Anti-preneur: Thrive in Your Career, Achieve Financial Success
A financial independence book for professionals who love their careers — and want real freedom without quitting them.
The Book That Redefines
Financial Freedom
For decades, professionals have been told that to achieve freedom, they must quit their jobs, become entrepreneurs, or hustle harder. Dr. Matt Markel knows that path well, and he believes there’s a better one.
In Anti-preneur: Thrive in Your Career, Achieve Financial Success, Dr. Markel shares the mindset and system he used to build wealth, security, and fulfillment, all without walking away from the work he loved. You don’t need to abandon your career to find independence. You don’t need to risk everything to grow. You simply need a framework that helps your career and finances work together instead of against each other.
You don’t need to start a business to achieve freedom. You need a better playbook.
— Dr. Matt Markel
About the Book
Most personal finance books tell you to start a business, invest aggressively, or grind endlessly. But for millions of professionals, such as engineers, doctors, educators, managers, and consultants, that advice doesn’t fit.
Anti-preneur is the book for people who want to succeed inside their careers while quietly building financial independence on the side.
Dr. Markel combines 35 years of executive experience with lessons from leadership, investing, and personal growth to create a clear, actionable guide.
At the heart of the book is the KICKSTART™ Framework, a five-step process that helps you find clarity, take control of your finances, and create sustainable freedom:
Clarity
Define your version of success.
Numbers
Know your financial position and make it work for you.
Career
Lead and grow with purpose.
Independence
Build wealth without quitting your job.
Habits
Turn strategy into daily execution.
Every chapter closes with questions and actions that help you apply the lessons immediately.
Why This Book Is Different
There are countless books about money, motivation, and management, but few that combine all three. Anti-preneur bridges the gap between career development and financial independence.
What makes it stand apart:
It’s not hustle culture. Anti-preneurs reject burnout in favor of focused, sustainable progress.
It’s not “quit your job” advice. You can love your career and still build freedom on the side.
It’s not theory. Every insight comes from decades of leading, investing, and mentoring.
It’s not one-size-fits-all. The book helps you build your own definition of success, not copy someone else’s.
Inside the Book
You’ll find practical systems that work in the real world, including:
STEP 1
Define Your Version of Success
Learn how to paint a vivid picture of what success looks like: career, finances, relationships, and life.
sTEP 2
Know Your Numbers
Simplify personal finance using the “Business of You” model. Track cash flow, assets, and liabilities like a pro.
sTEP 3
Thrive in Your Career
Discover Matt’s five guiding principles for professional excellence, including always being a learner, exceeding expectations, and never passing up the chance to be kind.
sTEP 4
Path to Financial Independence
Build uncorrelated income streams and appreciating assets without needing to start a business.
sTEP 5
Bring Your Strategy to Life
Create habits that stick with the 66-day rule and overcome common roadblocks using systems, not willpower.
Throughout, Dr. Markel uses real examples from his own journey, lessons learned from managing teams, investments, and personal growth in high-stakes environments.
Why Professionals Love It
This book resonates with those who’ve achieved career success but crave something deeper:
confidence, clarity, and control.
You don’t have to abandon your professional identity to build wealth. You just need a system that helps you grow without losing yourself.
Anti-preneur is for you if you…
Want financial freedom and professional purpose.
Feel like you’ve done “everything right” but still lack clarity.
Want to invest, plan, and grow without becoming a full-time entrepreneur.
Are ready to escape hustle culture and build a life that works by design.
Finally, a personal finance book written for professionals who don’t want to start over, they just want to take control.
— Reader Review
What Readers Are Saying
This book resonates with those who’ve achieved career success but crave something deeper: confidence, clarity, and control. You don’t have to abandon your professional identity to build wealth. You just need a system that helps you grow without losing yourself.
A practical roadmap for professionals who want freedom without giving up their careers.
— Verified Reader, Amazon Review
Dr. Markel delivers clarity and confidence — finally, a financial freedom book written for real professionals
— Industry Executive
If Rich Dad Poor Dad was the spark, Anti-preneur is the blueprint. It’s how modern professionals build wealth with intention.
— Reader Review
The book has quickly become a favorite among professionals seeking a balanced, intelligent approach to wealth and work.
Meet the Author — Dr. Matt Markel
Dr. Matt Markel is an engineer-turned-executive with over 35 years of experience spanning the defense, autonomy, and technology industries.
He has served as CEO, CTO, and President of companies with revenues of nine and ten figures, and along the way, quietly built financial independence through smart investing and disciplined habits.
Today, Matt leads the Anti-preneur movement, a philosophy and community that helps professionals achieve freedom without quitting their careers.
He’s also the host of the Thrive & Achieve Podcast, where he shares practical insights on leadership, finance, and mindset.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of Anti-preneur, you’ll know how to:
Define success on your terms.
Treat your career like your greatest investment.
Create income streams that grow over time.
Build the mindset of financial independence.
Turn new habits into lasting systems.
Align your career, money, and purpose.
This isn’t just a book — it’s a framework for lifelong growth.
Ready to Rethink Success?
You don’t have to choose between financial freedom and professional fulfillment.
You can have both with clarity, structure, and discipline.
Anti-preneur: Thrive in Your Career, Achieve Financial Success gives you the blueprint to make it happen.
