Chapter 1 – Boring but necessary.  In the first chapter, Jim Collins explains that he did the research because someone asked him a question he didn’t know the answer to. He describes his team that worked on the book and how many years it took them to complete their study.

Since Circuit City is now out of business, I have to chuckle whenever I hear him talk about Circuit City. Of local interest, he talks about Nucor and Bethlehem Steel. He takes us on a historic tour of Bethlehem Steel, and even discusses Nucor’s role in the demise of Bethlehem Steel.

Collins approached this study by comparing good companies that grew to great companies with good companies that remained flat or went out of business. What did you think about Chapter 1?