The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba is a business/personal development book that flips the script on success. It reveals how your unique story is your edge.

Sometimes, you may feel like you’re missing something to succeed in business. Or you may feel overwhelmed by your personal struggles, whether it’s with your business or how to juggle a side hustle with your life. 

From the book, this is quite common, and Ali and Kubba provided some great ways to handle this.

In this article, you’ll discover nine powerful lessons from their book. Each one blends heart and strategy to help you feel less lost and more motivated.

So hopefully, you get inspired and turn your unfair advantage into success.

Detailed Summary of The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba

Starting a business is a daunting endeavor. Most times, it feels like you’re stepping into the arena without any armor. Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba’s book, The Unfair Advantage, unpacks this challenge, revealing that each of us has unique assets that can steer us towards success. They called it our ‘unfair advantages.’

According to the book, the key is recognizing your hidden gems. It could be a wealth of connections like Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel or a knack for innovation like co-author Ash Alley, who transformed adversity into a springboard for entrepreneurship. The book didn’t focus on success stories. However, it used examples to show how to identify what you uniquely bring to the table.

They looked into different types of advantages, from the financial cushion that lets founders take risks to intellectual prowess that accelerates learning and execution. More than just talent or money, your background, location, or even timing can be leveraged to create opportunities that others might not have.

The authors argue that understanding and utilizing your personal edge is crucial. It’s not enough to work hard; you must work smart, recognizing and cultivating your inherent strengths. This approach shifts the focus from trying to beat the odds, to changing the game by playing to your strengths.

For anyone dreaming of launching a startup while juggling life’s demands, this book offers a blueprint. It encourages you to look inward and harness your unique qualities that can make the entrepreneurial journey less about chance and more about strategic advantage.

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or looking to innovate within your field, The Unfair Advantage provides the tools to recognize and utilize your own assets to build a successful venture.

9 Things Business Owners Can Learn from The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba

The book The Unfair Advantage shares a refreshingly honest take on why success isn’t just about hard work or having a brilliant idea – it’s about recognizing and using the “unfair advantages” you already have. Here are 9 things you can learn from their book:

1. Life Isn’t Fair – Use It to Your Advantage

The world of business isn’t a level playing field, and some people start with more advantages than others. Ash and Hasan emphasize that life is fundamentally unfair, but this isn’t an excuse to adopt a victim mindset​. Instead, recognize the reality so you can navigate it.

Knowing others have head starts (more money, connections, etc.) can feel frustrating. Don’t let it stop you. Use that knowledge as motivation to find creative ways around obstacles​.

If the “game” is unfair, learn to play it smart. Identify the obstacles you face due to your circumstances, then plan how to overcome them or turn them into opportunities.

For example, maybe you lack funding – can you start smaller or seek a grant? Perhaps you don’t have industry contacts – can you begin networking online? Use every shortcut or opportunity you can find.

Evan Spiegel, the founder of Snapchat, openly said he “got really, really lucky” in life. He was born into a wealthy family, went to top schools, and had connections to investors​.

Those advantages helped him skyrocket to success. Instead of resenting stories like his, let them remind you that success is a mix of talent and circumstance. If life isn’t fair, your job is to “stack the deck” in your favor however you can.

2. Everyone Has Their Own Unfair Advantage

It might not feel like it, but you have an unfair advantage of your own. An “unfair advantage” is any condition or talent that gives you an edge in business​. It could be a skill, a trait, a network, or even your personal background. The key is that your set of unfair advantages is unique to you​ – no one else has the exact same mix.

Some advantages are easy to spot, like being very tall is an instant edge in basketball tryouts​. Others are less obvious – maybe you have a knack for connecting with people, or you grew up in an environment that taught you resilience. The Unfair Advantage gives examples at both extremes.

One person might have wealth and connections, while another person’s advantage might be a hidden talent or drive. For instance, Ash Ali (one of the authors) grew up in a rough neighborhood and never went to college, but he had a natural hustle and taught himself web design in the early days of the internet​.

That “street smarts” and entrepreneurial spirit were his unfair advantages that helped him build his first startup at 19.

Take a moment to identify what you have going for you. It could be anything – your unique perspective, a skill you’ve mastered, a supportive family, or even a personal experience that gives you insight.

