A new book by Rafael Niesten
Lessons from a wealth-building minimalist. Part memoir, part playbook, built on decades of starting, growing and selling companies.
01 The idea
Most people think building wealth means doing more.
More hours, more people, more overhead. This book makes the case for the opposite.
The biggest returns come from stripping things back.
Fewer moving parts. Lower costs. Sharper focus. Less noise.
02 Why this book
”Making More With Less is an essential read: a practical, in the trenches, honest guide for anyone who wants to build real wealth.”
Just the lessons that worked, the ones that hurt, and how to apply both to your business and your life.
03 Advance praise
From founders, investors and finance professionals who read it first.
‘I have known Rafael since he was a boy, and it has been wonderful to see all that he has achieved. Making More With Less captures the thinking, discipline and experiences that have shaped his journey, brought to life through practical insights and engaging stories.’
‘I always love it when my rich friends share how they built their wealth. Usually I have to buy them whisky first, but now I can just buy Raf’s book.’
‘Rafael is a diamond in the rough – he embodies hustle and grit. From collecting cans in Perth to a US private equity exit, his story proves what relentless drive can build. This book is really about freedom, not just financial independence but a focus on minimalism and a simpler, intentional life. Essential reading on life’s hard-won lessons.’
‘Making More With Less is an essential read: a practical, in the trenches, honest guide for anyone who wants to build real wealth. Rafael strips it down to what actually matters. His resourceful story is threaded throughout, demonstrating that true financial freedom starts long before the money arrives.’
‘I loved reading Making More With Less. Raf somehow makes saving, investing and building wealth feel practical and relatable. I enjoyed the personal stories from his own entrepreneurial journey, his humour throughout, and the reminder that the little financial decisions really do add up over time. Smart, entertaining and full of genuinely useful takeaways. I’d recommend to anyone wanting to be smarter and more intentional with their money.’
‘Raf is a force of nature. From hustling cans to building multiple successful businesses to exit, Raf has shown a relentless desire to build, and has avoided many of the pitfalls that founders fall victim to as they play real-life snakes and ladders. This book will guide you through avoiding the shiny objects that bring minimal pleasure and slow you down as you build the business and the life you dream of. A must read, Making More With Less is filled with lessons, reflections and plenty of laughs from a man who started with nothing and has achieved everything he set his mind to and a blueprint for you to do the same.’
‘Raf has the rare and enviable talent of being able to step outside accepted truths and perceptions to analyse opportunities in both life and business, and chart his own, often contrarian path to success: the kind of success that seems all too obvious after the fact, but is otherwise missed by so many. After two decades in international finance and investing, I wish I’d have had access to this kind of book not just at the start, though, at any point along my professional journey.’
04 Inside the book
A practical account of building wealth by cutting what doesn’t matter: fewer moving parts, lower costs and sharper focus, in business and in life.
AThe memoir
Real stories from decades of building and selling companies, including the mistakes that cost the most and what they taught him.
BThe playbook
Real numbers and a practical method for anyone putting in more effort than ever and still falling behind.
What it actually takes
Knowing what you are building and what you are not. Fewer moving parts and sharper focus, in business and at home.
Lower costs and less overhead, held for long enough that the returns compound instead of leaking away.
The willingness to make choices that look odd to everyone around you, because more noise rarely means more wealth.
05 Who it’s for
You need clarity, discipline, and the willingness to live a little differently from everyone around you.
This book is for you if Yes
Look elsewhere if No
07 Pre-order now
Pre-orders help decide how many copies bookshops stock and how visible a new title is in its launch week. Reserving a copy now is the simplest way to back the book.
ComingFebruary 2027
Major Street Publishing
08 Launch updates
One email when the book is out, and the occasional note worth reading. No noise.
Speaking and media
For interviews, podcasts, events and bulk orders for teams, send a short note with the details.