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What Am I Reading: Paul Nulty

STIR looks into the reading habits of leading creatives – award-winning lighting designer Paul Nulty peruses Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff Allende, amid global lockdown.

by STIRworldPublished on : May 11, 2020

What is the name of the book?

Paul Nulty (PN): Be More Pirate.

Who is the author?

PN: Sam Conniff Allende.

What is the genre?

PN: Non-fiction – health and lifestyle / careers.

Why this book - could you please highlight its most notable aspects

PN: I have been meaning to read this book for a while but it felt particularly right to pick it up now - we are living in such a stressful time where we all need a little bit of escapism, but also time to take stock of where we are and how we move forward, once this pandemic is over. This book is perfect because it’s lighthearted but thought provoking. It applies the golden age of pirates to the current business landscape, and looks at what we can learn from their history and code of behaviour. It completely dispels the myths that we carry and love about pirates, and instead, shines a light on their ground-breaking principles, such as compensation for injuries and fair pay and votes for all, regardless of demographic. 

Front cover of Be More Pirate, written by Sam Conniff Allende | What Am I Reading: Paul Nulty | STIRworld
The cover of Be More Pirate, written by Sam Conniff Allende Image Credit: Paul Nulty

Did you get any significant insights? Did you gain knowledge or did it help you unwind?

PN: By putting the pirate culture under the microscope, the author shows us how businesses can learn from their ‘good trouble’ mindset, as this became a catalyst for change and allowed them to be disruptive. We have always adopted this approach at Nulty, to do things differently and make waves in our industry in a positive way.

The premise of the book is particularly relatable right now as we contemplate a post COVID-19 world and look to steer our business through the choppy waters that this uncertainty has brought. It’s time for us all to think laterally, so there’s a lot that we can learn from Allende’s insights – particularly in the design industry. You don’t learn the art of business at design school so it’s important for design practices to take a breath right now and think about how their business is evolving and what we can learn from other walks of life.

Be More Pirate reviews the golden age of pirates, their history and code of behaviour and applies it to the current business landscape | What Am I Reading: Paul Nulty | STIRworld
Be More Pirate reviews the golden age of pirates, their history and code of behaviour and applies it to the current business landscape Image Credit: Paul Nulty

Is there any one thing that you would take home from the read?

PN: The important messages that I took away from this book are having the confidence to do things differently, the significance of teamwork, the need to embrace new technology, and finally the importance of the millennial mindset as we move into a new world order. 

What is your favourite quote from the book? Why?

PN: It has to be this one - "Being unconstrained by the way things should be, allowed the pirates to experiment with the way things could be.’

Paul Nulty engaged in Be More Pirate, which demonstrates that the traditional business model is becoming redundant in these times | What Am I Reading: Paul Nulty | STIRworld
Paul Nulty engaged in Be More Pirate, which demonstrates that the traditional business model is becoming redundant in these times Image Credit: Paul Nulty

When do you read?

PN: I read a lot, particularly management books and anything that describes how to adopt a mindset of growth. In our busy lives we don’t place enough emphasis on reading, but it is essential. We need time to stop and think, learn from others and find ways to challenge notions of normality, to encourage innovation.

What is your take on the book and one reason why you would recommend it?

PN: I would recommend this book as a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek read that explores evolving business practices in an engaging way. It demonstrates how the traditional way of doing business is dying, and shows us that there is a lot we can learn from the past.

Look up more such interesting reads from the series ‘What Am I Reading’ and watch out for more.

What do you think?

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