Success comes from finding that edge and putting it to use​. Make a list of your strengths and circumstances that seem “unfairly” in your favor. Those are the assets you’ll build your business on.

Your unfair advantage is like your personal “moat” around your business – a term billionaire Warren Buffett uses to describe a defendable edge.

No one can copy it outright or buy it off you. Embrace what makes you you, and let that differentiate your business. As the authors put it: “Your Unfair Advantages can’t easily be copied or bought. [They are] unique to you.”​

3. Hard Work Isn’t Enough – Work Smart (Leverage Your Strengths)

We often hear that success is all about hustle – working 24/7, grinding it out. Hard work is important, but Ash and Hasan make it clear that hard work alone isn’t enough if it’s not directed at the right things​.

The key is to work smart by focusing on areas where you have an advantage. In other words, put your effort into what you’re naturally good at or what you have going for you.

There’s a long-running debate – is success due to luck or hard work? The Unfair Advantage shows that it’s actually both.​ You can control your effort, but not all circumstances.

The best strategy is to use your unfair advantages as leverage: channel your hard work into opportunities that make the most of your edge. This way, you’re not just grinding blindly; you’re maximizing your chances of success by stacking odds in your favor.

Oprah is a great example of balancing hard work with circumstance. She grew up with many disadvantages – poverty, trauma, a tough childhood – yet she leveraged her talent and determination to become incredibly successful​. Her story shows that you can overcome bad luck with smart work and resilience.

On the flip side, even the hardest worker can hit a ceiling if circumstances are extremely limiting. Investor Warren Buffett acknowledged that if he had been born in a different time or place (say, in a war-torn country or without access to education), his hard work alone wouldn’t have yielded the same success​.

The lesson? Don’t dismiss the role of luck or context. Work hard, yes, but also recognize where and when to apply that work. Choose projects and goals that align with your unfair advantages – that’s working smart.

Ask yourself “Am I working on the right thing?” It’s frustrating to pour effort into a project that doesn’t play to your strengths. If you’re a great communicator, focus on a business where that shines. If you have industry contacts, leverage them instead of going it alone.

Hard work matters most when it’s applied to the right opportunity. The book’s big message is to align your hustle with your edge.

4. Stay Grounded but Dream Big (Adopt a Reality-Growth Mindset)

You might know about fixed mindset (“I’m born this way, I can’t change”) versus growth mindset (“I can learn and improve anything”). Ash and Hasan introduce a balanced approach they call the “Reality-Growth Mindset.”

It means having your feet on the ground with your head in the clouds​– in other words, be realistic about your limits and circumstances (the reality), while maintaining big ambitions and the belief you can grow (the growth).

With a reality-growth mindset, you acknowledge there are some things you can’t change (for example, you can’t add an extra 5 inches to your height, and you might not instantly get 1 million dollars in funding).

At the same time, you believe that you can improve, learn, and find a way to succeed despite those limitations. You keep your optimism grounded in reality.

The authors describe this mindset as knowing that “you are the master of your future”​. No, you don’t control everything that happens to you.

But you do control how you respond and how you capitalize on what you have. If you lack experience in one area, you can learn.

If you have a strength in another, you can double down on it. Stay humble (aware of what you need to work on) but remain confident (sure that you can figure things out and grow).

A reality-growth mindset also means constantly updating your approach. If something isn’t working, you don’t take it as a fixed failure – you see it as a signal to adapt.

Maybe your first business idea isn’t taking off; with a growth mindset you’d pivot or tweak it, instead of giving up. But with reality in mind, you’d pivot in an informed way, not just wishful thinking. This mindset keeps you open to opportunity and resilient in the face of challenges.

5. Money – Use Financial Resources Wisely

Let’s face it – having money can make starting a business a lot easier. Capital is considered one of the key unfair advantages in the book​. If you have personal savings, access to investors, or a money-making job to fund your project, that’s a huge leg up.

Money gives you a safety net and more time to grow your business before it needs to turn a profit​. As the saying goes, it takes money to make money.

Having funds is great, but it can be a double-edged sword. The authors warn that lots of money can sometimes make founders complacent or lead to overspending​.

So, if money is your unfair advantage, use it strategically. Invest in things that matter (product development, marketing that works, etc.), but stay frugal and focused. Treat your capital as a tool to accelerate growth, not an excuse to be lazy or “buy” success outright.

