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Volume 22, Number 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Beyond Code
Learn to distinguish yourself in 9 simple steps

Rajeesh Setty
2005 Rajeesh Setty
Adapted by permission of SelectBooks, Inc
ISBN: 1-59079-102-9

Reviewed by Jennifer Cuthbertson

Introduction
In a world of specializationby both businesses and the people who work in themit should not be a surprise that
business books are also becoming more specialized and directed towards a narrow audience. With Beyond Code, Rajeesh
Setty has produced a book about getting ahead that is aimed at IT professionals. Its purpose is to help them distinguish
themselves from the growing crowd of IT consultants and project managers. Through personal examples, insights gained
from his experience, and simple exercises, Setty shows how to listen to others, how to build bridges, how to create bold
strategies, and how to build a personal brand. Even though this book is directed at IT professionals, it has advice that
will benefit anyone.
Business Book Review Vol. 22, No. 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Beyond Code

Rajeesh Setty

PART I: THE INNER GAME

the same forever. As professionals grow and change, their

goals should grow and change with them. However, Setty
warns us not to give up too soon on our goals, to stay the
course, as this is another way to be different from every
other professional.
He also believes that professionals should command a
premium and that the way to do this is by creating a powerful
personal brand. He compares it to the power of consumer
brands that create obvious choices for people who dont have
time to sort through and analyze all the options. Branding

In the very first chapter of the book, Setty exhorts

his audience to be different. He believes, as do many
others who give advice to professionals, that character and
competence are important. But, Setty does not believe
that these traits alone are enough. De-commoditization,
or standing apart from the field because of value-added
skills, is the answer.
The author compares de-commoditization to auto
manufacturers who have made cars more than just a means
of transportation. They have done this
by adding meaning to features on the car, Pressure has pushed many of us into a trap of working hard
like the engine and the interiors, so that towards acquiring what I call short term skills, i.e. becoming
experts in certain skills that are currently hot.
the car is now a personalized transport
mode. IT professionals who want to get
works the same for professionals. Busy employers do not
ahead must do the same thingset themselves apart from
have time to sort and sift through all of the resumes and
the crowd by personalizing their skills to a certain job.
business proposals that they receive. If a professional has a
One way to be different, to de-commoditize, is to
strong reputationa personal brand, if you will--then their
remember that no decision is insignificant, so each one
reliability and dependability are taken for granted.
must be watched and carefully considered. Taking some
Professionals who are trying to stand out and to create
risk and trying new things will open up new possibilities.
that powerful personal brand cannot afford to conform.
As Setty puts it, If you do what you have always done, you
Setty warns against trying to follow someone elses
know what you are getting, but you may never know what
footsteps to success, even if that someone else is a successful
you missed until you truly try new things.
business person. This is because no two people are alike
Another action necessary to stand apart from the crowd
and their responses and reactions to business situations
is to know your destination, to have written plans and
will be different. Also, contexts change over time, and the
goals. Only about three percent are cognizant enough of
conditions that existed when one professional set out may
their goals to write them down. Most do not do so because
not exist when another embarks on the journey.
they have other pressing needs, they want to be 100 percent
Besides, being an innovator is another way to desure about what their goals are, they fear being wrong, or
commoditize. Most business people who succeed in carving
they want to keep their options open. Just because goals
out a niche for themselves saw a need or an opportunity
are written down, does not mean that they have to stay
that no one else did and were able to take advantage of it

About the Author

Rajeesh Setty is chairman of CIGNEX, a company that promotes open source in business. He
co-founded the company in late 2000, and was the
President and CEO before becoming Chairman.
Setty is a frequent speaker at conferences about
Open Source, Leadership and Innovation.
For more information, please visit:
www.lifebeyondcode.com

by offering a product or service to fill the gap.

Part of the ability to see things that no one else does
comes from continuous learning. Even while working on
one project and meeting its deadlines, someone who stands
out professionally is still reading and learning new skills
that will help him or her on future projects. Some of the
skills that can make anyone more successful, no matter what
their career, are the art of building long-term relationships;
identifying personal strengths and highlighting them;
learning to communicate well; learning to be congruent in
both words and actions; and setting the right expectations
for a project.

