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1-Page Summary of Be More Pirate
Overview
Much has been made of the turbulent times we live in, but our situation is not unprecedented. In fact, there was a period called the Golden Age of Piracy that lasted from 1690 to 1725. It was characterized by an influx of new technology and political unrest. Many people were anxious about what the future held for them and fed up with corrupt government officials who only cared about their own interests. Sound familiar?
Throughout Europe, there was constant warfare. This caused a lot of injustice and suffering for the working class. Pirates arose from this time period with their own code of conduct that helped them survive in an unfair world.
People often picture pirates as drunken thugs, but they were actually highly skilled sailors who had a well-coordinated network of collaborators. They could outmaneuver and out-strategize the best minds of their time. Not only that but their diverse crews worked in a democratic and progressive system that promoted equality which wouldn’t be seen for hundreds of years to come.
As we read in this book, there are many things to learn from the fascinating true story and strategy of the world’s most successful pirates.
Pirates were among the first to hire people from different races. They also had a great brand and used blockchain technology, which is why they’re an inspiration for today’s businesses. The author created one more point that isn’t in the book, but he’s offering a discount code for it on his website.
Big Idea #1: Despite their pop-culture image, Golden Age pirates were important and innovative historical figures.
Many people have a very negative view of pirates. They think that all pirates are drunken swashbucklers and murderous, scurvy-ridden thugs. However, not all pirates were like this. In fact, many Golden Age pirates fought for justice and fair pay.
Pirates dominated the oceans between 1690 and 1725. During this period, pirates were more successful than they had ever been before. And these men and women were so innovative that they still have plenty to teach us today. Specifically, there are five great attributes of Golden Age pirates that we can learn from.
The first reason is because many pirates were former Royal Navy or Merchant Navy personnel. They had been mistreated by the navy, so they weren’t going to let that happen again on their ships.
In response to the harsh conditions of their time, pirates decided that everyone on board was to get a share of any booty they took. The captain and quartermasters got 3-4 shares each (the highest amount). Doctors and gunners got 2 shares (a medium amount). And the rest of the crew got 1 share each. Today, CEOs make more money than anyone else in a company. Meanwhile, people at progressive companies can earn 10 times less than CEOs do. However, this is better than what we see today where some CEOs make 384 times as much as other employees do.
The life of a pirate was very different from the life of a navy sailor in many ways. For one, pirates were paid more than sailors. They also had more power and freedom to express themselves. Navy sailors weren’t only underpaid; they also had to put up with the oppressively dictatorial ways of their commanders. So pirates decided that they needed a system where officers would be held accountable for making sure everyone was happy and well-treated. This led them to create an early form of democracy where captains still handled strategy, but quartermasters made sure everything ran smoothly on board ship by addressing disputes between crew members and keeping everyone happy and satisfied with their jobs.
