The Little Book of Portfolio Management
The Little Book of Portfolio Management
A Guide for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
About the Book
Are you drowning in ideas, stuck in reactive mode, or overwhelmed by competing priorities? You’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong. In fast-moving, resource-constrained businesses, it’s easy to fall into chaos. The Little Book of Portfolio Management was written for people like you: entrepreneurs, solo founders, and small business leaders who need to make smarter choices without slowing down. This book strips away the jargon and gives you a simple, practical system for managing your time, energy, and bets—so you can do more of what matters and less of what doesn’t.
This is a book about clarity, focus, and momentum. It’s not a theory. It’s a toolkit. You’ll find real-world examples, visual frameworks, and lightweight routines you can implement immediately—no consultants required. If you’re tired of being busy without progress, this little book might be the most strategic move you make all year. Start where you are. Use what you have. Let’s turn your chaos into clarity—one decision at a time.
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Chapter 1
- Rethinking Portfolio Management: Why Small Businesses Need It Most
- The Problems Are the Same—Only Smaller, and Sharper
- Why Portfolio Thinking Matters for Small Teams
- Why “Build It and They Will Come” Doesn’t Work
- Lean Portfolio Management: A Better Way to Decide
- You’re Not Too Small—You’re Too Busy Not to Use This
- What This Book Will Help You Do
- From the Field: The Side Project Spiral
- Chapter 2
- Visualizing and Organizing Your Work
- Why Visibility Comes First
- What Belongs in Your Portfolio?
- Tools to Visualize Your Work
- Don’t Let It Become “Work Soup”
- Organize for Flow, Not Just Storage
- Tie It Back to Strategy
- Think of Work as Bets, Not Tasks
- From the Field: The “Sticky Note Wall That Saved My Sanity”
- Chapter 3
- Connect What You’re Doing to Why You’re Doing It
- Why Strategy Matters—Even When You’re Small
- What Strategy Looks Like for a Small Business
- Link Portfolio Items to Strategic Goals
- Use Strategy to Guide Experiments
- Spot Misalignment Early
- Lightweight Tools for Staying Aligned
- Strategy Is a Feedback Loop
- From the Field: The “Momentum Mirage”
- Chapter 4
- Sequence Initiatives Based on Value, Not Urgency
- The Tyranny of the Urgent
- What Does “Value” Actually Mean?
- A Simple Prioritization Filter
- Lightweight Prioritization Techniques
- Prioritization Is a Practice, Not a Plan
- Saying No (or Not Yet)
- Sequence for Flow and Learning
- From the Field: “The Tuesday Morning Shuffle”
- Chapter 5
- Build a Rhythm That’s Sustainable for the Long Haul
- Why Rhythm Matters More Than Hustle
- Think in Cadences, Not Cycles
- Portfolio Rituals (That Don’t Feel Like Meetings)
- Balance Stability and Agility
- Make the Portfolio Visible and Shared
- Avoid Burnout by Managing Capacity, Not Just Tasks
- Evolve Your Rhythm as You Grow
- From the Field: “The Rhythm That Rescued My Sanity”
- Conclusion
- Start Where You Are
- A Quick Recap
- What Happens Next
- You’ve Got This
- Thank You
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