In 2017, Sam Jacobs was fired for the third time, but this time, he swore it would be the start of a new chapter. His commitment wasn’t hollow and just three years later, he had created Pavilion, the biggest professional community in the world.

In this inspiring book, Sam Jacobs uses his experience to build the case that nice guys do not, in fact, finish last. Compared to past eras, the internet has made starting a business easier. Where in the past you might’ve had to do business with people you didn’t like, today that’s not the case. Jacobs believes Kind Folks Finish First, and his book is an anthem for a new era of business built on kindness, abundance, and genuine relationships.

For a book on kindness, readers might not expect the first part of the book to be spent discussing Jacob’s past failures, but it adds dimension to his claim. Failure after failure, Jacobs explains the lessons that ultimately made him capable of building Pavilion. His belief that Kind Folks Finish First isn’t just a feel-good message, it’s a truth built into the natural flow of the universe, and he had to learn it the hard way.

My final thoughts on this book pertain to partnerships. Partnership people and Sam Jacobs seem to have stumbled into the same truth that kindness is a long–term game with unpredictable rewards. Partnerships people have long recognized the value in sayings like Give First, Make them Famous, Show Me You Know Me, and Build Generosity into Your Culture, but Jacobs concretized that value through anecdotal evidence.

Kind Folks Finish First successfully disproves the long-held notion that "Nice Guys Finish Last" while inspiring readers to enter into a new era of business.

If you’re in search of a refreshing read, filled with “AHA” moments that inspire a consciously kinder approach to your relationships, this is it.

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