The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch: The Lazy Genius Guide to Doing Less & Winning More

You ever spend hours replying to emails, organizing your sock drawer, and "optimizing" your to-do list—only to realize you’ve accomplished, well... almost nothing? 😅 Yeah, we’ve been there. But The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch just might be the productivity truth bomb you didn’t know you needed.

In a world where tech layoffs are still looming large​, people are side-hustling like it's an Olympic sport, and the average person spends over 2.5 hours per day doomscrolling (hi, HuffPost stats!), we figured it’s the perfect time to hit pause and ask: Are we doing too much of the wrong stuff?

This book says yes. Emphatically. And mathematically. 📉

The 80/20 Principle teaches that 80% of our results come from just 20% of our efforts. In other words, most of us are spinning our wheels doing things that don’t matter—and if we just focused on the right 20%, we’d unlock success, time, joy, AND space for that midday nap. 😴

It’s not just a book—it’s a minimalist’s manifesto, a businessperson’s bible, and a creative’s cheat code all rolled into one. And the best part? It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing less, but smarter.

Think of it as your permission slip to unsubscribe, log off, and stop forcing productivity through sheer hustle. (We see you, LinkedIn overachievers 👀)

Because we’re still seeing articles like “Why Americans Are More Burned Out Than Ever” trending this week, and guess what? Most people don’t realize that rest is strategic, not lazy. Koch’s principle isn’t just about business—it’s about life. It’s about focusing on what actually matters: the few tasks, relationships, and habits that deliver real impact.

This episode is for you if:
✨ You’re juggling 14 open browser tabs and don’t know why.
✨ You’re trying to grow a side hustle, write a novel, meal prep, and meditate... all before 10 a.m.
✨ You want to reclaim your time and energy—and maybe delete one (or five) apps.

Richard Koch is a former management consultant turned venture capitalist, turned lifestyle design guru. Basically, he’s the guy who took one look at corporate life and said, “There’s gotta be a better way”—then found it, wrote about it, and got rich in the process (without working 100-hour weeks, mind you).

He’s helped companies grow, but more importantly, he’s helped people stop trying to do everything—and start doing what works.

✨ Fun Fact ✨

Koch lives in multiple countries (France, Portugal, South Africa) and runs his businesses from a laptop, all while golfing and chilling poolside. Because if you’re going to preach 80/20, you better live it. ☀️🏌️‍♂️

🎙️Listen to whttr on

📚Purchase ________ on Amazon

⁠🎧Listen to the audiobook on Audible

_{Stay Connected}

Whttries, you don’t need more hours in the day. You just need better hours. Prioritize your 20%—and maybe, finally, read that book you’ve been putting off (or just let us summarize it 😎).

See you Tuesday for another mind-tingling deep dive.
Stay focused, stay chill, and as always...
📖 who has time to read? We do. Together.

The WHTTR Crew

Disclaimer: Some links contain affiliate links, meaning whttr will earn a small commission when you purchase through our link at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.