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Starting Your Own Business: Become an Entrepreneur!
by Adam Toren Matthew TorenThe easy way to help your kid start a business Do you have a budding entrepreneur on your hands who's anxious to bring the next great business idea to life? Make their dream come true with the accessible, expert help in Starting Your Own Business. Written with young learners in mind, this book walks your child through the steps that turn a bright idea into a profitable business. An extension of the trusted For Dummies brand, Starting Your Own Business speaks to juniors in a language they can understand, offering guidance and actionable plans to turn their business idea into a reality. From setting goals to putting together a plan that encourages others to help them get their idea off the ground, it offers everything kids need to get their business started and make it grow. The book features a design that is heavy on eye-popping graphics that hold children's attention The content focuses on the steps to completing a project A small, full-color, non-intimidating package instills confidence in the reader Basic projects set the reader on the road to further exploration Children are notorious for their huge imaginations. Now, their ideas can live in the real world—and translate to real profit—with the help of Starting Your Own Business.
Starting Your Own Business 6th Edition: How to Plan and Build Your Own Successful Enterprise: Checklists, Tips, Case Studies and Online Coverage
by Jim GreenThis book concentrates on the creative heart of business, on how to develop an exciting enterprise from the original germ of an idea. * Finding a good idea * Getting started * Creating a winning business plan * Funding your enterprise * Marketing your business * Maintaining progress * Monitoring growth
Starting Your Own Business 6th Edition: How To Plan And Build Your Own Enterprise - Checklists, Tips, Case Studies And Online Coverage
by Jim GreenThis book concentrates on the creative heart of business, on how to develop an exciting enterprise from the original germ of an idea. * Finding a good idea * Getting started * Creating a winning business plan * Funding your enterprise * Marketing your business * Maintaining progress * Monitoring growth
Starting Your Own Childminding Business: How To Set Up High Quality Childcare In Your Own Home
by Allison LeeWith more and more women with young children returning to work, hundreds of thousands of children in England and Wales are being cared for by childminders. The demand for good quality, flexible childcare is huge. If you are a childminder in the early stages of setting up your business, or you are considering caring for children in your own home, this book will help you to: decide whether a career working with children is for you; decide whether working from your own home will suit you, your family and your lifestyle; understand the Regulations and Standards imposed by Ofsted; guide you through the registration process; prepare you for Ofsted inspections; help you to target the right market and advertise your services; and manage the financial side of your business.
Starting Your Own Childminding Business: How to set up high quality childcare in your own home
by Allison LeeWith more and more women with young children returning to work, hundreds of thousands of children in England and Wales are being cared for by childminders. The demand for good quality, flexible childcare is huge. If you are a childminder in the early stages of setting up your business, or you are considering caring for children in your own home, this book will help you to: decide whether a career working with children is for you; decide whether working from your own home will suit you, your family and your lifestyle; understand the Regulations and Standards imposed by Ofsted; guide you through the registration process; prepare you for Ofsted inspections; help you to target the right market and advertise your services; and manage the financial side of your business.
Starting Your Own Practice: The Independence Guide for Investment Advisors, Attorneys, CPAs and Other Professional Service Providers
by Robert FragassoProvides expert insight and advice for professionals looking to strike out on their own, fully updated to reflect current trends and issues Considering the overabundance of professional service providers toiling at monolith employers, you might want to start thinking about business independence. Starting Your Own Practice: The Independence Guide for Investment Advisors, Attorneys, CPAs and Other Professional Service Providers offers you step-by-step guidance on the entirety of the independence process, from your initial decision to break free, to managing your business, to your ultimate exit strategy. In the 15 years since he first wrote Starting Your Own Practice, author Robert Fragasso has gained invaluable practical experience continuing to lead his own independent investment management and financial planning firm. Now in its Second Edition, this popular guide provides more depth on management considerations, transition to business maturity, and eventual profitable business succession. The author has added a wealth of alternative ideas on how to leverage your skills and talents in your own business, license your services and infrastructure, plan for your retirement, and more. Sharing new insights on making the independence move quicker, easier, and less costly, this new edition: Provides straightforward information on both the financial benefits and risks of starting your own practice Helps you decide if you truly want to go into business for yourself Offers expert guidance on planning your move and structuring your marketing, managing, staffing, and general business operations Discusses practical considerations such as leaving your current employer, converting existing clients, protecting your confidentiality, and financing your new business Provides new and revised content throughout, including additional in-depth commentary on management considerations and transition to business maturity Starting Your Own Practice: The Independence Guide for Investment Advisors, Attorneys, CPAs and Other Professional Service Providers is indispensable for anyone providing skilled personal services.
Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure
by Jerry KaplanThe classic account of the early days of tech, named one of the 10 best business books of the year by Business Week: &“Riveting, wry, and often wise.&”—The Washington Post Jerry Kaplan had a dream: he would redefine the known universe (and get very rich) by creating a new kind of computer. All he needed was sixty million dollars, a few hundred employees, and a maniacal belief in his ability to win the Silicon Valley startup game. Kaplan, a well-known figure in the computer industry, founded GO Corporation in 1987, and for several years it was one of the hottest new ventures in the Valley. Startup tells the story of Kaplan's wild ride: how he assembled a brilliant but fractious team of engineers, software designers, and investors; pioneered the emerging market for hand-held computers operated with a pen instead of a keyboard; and careened from crisis to crisis without ever losing his passion for his revolutionary idea. Along the way, Kaplan vividly recreates his encounters with eccentric employees, risk-addicted venture capitalists, and industry giants such as Bill Gates and John Sculley. And no one—including Kaplan himself—is spared his sharp wit. &“What separates Kaplan&’s tale from other start-up stories is the insight he provides about dealing with two of America's largest computer companies—IBM and Microsoft…Readers interested in entrepreneurial adventurism will find Kaplan&’s tale entertaining.&”—Publishers Weekly &“Kaplan tells it with novelistic style replete with races against the clock and sharp character sketches…An insider's well-written story of the death of a new machine.&”—Kirkus Reviews &“A winner.&”—Wired
The Startup: Navigating Chaos to Elevate Your Career and Achieve Entrepreneurial Success
by Jesko von WindheimThis highly readable volume tells the true story of a venture that achieved more than 400,000% return for its founders and investors. The book follows one of the principals in the startup as he navigates a series of extraordinary twists and turns becoming an entrepreneur and building a company. The turbulent journey educates and entertains as the author recounts his own learning experiences—providing a practical education on the fundamentals of customer discovery, sales, marketing, business development and entrepreneurship. This personal story conveys the substance of content taught in the classroom in a compelling and easy to read style. With learning experiences ranging from opportunity identification to customer acquisition and raising money and exiting a company, the book presents a collection of topics carefully curated to answer fundamental questions about innovation, entrepreneurship, and career success.The book serves as an essential guide for those who wish to innovate to create value and wealth for themselves and others. Readers will gain a gritty, yet inspiring, view of the trials and tribulations inherent in any entrepreneurial endeavor, and will walk away from the book with practical tools and techniques for career success, whether it is with a brand-new startup or an established corporation.
