Jim Collins' Built to Last is widely praised for its deep insights into the principles that make visionary companies successful over the long term. Readers appreciate the extensive research and practical applications. However, some criticize its focus on large, established firms, arguing it may not be as relevant for startups or smaller businesses.

Readers who would enjoy Built to Last by Jim Collins are business enthusiasts and leaders eager to understand the principles behind enduringly successful companies. Similar to fans of Good to Great and The Innovator's Dilemma, they appreciate data-driven insights and strategic methodologies for building visionary organizations.

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras is a nonfiction analysis of what defines visionary companies, based on a six-year research project. The authors identify key characteristics of such companies, including core ideology, maintaining consistent core values, fostering experimentation, and promoting internal leadership development. Collating historical data from surveys of Fortune 500 and Inc 500 CEOs, they pair 18 visionary companies with similar firms for comparison, highlighting how visionary companies integrate dualities like idealism and profit, and short- and long-term goals while preserving their core ideologies and striving for continual progress.

Informative / Inspirational / Challenging / Hopeful

- Built to Last is co-authored by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras, both of whom are professors known for their work in business and management theory.
- The book presents a meticulous research approach, analyzing 18 successful companies over a six-year project to understand what makes them enduringly great.
- First published in 1994, Built to Last has become a classic in business literature, remaining influential in discussions about what makes visionary companies thrive over the long term.

**Jim Collins**

A prominent management scholar and author, known for his extensive research and writings, particularly "Built to Last" and "Good to Great." He left academia to establish a management laboratory focused on research.

**Jerry Porras**

An esteemed academic and author, recognized for his contributions to management studies, who collaborated with Jim Collins on the book "Built to Last." He served as a tenured professor at Stanford University.

**Tom Peters and Robert Waterman**

Initiators of a research project at McKinsey & Co., which evolved into the influential work "In Search of Excellence," encountered by Jim Collins early in his career.

**William McKnight**

A standout CEO of 3M identified as a "clock builder," pivotal in shaping 3M's approach to innovation and management.

**William Allen**

Boeing's Chairman who championed the development of the 747, embodying the commitment to huge challenges and risks.

**David Rockefeller**

An influential leader at Chase Manhattan, illustrating challenges associated with suppressing evolutionary progress after his departure.

**James Stillman**

A visionary leader at Citicorp who transformed it into a national bank and exemplified the "clock building" mentality.

**Thomas Edison**

Founder of General Electric, representing innovation and setting the stage for the company's lasting legacy.

**Sam Walton**

Founder of Wal-Mart recognized as both a visionary and a superb clock builder, instrumental in developing the company's core ideology and practices.

**Harry Cohn**

Founder of Columbia Pictures, whose profit-driven motives led to challenges and eventual sale after his death.

Jim Collins

Adult

Book

Good to Great

Nonfiction

Guide

Study Guide

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore Built to Last and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

Built to Last Summary and Study Guide

Background

Built to Last Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Chapter 2

Built to Last Introduction-Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Interlude-Chapter 4

Built to Last Interlude-Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 5-6

Built to Last Chapters 5-6 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 7-8

Built to Last Chapters 7-8 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 9-10

Built to Last Chapters 9-10 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 11-Epilogue

Built to Last Chapter 11-Epilogue Summary & Analysis

keyFigure

Key Figures

Built to Last Key Figures

theme

Themes

Built to Last Themes

Index of Terms

Built to Last Index of Terms

quote

citation

character

Important Quotes

Built to Last Important Quotes

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

Built to Last Essay Topics

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Before You Read

Reviews & Readership

Review Roundup

Who Should Read Built to Last?

Reading Age

Book Details