Not everyone has rich parents or big investors on speed-dial – and that’s okay. Many successful businesses start with shoestring budgets.

If money isn’t your advantage, lean on other strengths. For example, focus on a business model that requires little upfront cash (maybe a service or an online product), or use your skills to barter and trade services instead of paying cash.

The book notes that entrepreneurs without a financial cushion often find creative ways to fund their startups – from crowdfunding, to partnering with co-founders who can bring in money, to simply starting small and reinvesting profits.

The authors cite how money gives freedom to fail. A wealthy founder can take bigger risks because, if their startup flops, they’re still financially okay​.

On the other hand, if you’re on a tight budget, you’ll want to minimize unnecessary risks – for instance, test your idea cheaply before pouring in money. Remember, plenty of famous entrepreneurs started from zero capital.

What you lack in money, you can make up in ingenuity and effort. And if you do have some money to start with, count it as a blessing and use it well.

6. Intelligence and Insight – Leverage Your Know-How

Intelligence isn’t just about grades or IQ. The Unfair Advantage highlights various types of intelligence – from book smarts and technical skills to street smarts, creativity, and emotional intelligence​. Think about where your brain excels.

Maybe you’re great at coding, or you have a flair for design, or you understand people’s needs intuitively. Those are all unfair advantages.

Beyond raw intelligence, insight into a particular problem or industry can set you apart​. Perhaps you’ve worked in an industry and see a gap in the market that outsiders miss. Or you experienced a common problem firsthand and know exactly what customers like you need.

That kind of deep insight can lead you to a winning business idea when others only see confusion. In the book, insight is described as the ability to see the potential future and spot opportunities or pitfalls before others do.

Make a list of your skills, knowledge, and experiences. How can you apply them to your business? For example, if you’re a social media whiz, that intelligence can help you grow an online audience faster than someone starting from scratch.

If you have a background in finance, you’ll handle budgeting and investment smarter than most. Your know-how is your unfair advantage.

If you feel like you’re not particularly “gifted” in any area, you can build your intelligence and insight over time. The authors encourage constant learning and curiosity. Read about your field, talk to potential customers to gain insight, and practice your craft.

Over time, you’ll develop expertise that becomes a true advantage. Being a fast learner itself is an unfair advantage – it means you can acquire new skills or adapt quickly, leaving competitors behind.

Think of an entrepreneur like Elon Musk, whose technical knowledge (rocketry, engineering) gave him a huge edge in industries that are hard for outsiders to break into.

You don’t have to be Musk, but you do have your own area where you’re naturally insightful or can become an expert. Identify it and double down.

7. Location and Luck – Put Yourself Where Opportunity Strikes

Where you are – physically or even online – can dramatically affect your opportunities. Being in a major startup hub or an industry hotspot can be an unfair advantage because you’re surrounded by networks, talent, and resources​.

For example, a tech founder in Silicon Valley can bump into investors or experienced engineers at a coffee shop. The book points out that businesses often cluster in certain locations for this very reason​.

Maybe you can’t move to a big city, or your industry isn’t tied to a place. That’s okay. Think of “location” as your environment or community. It can be virtual too​. Online forums, LinkedIn groups, Twitter communities, or local meetups can serve as your Silicon Valley. The key is to be connected with people and information in your field. Put yourself in the places (real or digital) where the action is happening.

Luck is another part of this equation – being in the right place at the right time. While you can’t control pure luck, you can increase your chances of getting lucky.

How? By taking more swings and meeting more people. Attend that workshop, reach out to that mentor, launch your product even if it’s not perfect.

The more actions you take, the more likely you’ll stumble onto a lucky break. As one takeaway from the book suggests: expect to be lucky and be ready to seize opportunities when they arise​.

In short, maximize serendipity by staying active and visible. (And remember, “maximizing” luck just means doing more and connecting more – anyone can do that.)

A classic example of luck is how many founders meet the perfect co-founder or investor by chance. But those “chance” meetings usually happen because the founder was out there networking at events or participating in an online community. By showing up where opportunities are, you give luck a chance to find you.

On the flip side, if you isolate yourself, even a great idea might languish unnoticed. So get out there (physically or virtually) and mingle in the spaces that matter for your business. Opportunity might just knock when you’re there.