Startup Accelerators: A Field Guide
by Steve Dunn Richard Busulwa Naomi BirdthistleThe must – read guidebook for entrepreneurs looking to get into accelerator programs and to build and scale their startups with speed Accelerator programs have become one of the most powerful and valuable resources for entrepreneurs seeking to learn rapidly, build powerful networks, raise capital, build their startups and do this at speed and scale. In recent years, the number of accelerator programs around the world has grown at an incredible rate, propelling startups such as AirBnB, Uber, DropBox, Reddit, and others — many to billion-dollar valuations. The number of accelerators, the differences in accelerator program offerings and the unique benefits and costs of different accelerator locations makes choosing the right accelerator a challenge. Selecting the wrong accelerator, failing to be accepted in the right one, or not fully taking advantage of all the accelerator has to offer can be costly, sometimes fatal. With the stakes so high, entrepreneurs need to understand all their options, choose carefully and do the right things to maximize their chances of success. Startup Accelerators is the go to guide for any entrepreneur, providing a firsthand look into the acceptance criteria and inner workings of different accelerator programs. Written by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, this indispensable resource explains what different accelerator programs offer, how to get accepted, what to do during the program, how to raise money during accelerators, what to do after the program ends, and much more. Packed with real-world case studies and advice from leading experts on startup accelerator programs, this one-stop resource provides step-by-step guidance on the entire accelerator process. Reveals how accelerators help founders navigate different challenges in the startup journey Describes the differences in the benefits and costs of different accelerator programs Explains how to prepare accelerator applications Discloses what actions to take during an accelerator to make the most of it Depicts case studies of entrepreneurs’ accelerator applications, experiences and outcomes across different accelerators Features interviews with accelerator program managers, founders who went through accelerators, and investors in companies going through or having gone through accelerators Includes insightful data and reflections from entrepreneurship education researchers and academics Startup Accelerators: A Field Guide will prove to be invaluable for startup founders considering or going through accelerators, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, educators, and other startup accelerator stakeholders.
Startup Asia
by Rebecca A. Fannin Kai-Fu LeeFind out where the new innovation hot spots are, what the next consumer waves will be, and where to catch themAsia's innovation hot spots are fast emerging as first-choice destinations for bright, young entrepreneurs. From Taiwan to Singapore, technology center hubs are forming to rival the original Silicon Valley. Startup Asia gives you a close-up view into the key growth trends shaping entrepreneurship in China and India, plus the new frontier market of Vietnam.Showing how entrepreneurs and investors can start up in Asia and go global, the book provides a first-hand, on-the-ground tour of the new technology centers that are gaining momentum all over Asia. Interviews with the most successful venture capitalists and entrepreneurs reveal their winning strategies and show how a new generation of entrepreneurs in China and India are no longer looking to the West for their cues--but are instead crafting their own local business models and success strategies.Shows entrepreneurs and investors how they can pursue their dreams of launching successful start-ups in AsiaReveals that many of the same venture investors that first funded young businesses in Silicon Valley moved into China, then India, and are now finding their way to VietnamAddresses the risks of doing business in Asia's developing markets, including lack of intellectual property protection, political and regulatory shifts, bribery, and corruptionFrom high-profile Forbes contributor Rebecca Fannin, Startup Asia is the essential guide for anyone looking to trek into this new frontier.
Startup Boards
by Brad Feld Mahendra RamsinghaniAn essential guide to understanding the dynamics of a startup's board of directorsLet's face it, as founders and entrepreneurs, you have a lot on your plate--getting to your minimum viable product, developing customer interaction, hiring team members, and managing the accounts/books. Sooner or later, you have a board of directors, three to five (or even seven) Type A personalities who seek your attention and at times will tell you what to do. While you might be hesitant to form a board, establishing an objective outside group is essential for startups, especially to keep you on track, call you out when you flail, and in some cases, save you from yourself.In Startup Boards, Brad Feld--a Boulder, Colorado-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist--shares his experience in this area by talking about the importance of having the right board members on your team and how to manage them well. Along the way, he shares valuable insights on various aspects of the board, including how they can support you, help you understand your startup's milestones and get to them faster, and hold you accountable.Details the process of choosing board members, including interviewing many people, checking references, and remembering that there should be no fear in rejecting a wrong fitExplores the importance of running great meetings, mixing social time with business time, and much moreRecommends being a board member yourself at some other organization so you see the other side of the equationEngaging and informative, Startup Boards is a practical guide to one of the most important pieces of the startup puzzle.
Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business (Techstars)
by Matt BlumbergA definitive book for any CEO—first time or otherwise—of a high-growth company While big company CEOs are usually groomed for the job for years, startup CEOs aren't—and they're often young and relatively inexperienced in business in general. Author Matt Blumberg, a technology and marketing entrepreneur, knows this all too well. Back in 1999, he started a company called Return Path, which later became the driving force behind the creation of his blog, OnlyOnce—because "you're only a first time CEO once." Now, more than a decade later, he's written Startup CEO. As the fifth book in the StartUp Revolution series, this reliable resource is based on Blumberg's experience as a startup CEO and covers a number of issues he's faced over the dozen years he's been a CEO. Offers valuable insights into how the CEO sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders Discusses how to build a company's human capital by recruiting, hiring, and retaining the very best talent Examines how a CEO must align available resources with the company's strategy in order to ensure success Addresses what it takes to master the "How" of being a CEO—from leading an executive team to managing in any type of market Engaging and informative, this book is essential reading for any, and every, CEO.
Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business (Techstars) (Techstars)
by Matt BlumbergYou’re only a startup CEO once. Do it well with Startup CEO, a "master class in building a business."—Dick Costolo, Former CEO, Twitter Being a startup CEO is a job like no other: it’s difficult, risky, stressful, lonely, and often learned through trial and error. As a startup CEO seeing things for the first time, you’re likely to make mistakes, fail, get things wrong, and feel like you don’t have any control over outcomes. Author Matt Blumberg has been there, and in Startup CEO he shares his experience, mistakes, and lessons learned as he guided Return Path from a handful of employees and no revenues to over $100 million in revenues and 500 employees. Startup CEO is not a memoir of Return Path's 20-year journey but a thoughtful CEO-focused book that provides first-time CEOs with advice, tools, and approaches for the situations that startup CEOs will face. You'll learn: How to tell your story to new hires, investors, and customers for greater alignment How to create a values-based culture for speed and engagement How to create business and personal operating systems so that you can balance your life and grow your company at the same time How to develop, lead, and leverage your board of directors for greater impact How to ensure that your company is bought, not sold, when you exit Startup CEO is the field guide every CEO needs throughout the growth of their company.
The Startup Checklist: 25 Steps to a Scalable, High-Growth Business
by David S. Rose25 Steps to Found and Scale a High-Growth Business The Startup Checklist is the entrepreneur's essential companion. While most entrepreneurship books focus on strategy, this invaluable guide provides the concrete steps that will get your new business off to a strong start. You'll learn the ins and outs of startup execution, management, legal issues, and practical processes throughout the launch and growth phases, and how to avoid the critical missteps that threaten the foundation of your business. Instead of simply referring you to experts, this discussion shows you exactly which experts you need, what exactly you need them to do, and which tools you will use to support them—and you'll gain enough insight to ask smart questions that help you get your money's worth. If you're ready to do big things, this book has you covered from the first business card to the eventual exit. Over two thirds of startups are built on creaky foundations, and over two thirds of startup costs go directly toward cleaning up legal and practical problems caused by an incomplete or improper start. This book helps you sidestep the messy and expensive clean up process by giving you the specific actions you need to take right from the very beginning. Understand the critical intricacies of legally incorporating and running a startup Learn which experts you need, and what exactly you need from them Make more intelligent decisions independent of your advisors Avoid the challenges that threaten to derail great young companies The typical American startup costs over $30,000 and requires working with over two dozen professionals and service providers before it even opens for business—and the process is so complex that few founders do it correctly. Their startups errors often go unnoticed until the founder tries to seek outside capital, at which point they can cost thousands of dollars to fix. . . or even completely derail an investment. The Startup Checklist helps you avoid these problems and lay a strong foundation, so you can focus on building your business.
