is a wake-up call: if you’re stuck doing all the work yourself, you’re not building a business—you’ve only bought yourself a job.
Working on the business means shifting from technician to architect, from doing the tasks to designing the machine that gets them done.
Why? So that you build systems, not a self-employed prison.
WEEK 5 Ask Yourself —
What’s the one improvement that would make your work easier next month?
WEEK 5 Recommended Reading —
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
“The problem is not that people fail to work hard enough. The problem is that they work hard at the wrong things.” — Michael Gerber
WEEK 5 Action Step —
Block two hours this week for strategic planning, not daily operations.
Full Access to Rule No. 15
- The E-Myth Revisited Summary
- Key Executive Takeaways
- Leadership Team Discussion Prompts
- Rules to Results 45min Workshop
- Red Flags
- Actionable Strategies
- Real World Scenarios
- Member Insights
- + more
This Rule isn’t finished—and it never will be. Business changes, leaders learn, and our Members keep sharpening the edges with real stories and hard-won lessons.
What you see here is today’s version. Tomorrow’s will be better, clearer, and backed by even more field-tested experience.
May 23, 2017
Michael E. Gerber, was named the World’s Number One Small Business Guru by Inc. Magazine, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from National Academy of Bestselling Authors, 2010. He was our Marketing Summit key-note speaker and is the best selling author of “The E-Myth – Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do about it”. Watch his key-note presentation now and begin to work ON your business instead of working in your business.
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Congratulations—you’ve laid the groundwork!
By studying these first five Rules, you’ve done more than just begin—you’ve made a commitment to build something that lasts. Foundations aren’t flashy, but they are everything. The strongest companies, teams, and leaders return to these principles often, especially when the path gets unclear.
When you’re ready, Chapter 2 is waiting.
In it, we shift from groundwork tomomentum—taking what you’ve built and turning it into traction. We’ll cover the Rules that drive action, consistency, and early growth—the habits that separate those who stall from those who scale.