8. Education and Expertise – Keep Learning and Use Your Background

A college degree or relevant formal education can be an unfair advantage. It can give you industry knowledge, technical skills, and even credibility or “signal” value (people often trust the accountant who is CPA-certified, or the lawyer with a law degree)​.

Plus, school is a place where you make valuable connections – classmates, professors, alumni networks​. If you have a strong educational background, use it: tap into your alumni network, put your credentials front and center, and leverage the knowledge you gained.

Aside from formal degrees, expertise gained through experience is just as powerful. Maybe you didn’t go to a fancy school, but you’ve spent 5 years working in the industry you’re now starting a business in – that insight and hands-on know-how is a huge advantage.

Hasan Kubba (the co-author) built a startup from his bedroom after taking an online course – he gained expertise on his own and used it to succeed​. And Ash Ali never went to university, yet he educated himself through real-world practice and became the first marketing director of a major startup (Just Eat)​.

There are many paths to education and expertise. What matters is that you apply what you’ve learned better than others can.

The lesson for any aspiring entrepreneur is to adopt lifelong learning. Even if you have a PhD or zero degrees, the business world changes fast. Keep upgrading your skills and knowledge. Take relevant courses, read books (like this one!), follow industry blogs, or find mentors. The more you know, the more confident and capable you’ll be in running your business. Plus, continuously learning shows you’re adaptable – which is itself an unfair advantage in a fast-evolving market.

Don’t underestimate any part of your background. Maybe you think your college major or past job isn’t relevant – get creative and draw lessons from it. For example, a former teacher (education experience) might excel in a tutoring startup. A hobbyist photographer might use that skill to make a product’s marketing stand out. Your expertise, whether formally acquired or self-taught, is fuel for your business. Pour it into your strategy, and you’ll have a head start that others can’t easily replicate.

9. Status – Build Your Network and Reputation

In The Unfair Advantage, “status” isn’t about being snooty – it’s about your personal brand, your network, and how others perceive you​. This includes your social status (who you know, your connections), your credibility (experience or titles that make people trust you), and even things like how confident you appear. Status can be an unfair advantage because the world often rewards those who look the part or know the right people.

Think of status as the doors that are open to you. For instance, if you have a strong network, you can call up a friend of a friend to get a meeting with an investor. If you have a great personal brand (say you run a popular blog or YouTube channel in your niche), launching a product is easier because you already have an audience that listens to you. Even a high level of confidence, which the authors call “inner status,” can help – people subconsciously pick up on it and may be more inclined to support or follow a confident leader​. In short, status = credibility and connections, which oil the wheels of business.

You might be thinking, “Well, I’m not famous or well-connected – what now?” Status is something you can grow over time. Start by building real relationships and a good reputation. Network with peers and mentors in your industry (both online and offline). Offer help to others, share your journey on social media or a blog, and slowly establish yourself as someone knowledgeable and trustworthy. Over time, you’ll find more people willing to take your calls or recommend you. That’s your social capital growing.

Consider how you present yourself and your business. This isn’t about being fake; it’s about showcasing your best self. Clean up your LinkedIn profile, perhaps create a simple website, and make sure your online presence reflects who you want to be in your industry. If people see you as an expert or an up-and-comer, that perception becomes an advantage. For example, having 100,000 followers on Instagram can make others instantly view you as more credible in your space, compared to someone with 100 followers​. It might not be fair, but it’s how things work – and you can use it ethically.

Part of status is internal – your self-confidence and how you handle yourself. Work on your communication skills, be polite and respectful, and deliver on what you promise. When you consistently prove yourself reliable or skilled, word gets around. People will vouch for you. That trust people have in you is a priceless advantage. It might get you partnerships, clients, or second chances that others don’t receive. So, nurture your network and reputation from day one.

You can get a copy of this book to explore these ideas in depth and discover even more practical tips.

Conclusion

As you can see, The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba is packed with insights to help you reflect on what you already have going for you. The big takeaway is encouraging: you already have what it takes to succeed, once you identify your edge and apply it. Instead of comparing yourself to others or worrying about what you lack, focus on amplifying what you do have – be it a skill, a connection, a unique insight, or just pure determination. Every successful entrepreneur starts with a different mix of unfair advantages, and now it’s time to find yours. Read the article on the lessons from the 12 week year to help you be more productive as you explore your opportunities.