Reading Time: 3 minutesBlake J. Harris Console Wars ISBN: 978-0-06-227670-4 If I’ve learned anything over the course of the last few years neck-deep in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, it’s that any time companies begin to think less like a scrappy startup and more like a stodgy, conservative corporation, the quality of the company declines. Inversely, if a traditional company … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 3 minutesBrad Feld and Ian Hathaway The Startup Community Way ISBN: 978-1-119-61360-2 If you have followed my book review series on this blog, you know that I’ve reviewed a number of books by Brad Feld. His long, winding career as an entrepreneur, community builder, and investor has made him one of the top experts in entrepreneurship. … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesVictor W. Hwang and Greg Horowitt The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley ISBN: 978-0-615-58672-4 Every local entrepreneurial ecosystem in the last couple of decades have tried to replicate the success of Silicon Valley. How many different locations have you heard of that have tried to re-brand themselves “Silicon ___” based on … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesMichael E. Gerber The E-Myth Revisited ISBN: 978-0-88-730728-7 Why do so many small businesses fail? It’s not for lack of trying. Most small businesses and startups in the United States fail for one reason or another – lack of funding, poor product-market fit, founder team dysfunction, among others. In The E-Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesKen Ilgunas Walden on Wheels ISBN: 978-0-544-02883-8 Do you remember that classic song from a certain children’s show, where they sing “one of these things is not like the other?” Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas is that book that’s not like the others that I’ve reviewed in the past – it’s the story of … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesBrad Feld and Jason Mendelson Venture Deals ISBN: 978-1-119-59482-6 Just before COVID-19 threw everything into chaos in March of this year, I had signed up to take the online Venture Deals course created by the Kauffman Foundation, managed by Techstars, and taught by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson of the Foundry Group venture capital firm. … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesGeorge Anders The Rare Find: How Great Talent Stands Out ISBN: 978-1-59184-562-1 Startups and corporations alike expend a great deal of time, money, and effort to find the right people to fill the right jobs. Unfortunately, very few get it right. However, a select few have found the “secret sauce” to hiring the right people, … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesMatt Mayberry Winning Plays ISBN: 978-1-4555-6828-4 For many people, goal setting is probably one of the most difficult but necessary things that must be done in order to successfully run a business. Your business or startup isn’t going to go anywhere if you don’t have at least a few definitive plans for the future. I … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesJosh Allan Dykstra Igniting the Invisible Tribe ISBN: 978-0-9858326-1-2 The culture of a company is one of the main factors why employees choose to stay in a job or leave a company for another. It’s a topic that is widely discussed among startup founders, corporate executives, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builders. In many of the startup … [Read more…]
Reading Time: 2 minutesBrad Feld and Amy Batchelor Startup Life ISBN: 978-1-118-44364-4 Many of the books I review in this series focus specifically on building a startup or business, building the entrepreneurial ecosystem, or working on yourself. In reality, there are other supporting you and your venture that are rarely discussed. Startup Life, by husband and wife duo … [Read more…]