Startup Cities: Why Only a Few Cities Dominate the Global Startup Scene and What the Rest Should Do About It
by Peter S. CohanThis book offers a comprehensive model for explaining the success and failure of cities in nurturing startups, presents detailed case studies of how participants in that model help or hinder startup activity, and shows how to apply these lessons to boost local startup activity. Startup Cities explains the factors that determine local startup success based on a detailed comparison of regional startup cities—pairing the most successful and less successful cities within regions along with insights and implications from case studies of each of the model’s elements. The book compares local city pairs, highlighting factors that distinguish successful from less successful cities and presents implications for stakeholders that arise from these principles. Peter Cohan is a lecturer of Strategy at Babson College and one of the world’s leading authorities on regional startup ecosystems. Starting in 2012, he created and led Startup Strategy courses that explore four regional startup ecosystems—Hong Kong/Singapore, Israel, Paris, and Spain/Portugal. These courses are based on an original framework for evaluating why a few cities host most startup creation and the rest fail to do so. In running these courses, Peter has built a network of local policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and professors from which he draws practical insights for what distinguishes successful Startup Commons from their peers. The book provides vital benefits to these stakeholders. What You’ll Learn Local policymakers will know how to build a local team to set objectives for their local Startup Commons and develop a comprehensive strategy to realize those goalsEntrepreneurs will know how to choose where to locate their startups based on factors such as the supply and quality of talent—from chief marketing and technology officers to coders and sales people; quality of life, access to capital, customers, and mentors; and costs such as salary and real estate expenseUniversity administrators and faculty will know how to take research out of their labs and house it in companies that can commercialize that research, create academic programs that will encourage more entrepreneurship among their students, and connect with local policymakers and capital providers to spur local startup activityCapital providers will know how to scout out emerging startup cities where they can get access to the best investment opportunities at more favorable valuations and have greater influence on how the local startup scene evolvesWho This Book Is ForAll key startup stakeholders, including local policymakers (mayors, directors of economic development, treasurers, controllers, presidents of regional chamber of commerce), entrepreneurs (CEOs, chief marketing officers, chief financial officers, chief HR officers, chief technology officers), universities (presidents; deans of faculty; provosts; professors of finance, management, and entrepreneurship; directors of international education), and capital providers (venture capital partners and associates, angel investors, bank loan officers, managers of accelerator operations)
The Startup Coach: Teach Yourself
by Carl ReaderBy the end of this book, you will have started your own business. This handy guide will help you to: - Evaluate yourself and your ideas - Assemble your research and your team - Raise the finances you need - Manage and market your business - Make a profit and stay sane! Whilst, other books help you talk the talk, the Teach Yourself Coach books will help you walk the walk. Who are you? * Anyone who wants to start their own business Where will this book take you? * You will have started your own business by the end of the book How does it work? * A combination of practical, tried-and-tested advice, and unique interactive exercises When can you do it? * In your own time and at your own pace What else do you get? * Access to free downloadable resources Why Teach Yourself®? * Teach Yourself books are trusted around the world and have helped 60 million people achieve their goals
The Startup Coach: Teach Yourself
by Carl ReaderBy the end of this book, you will have started your own business. This handy guide will help you to: - Evaluate yourself and your ideas - Assemble your research and your team - Raise the finances you need - Manage and market your business - Make a profit and stay sane!Whilst, other books help you talk the talk, the Teach Yourself Coach books will help you walk the walk.Who are you? * Anyone who wants to start their own businessWhere will this book take you?* You will have started your own business by the end of the bookHow does it work?* A combination of practical, tried-and-tested advice, and unique interactive exercisesWhen can you do it?* In your own time and at your own paceWhat else do you get?* Access to free downloadable resourcesWhy Teach Yourself®?* Teach Yourself books are trusted around the world and have helped 60 million people achieve their goals
Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City (Techstars Ser.)