Business Book Review Vol. 22, No. 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Beyond Code

Rajeesh Setty

Another skill that professionals need is learning how to

keep a scorecard. This goes beyond having goals and plans.
It involves tracking the execution of a plan in order to check
progress. Setty outlines a seven step plan to do this. The
steps are as follows: a) knowing what step of the plan you
are on; b) knowing what the end goal is; c) being able to
identify the gap between a) and b); d) defining an action plan
to fill the gap; e) identifying key performance indicators; f)
keeping a scorecard to measure both progress and feedback;
and g) modifying the plan based on the feedback.
Besides keeping a scorecard, looking at the big picture
is another key to standing out. The successful professional
knows that his or her work is a piece in a bigger puzzle.
Asking questions is the only way to determine what the
entire puzzle looks like. There are several questions that
should be asked in order to determine what the bigger puzzle
is. What is the business need? What are the success criteria
for the project? What is the expected outcome? The answers
will help an IT consultant, or any other professional, see
where and how their part of the project benefits the whole
project.

themselves as seriously as they take the project. Team

members who share this belief are more likely to be open
to giving and receiving feedback.
Creating a team with this attitude requires setting the
right tone and remembering that everyone is so focused
on themselves that they probably do not notice the other
team members. It also requires handling stress successfully
and being able to keep going after there is a problem or
failure.
Although team members may focus primarily on
themselves and their contributions, a leader will look
beyond what is expected of him or herself and determine
how to deliver more than is expected. Setty believes that
to de-commoditize means following the advice of business
guru Gary Hamel. Hamel discusses knowledge arbitrage or
borrowing a successful business concept from one industry
and applying it to another.
Keeping a relationship journal is one way to do this. It
is merely a record of everything known about key business
contacts. This journal comes in handy when meeting new
people, as some of your contacts may be of help to them.
Looking for simplicity and reducing
We are smart people, and we know that if we continue to do
clutter
are two other necessary skills.
the same things that we have done, we will continue to get the
Time is a precious commodity for
same results.
everyone. Someone who can save
In todays informational overload, reading the right
someone else time and reduce the clutter in their life will
material is another way to de-commoditize. The author
automatically distinguish themselves.
states that he has a rule of reading one book a week, or
All of the actions mentioned so far will help to create
about 50 a year. He gets suggestions from the respected
that important lasting impression. But, it is not enough to
professionals that he meets. Setty suggests reading
accidentally leave a good impression with clients. In order
summaries to determine what books to buy, listening to
to truly stand out, it is necessary to consciously think about
audio books, or joining book clubs.
leaving that lasting impression. According to Setty, it is
Adaptation is another one of the keys to distinguishing
essential for consultants to care about every project as if it
oneself. This is especially important for IT professionals
belonged solely to them.
or others who act as consultants, and who often leave one
It is also important to make sure that the problem being
project on a Friday and walk into a new one on Monday.
solved is the problem that needs to be solved. This might
Seeking information, developing a powerful network,
mean solving a different problem than the one the client
and being prepared for rapid changes in context are skills
presents. In IT especially, the client may present a consultant
necessary for adaptation.
with a symptom rather than with the actual problem to solve.
Laughter is not a skill that most business schools teach,
Recognizing this will help a consultant create a reputation
nor it is it one that most think of as important. But, Setty
for being dependable, for going beyond the call of duty,
believes that being able to laugh at ourselves on occasion
and for being resourceful. It will ensure that a professional
is essential, because it builds self-esteem. It takes a person
leaves the right legacy behind.
with strong character to let their guard down sometimes.
Being good at the job is not enough. Someone who
This means being surrounded by those who do not take
stands out also loves their job, despite the inherent problems
Business Book Review Vol. 22, No. 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Beyond Code

that go along with it. In fact loving the job means loving
trying to solve those problems. Setty puts this in terms of
the following equation:
Success = Love what you do + Do what is required.

Rajeesh Setty

exercise also helps to build up those relationships that are

so important for business success.
There are rules to leveraging business relationships.
The first is to give first. Help someone out, before asking
them for help. The second is to know the points of leverage;
these can be people, books, blogs, magazines, events,
hobbies, websites, videos, and social networking.
Of all the people encountered in business, some are
energizers and some are dissipaters. Energizers make others
feel good, while dissipaters drain energy and are frustrating.
In this area, it is clear which category a business person

To help solve this equation, the author suggests an

exercise. Identify and write down five reasons for loving
your job and date and sign the exercise. This will help
train the mind to look for evidence for these conclusions,
which will mean it is working to help prove them true,
rather than looking for what is wrong
When you attempt to solve a problem by yourself, you have only
with a job.
yourself as a resource. Is that enough?
PART II: THE OUTER GAME

Leverage and discipline are two words that can change

any life, because time is an equalizer. Leverage and
discipline allow people to make more of time. To get a
status check, try the following. Think about the past years
experience, specifically: a) the number of clients interacted
with; b) the number of projects worked on; c) the number of
books read; d) the number of new acquaintances made; d)
the number of active friends; e) the number of magazines
read; f) the number of seminars attended; g) the number
of educational programs watched; and h) the number of
interactions with mentors.
Then think about how many of these meant enough
that lessons from them were applied to other situations.
Setty then recommends going back and doing this for each
year since leaving college. If none, or very few of these
experiences have carried over through the years, then you
are not leveraging your experiences.
However, it is not too late. To leverage experiences
going forward requires letting go of what the author terms
the Hulk Complex, as in the Incredible Hulk. Anyone who
feels they have to solve problems by themselves, who believe
they cannot ask for help and are not comfortable asking for
help, and who are only satisfied when solving problems by
themselves, suffers from this complex.
Setty believes it is more valuable to ask others for
advice, because there is always something to be learned
from someone else. This way a network of resources is
created and the problem is solved. The power comes
from solving the problem not from solving it solo. This