by Brad FeldFirst published in 2012, Startup Communities became a blueprint for what it takes to build a supportive entrepreneurial community. Now regarded as a classic, the "Boulder Thesis" created and popularized by Feld within the book generated enormous media attention nearly a decade ago. At that time, Boulder was an emerging startup laboratory—a hub of innovation building new tech businesses. It quickly accelerated into a world class ecosystem for entrepreneurs. Boulder's entrepreneurial density, combined with the geographic concentration of entrepreneurial activity around the Boulder downtown core, made it a hotbed of startup activity. Feld was and is still there, as a keen observer and one of its leaders. As he notes simply in the new edition, humans are wired to start things. In a sense, that short Feld-ism accurately describes the startup revolution still taking hold throughout the world. Boulder is proof that innovation can happen anywhere, in any city. Thanks in part to the book, what happens in Boulder now leaves Boulder. Rapidly growing startup communities in Atlanta, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City, Nashville, and Indianapolis are just a few examples. Over the last decade, Feld has dispelled the myth that startups can only thrive in Silicon Valley. Startup communities continue to pop up across the U.S. and around the world, prompting fresh new revelations and stories from Feld about what's happened over the last decade. Startup Communities 2e describes what makes a startup community ecosystem first click, then hum, and in time, excel. From Boulder to Beijing and beyond, entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation. Startup Communities 2e discusses and the necessary dynamics and pre-conditions of building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off each other's talent, creativity, and support. In Startup Communities 2e, Feld will help you understand: The core principles of a vibrant startup community, re-examining his Boulder Thesis and exploring other historical frameworks. The attributes of leadership in a startup community that can help it thrive along with the classical problems any community will face during development. The importance of a university in a startup community, and how large companies can engage effectively with entrepreneurs. The importance of continuous improvement so growth does not stagnate. The common myths about startup communities. The opportunities to build startup communities in non-urban, or rural, places that are much less populated.
Startup Communities
by Brad FeldAn essential guide to building supportive entrepreneurial communities"Startup communities" are popping up everywhere, from cities like Boulder to Boston and even in countries such as Iceland. These types of entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation and small business energy. Startup Communities documents the buzz, strategy, long-term perspective, and dynamics of building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off of each other's talent, creativity, and support.Based on more than twenty years of Boulder-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist Brad Feld's experience in the field?as well as contributions from other innovative startup communities?this reliable resource skillfully explores what it takes to create an entrepreneurial community in any city, at any time. Along the way, it offers valuable insights into increasing the breadth and depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by multiplying connections among entrepreneurs and mentors, improving access to entrepreneurial education, and much more.Details the four critical principles needed to form a sustainable startup communityPerfect for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists seeking fresh ideas and new opportunitiesWritten by Brad Feld, a thought-leader in this field who has been an early-stage investor and successful entrepreneur for more than twenty years Engaging and informative, this practical guide not only shows you how startup communities work, but it also shows you how to make them work anywhere in the world.
The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (Techstars Ser.)
by Brad Feld Ian HathawayThe Way Forward for Entrepreneurship Around the World We are in the midst of a startup revolution. The growth and proliferation of innovation-driven startup activity is profound, unprecedented, and global in scope. Today, it is understood that communities of support and knowledge-sharing go along with other resources. The importance of collaboration and a long-term commitment has gained wider acceptance. These principles are adopted in many startup communities throughout the world. And yet, much more work is needed. Startup activity is highly concentrated in large cities. Governments and other actors such as large corporations and universities are not collaborating with each other nor with entrepreneurs as well as they could. Too often, these actors try to control activity or impose their view from the top-down, rather than supporting an environment that is led from the bottom-up. We continue to see a disconnect between an entrepreneurial mindset and that of many actors who wish to engage with and support entrepreneurship. There are structural reasons for this, but we can overcome many of these obstacles with appropriate focus and sustained practice. No one tells this story better than Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway. The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem explores what makes startup communities thrive and how to improve collaboration in these rapidly evolving, complex environments. The Startup Community Way is an explanatory guide for startup communities. Rooted in the theory of complex systems, this book establishes the systemic properties of entrepreneurial ecosystems and explains why their complex nature leads people to make predictable mistakes. As complex systems, value creation occurs in startup communities primarily through the interaction of the "parts" - the people, organizations, resources, and conditions involved - not the parts themselves. This continual process of bottom-up interactions unfolds naturally, producing value in novel and unexpected ways. Through these complex, emergent processes, the whole becomes greater and substantially different than what the parts alone could produce. Because of this, participants must take a fundamentally different approach than is common in much of our civic and professional lives. Participants must take a whole-system view, rather than simply trying to optimize their individual part. They must prioritize experimentation and learning over planning and execution. Complex systems are uncertain and unpredictable. They cannot be controlled, only guided and influenced. Each startup community is unique. Replication is enticing but impossible. The race to become "The Next Silicon Valley" is futile - even Silicon Valley couldn't recreate itself. This book: Offers practical advice for entrepreneurs, community builders, government officials, and other stakeholders who want to harness the power of entrepreneurship in their city Describes the core components of startup communities and entrepreneurial ecosystems, as well as an explanation of the differences between these two related, but distinct concepts Advances a new framework for effective startup community building based on the theory of complex systems and insights from systems thinking Includes contributions from leading entrepreneurial voices Is a must-have resource for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, executives, business and community leaders, economic development authorities, policymakers, university officials, and anyone wishing to understand how startup communities work anywhere in the world
Startup CXO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Company's Critical Functions and Teams (Techstars)
by Matt BlumbergOne of the greatest challenges for startup teams is scaling because usually there's not a blueprint to follow, people are learning their function as they go, and everyone is wearing multiple hats. There can be lots of trial and error, lots of missteps, and lots of valuable time and money squandered as companies scale. Matt Blumberg and his team understand the scaling challenges—they've been there, and it took them nearly 20 years to scale and achieve a successful exit. Along the way they learned what worked and what didn’t work, and they share their lessons learned in Startup CXO. Unlike other business books, Startup CXO is designed to help each functional leader understand how their function scales, what to anticipate as they scale, and what things to avoid. Beyond providing function-specific advice, tools, and tactics, Startup CXO is a resource for each team member to learn about the other functions, understand other functional challenges, and get greater clarity on how to collaborate effectively with the other functional leads. CEOs, Board members, and investors have a book they can consult to pinpoint areas of weakness and learn how to turn those into strengths. Startup CXO has in-depth chapters covering the nine most common functions in startups: finance, people, marketing, sales, customers, business development, product, operations, and privacy. Each functional section has a "CEO to CEO Advice" summary from Blumberg on what great looks like for that CXO, signs your CXO isn't scaling, and how to engage with your CXO. Startup CXO also has a section on the future of executive work, fractional and interim roles. Written by leading practitioners in the newly emergent fractional executive world, each function is covered with useful tips on how to be a successful fractional executive as well as what to look for and how to manage fractional executives. Startup CXO is an amazing resource for CEOs but also for functional leaders and professionals at any stage of their career."—Scott Dorsey, Managing Partner, High Alpha
Startup Ecosystems: Components for an Interpretative Model and International Benchmarks (Studies on Entrepreneurship, Structural Change and Industrial Dynamics)
by Fabio GrecoThis book analyzes the components of the startup ecosystem, including the characteristics that can favor or disadvantage the development of new innovative ventures. The author believes it is essential to identify crucial variables of start-up ecosystems that have a context-specific influence on the well-being and development of startups. In this regard, the book analyzes the concept of the start-up ecosystem both from the point of view of scholars and professionals. The author then deals with the diverse approaches to studying startup ecosystems, which have over the years become increasingly complex, and less linear, making systematization indispensable. The author provides therefore a classification with a transversal logic with respect to this diversity of contributions in the literature. The main theoretical contributions to start-up ecosystems are grouped according to the attention they place on three different variables: territorial contexts, resources, and actors. The author also presents qualitative, interview-based, research using narrative analysis mode to understand the three variables.The work provides, on the one hand, the proposal of a framework as a theoretical interpretative model useful both for the description of the fundamental components of the start-up ecosystem, and also useful for giving a boost to future research. On the other hand, the book also presents evidence of a practical nature useful to support and guide the choices of startup founders and of managers of companies and institutions that orbit within start-up ecosystems.