wants to be in. In order to be seen as an energizer, it is

necessary to make others feel good about themselves. To do
this means being genuinely interested in them and making
sure every exchange adds measurable value to the other
person. It also means being trustworthy and optimistic.
Having a healthy self-esteem makes this easier, as does
having good listening skills ,and knowing the similarities
shared with others. This means knowing the contacts
that you have in common with colleagues, similarities in
education, in job functions, and in interests to name a few.
That relationship journal comes in handy here.
Listening is an important part of this equation. Those
who cannot check their ego at the door, who do not know
how to ask questions, who cannot handle silence, or who
feel incomplete are usually not good at listening.
To improve listening skills it is necessary to listen to
what people are saying and to offer insights about their
conversation. It is important to ask the right questions.
Close-ended questions are not the right questions. When
working in a project situation, think about asking questions
like:
1. What are some of the problems that you are trying
to solve by implementing this solution?
2. Would you mind explaining how this project fits
into the overall company?
3. What is the roadmap for the next few years for this
project?
Other questions that are important to ask are those that
involve getting feedback about the project and personal

Business Book Review Vol. 22, No. 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Beyond Code

performance. Ask, what am I doing well that I should

continue doing? Or ask, what am I not doing that I should
start doing?
When listening, it is crucial to listen without
prejudice. Do not assign a label to the person giving you
information. Assume he or she is a credible source. Resist
the temptation to reach instant conclusions, and keep an
open mind.
Listening distinguishes one professional from
another and is one characteristic of a leader. Leaders also
distinguish themselves by their actions. Leaders are not
leaders because of their position. Even if a leader is not in
charge, they can still lead. Even when taking orders from
someone else, a professional is not helpless. It is how the
order is carried out that distinguishes a leader.
Filling in the blanks is another characteristic
of a leader. Every organization has gapsduties or
responsibilities that are not assigned to someone. Finding
them and filling them is another thing that will distinguish
one professional from another, as is being ready when the
opportunity for leadership presents itself.
* * *
A chapter-by-chapter summary and a bibliography
are provided.

Remarks
Beyond Code is a book that requires introspection
and homework. It is a book that is not over with when you
reach the last page, at least, not if the reader is going to
gain all of the possible value from the book. In fact in the
final chapter, Setty makes some suggestions for following
up on the lessons learned in the book.
Find a partner to help. As the author points out,
implementing anything alone is difficult and demands
a large amount of discipline and commitment. When
implementing a project that is designed to change personal
habits, it is hard for us to view the results objectively. Others
can help us with this. Identify a colleague or business
partner, someone who can be objective and who can and
will point out areas for improvement.

Rajeesh Setty

The author is an IT consultant and project manager and

that is his intended audience. However, this book is one that
has practical advice for all professionals who are looking
to stand apart, to de-commoditize. Setty successfully pulls
information from his business life and from other sources,
like Franklin Covey and Peter Drucker. He leverages his
experiences just like he advises the reader to do. This
compilation from many sources is part of what makes this
book successful and engaging.

Reading Suggestions
Reading Time: 3-8 Hours, 119 Pages in Book
Beyond Code is an engaging read and can easily be
completed in a few hours, and while there is a lot to be
gained from reading it, just reading it will not give the full
benefit. Each chapter has opportunities for self-reflection.
At the end of each chapter, there are exercises for practicing
the skills and ideas.
Thinking about the ideas discussed in each chapter
and completing the exercises will bring the reader the
most benefit, because, this will involve putting the ideas
in the book to use. It will mean that the reader has to think
about his or her own circumstances and evaluate how well
they are doing. Also, each exercise involves planning for
the future and finding a friend or colleague to help with
accountability.
The best approach is to read the book through once
to get the big picture and to absorb some of the concepts
the author shares. On the second read, approach it as a
workbook. Skim the important points in each chapter and
then complete the exercises.

Business Book Review Vol. 22, No. 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Beyond Code

Rajeesh Setty

CONTENTS
Prologue
Get the most out of the book
Distinguish Yourself
Part I: The Inner Game
Chapter 1: Learn
Chapter 2: Laugh
Chapter 3: Look
Chapter 4: Leave a lasting Impression
Chapter 5: Love
My Story
Part II: The Outer Game
Chapter 6: Leverage
Chapter 7: Likeability
Chapter 8: Listen
Chapter 9: Lead
What Next?

A Note to Our Readers

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a service to busy professionals, as we recommend only those books that are worth your time to read in their
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Business Book Review Vol. 22, No. 40 Copyright 2005 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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