The Startup Game: Inside the Partnership Between Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs
by William H. DraperA riveting look at the relationship between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists For more than 40 years, venture capitalist Bill Draper has worked with top entrepreneurs in fabled Silicon Valley, where today's vision is made into tomorrow's reality. From the VC who saw the value in Skype, Zappos, and many other companies, comes firsthand stories of success. In these pages Draper explores: how to evaluate innovative ideas and the entrepreneurs behind those ideas (lessons from Yahoo, Baidu, Tesla Motors, Activision, Measurex, and more); and the value of political leadership in creating opportunity, including on-the-ground accounts of how Deng Xiaoping brought China roaring into the modern world.
The Startup Gold Mine: How to Tap the Hidden Innovation Agendas of Large Companies to Fund and Grow Your Business
by Brad Feld Neil SoniThe startup playbook for partnering with big businessCorporations are desperate to overhaul their culture and the perception that they are giant, bureaucratic dinosaurs too slow to react in a rapidly changing business landscape. Many are trying to be more innovative and agile, like a startup. One easy way to achieve this goal is through partnering with or acquiring a startup. Corporate venture capital (CVC) now makes up 25 percent (~$18 billion) of all venture capital dollars in North America.The Startup Gold Mine reveals how the world’s largest and most prestigious brands make innovation decisions, including new product launches, vendor-startup partnerships, and even billion-dollar acquisitions. The book also details the ways startups can leverage corporate strengths and weaknesses for mutual benefit. Readers will learnWhy the “innovator’s dilemma” is leading large companies to seek out partnerships with startupsHow to close a deal with a large company, from first connection to getting paidStrategies to troubleshoot common land mines that startups encounter when working with large companiesWays to navigate the convoluted corporate landscape without spending a fortune on conferences and consultants.Author Neil Soni draws on his experience as an entrepreneur and as an external innovator with premier brands like Estée Lauder, MAC, and Smashbox to reveal large companies’ inner workings, as well as how startup founders and employees can use this knowledge to close the biggest deals of their lives.PRAISE FOR THE STARTUP GOLD MINE“A really useful guide for startup founders and big company executives alike. Packed with practical steps and common mistakes, this book is one to read attentively and keep handy for future referencing.”--Maria Thomas, former Etsy CEO, SmartThings CMO“The Startup Gold Mine is THE playbook for getting your startup-corporate deals across the finish line. Every founder needs to read this!”--Justin Mares, founder of Kettle & Fire, coauthor of Traction“Over the last decade, big companies have completely changed their approach to innovation, with startups at the center of those efforts. The Fortune 500 are turning to startups for innovation across every facet of their business, ranging from marketing and sales to customer service and logistics. Gone are the days when ‘no one ever got fired for buying IBM.’”--Dave Knox, author of Predicting the Turn, cofounder of The Brandery, CMO of Rockfish“A productive relationship with the right corporate partner can unlock years of growth for a startup. On the other hand, there are numerous pitfalls along the way that can have you running in circles. The principles in The Startup Gold Mine give founders the proper framework to navigate the startup-corporate intersection to get their deal done.”--Sean Ammirati, partner at Birchmere Ventures, author of The Science of Growth“Giftology will get you in the door. The Startup Gold Mine will help you close the deal. This is a must-read book for anyone selling into large organizations!”--John Ruhlin, author of Giftology, founder and CEO of the Ruhlin Group“I’ve been working with startups in rapidly growing and evolving industries for over a decade. The principles Neil outlines in The Startup Gold Mine are spot on and essential reading for any founder looking to grow his or her business.”--Chris Chaney, founder, president, and owner, Infinite Esports & Entertainment
Startup guide: how to document the processes of your company in record time
by Victor FreireThe ultimate guide to document the processes of your organization in only 11 steps. The book describes a simple way to handle the very difficult task of documenting all the company processes. In just 11 steps, you can document the process of your company in less than 3 months