Why Startups Fail
Why Startups Fail

Author: Tom Eisenmann

Publisher: Currency

Published: 2021-03-30

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 0593137027

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If you want your startup to succeed, you need to understand why startups fail. “Whether you’re a first-time founder or looking to bring innovation into a corporate environment, Why Startups Fail is essential reading.”—Eric Ries, founder and CEO, LTSE, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way Why do startups fail? That question caught Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann by surprise when he realized he couldn’t answer it. So he launched a multiyear research project to find out. In Why Startups Fail, Eisenmann reveals his findings: six distinct patterns that account for the vast majority of startup failures. • Bad Bedfellows. Startup success is thought to rest largely on the founder’s talents and instincts. But the wrong team, investors, or partners can sink a venture just as quickly. • False Starts. In following the oft-cited advice to “fail fast” and to “launch before you’re ready,” founders risk wasting time and capital on the wrong solutions. • False Promises. Success with early adopters can be misleading and give founders unwarranted confidence to expand. • Speed Traps. Despite the pressure to “get big fast,” hypergrowth can spell disaster for even the most promising ventures. • Help Wanted. Rapidly scaling startups need lots of capital and talent, but they can make mistakes that leave them suddenly in short supply of both. • Cascading Miracles. Silicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to dream big. But the bigger the vision, the more things that can go wrong. Drawing on fascinating stories of ventures that failed to fulfill their early promise—from a home-furnishings retailer to a concierge dog-walking service, from a dating app to the inventor of a sophisticated social robot, from a fashion brand to a startup deploying a vast network of charging stations for electric vehicles—Eisenmann offers frameworks for detecting when a venture is vulnerable to these patterns, along with a wealth of strategies and tactics for avoiding them. A must-read for founders at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey, Why Startups Fail is not merely a guide to preventing failure but also a roadmap charting the path to startup success.

Startup Fundraising: How Successful Founders Raise Capital for Their Startups
Startup Fundraising: How Successful Founders Raise Capital for Their Startups

Author: Atal Malviya

Publisher:

Published: 2018-05-16

Total Pages: 78

ISBN-13: 9781981050871

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You have a great start-up idea.You decide to take the plunge and start your own company.You find like-minded friends who come together, and you start building the company.You realize you need money, loads of it, to pursue your dream. You decide to raise funds and do it successfully immediately.In a perfect world where things fell into place when we wished, this would be a possibility. However, we live in a world that is far from perfect and is highly competitive. In 2017 alone, more than 11,000 start-ups received funding amounting to $164 billion (as per CB Insights and PricewaterhouseCoopers). Sounds heartening? It isn't! Globally only 11,042 start-ups received funding. Why did the thousands of start-ups which had been launched in the last few years not succeed in raising funds? This book is written for startup founders to prepare them for successful fund raising for their company. From working on the core components of the startup to preparation of right documents and pitching to the investors, this book covers all key aspects of fund raising. Atal Malviya, the founder of Spark10 has built and exited VC funded companies and has also helped hundreds of startups in raising investment globally. Spark10 has worked with investors and founders closely to fill the gaps and induct the most promising startups into its accelerator program while providing opportunities to savvy investors. This book is written by investors who see hundreds of deals on a regular basis and follow the same core pattern before taking a call - this book is the summary of that core pattern and components that investors look for, before making an investment decision. The book also talks about right and wrong investors and how founders must be wary while choosing their future investor partners. In this book, founders will also find links to useful recourses such as sample pitch deck, sample cashflow statements, and business plan structure that is usually shared with Spark10 companies joining the accelerator. Praise for Startup Fundraising Book - If you don't know which to read first out of the thousands of books on startups, then Atal's "Startup Fundraising" provides you with a crisp, concise and practical overview. Atal's personal experience as an entrepreneur enables him to cut through the clutter and focus on the real questions. He lays out each of the key issues you face and gives you a great jumping off point for your journey.- Rupert Edwards, Founder & CEO at Spirit Labs As an entrepreneur one must comprehend that cash is the magnet for the development motor of an organization. Raising money is a vital and full-time project. This book tries to deliver all viewpoints related to fund raising and where investor willing to invest. Entrepreneurs can get benefited with this book to perceive the mindset of investor, type of investor they pick and what all they have to plan for raising support."- Amit Chandak, Co-founder & CTO at Progen Business Solutions First things first: Thank you Atal, for giving me access to your book to read through. I can say that I have really enjoyed it and I have learned a lot! This should be the Go-To-Book for you, no matter if you are an Investor trying to figure out in what start-up you should invest into, or a founder who wants to raise funds. The data is thoroughly researched and shows the high-end skill level of the author. He knows what he is talking about as he knows both sides. The investors point of view and the founders' point of view as well. This is very rare and makes this book a gem.- Richard Trummer, ICO Advisor and StrategistSo go ahead, read the book, spread the word and make a difference!

On Startups: Advice and Insights for Entrepreneurs
On Startups: Advice and Insights for Entrepreneurs

Author: Dharmesh Shah

Publisher: Hyperink Inc

Published: 2012-12-09

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1614645965

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Note from the Author Hi, my name is Dharmesh, and I’m a startup addict. And, chances are, if you’re reading this, you have at least a mild obsession as well. This book is based on content from the OnStartups.com blog. The story behind how the blog got started is sort of interesting—but before I tell you that story, it’ll help to understand my earlier story. As a professional programmer, I used to work in a reasonably fun job doing what I liked to do (write code). Eventually, I got a little frustrated with it all, so at the ripe old age of 24, I started my first software company. It did pretty well. It was on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies three times. It reached millions of dollars of sales and was ultimately acquired. I ran that first company for over 10 years working the typical startup hours. When I sold that company, I went back to school to get a master’s degree at MIT. I’ve always enjoyed academics, and I figured this would be a nice “soft landing” and give me some time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. As part of my degree requirements, I had to write a graduate thesis. I titled my thesis “On Startups: Patterns and Practices of Contemporary Software Entrepreneurs.” And, as part of that thesis work, I wanted to get some feedback from some entrepreneurs. So, I figured I’d start a blog. I took the first two words of the thesis title, “On Startups,” discovered that the domain name OnStartups.com was available, and was then off to the races. The blog was launched on November 5, 2005. Since then, the blog and associated community have grown quite large. Across Facebook, LinkedIn, and email subscribers, there are over 300,000 people in the OnStartups.com audience. This book is a collection of some of the best articles from over 7 years of OnStartups.com. The articles have been topically organized and edited. I hope you enjoy them.

The Art of Startup Fundraising
The Art of Startup Fundraising

Author: Alejandro Cremades

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2016-04-11

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1119191831

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Startup money is moving online, and this guide shows you how it works. The Art of Startup Fundraising takes a fresh look at raising money for startups, with a focus on the changing face of startup finance. New regulations are making the old go-to advice less relevant, as startup money is increasingly moving online. These new waters are all but uncharted—and founders need an accessible guide. This book helps you navigate the online world of startup fundraising with easy-to-follow explanations and expert perspective on the new digital world of finance. You'll find tips and tricks on raising money and investing in startups from early stage to growth stage, and develop a clear strategy based on the new realities surrounding today's startup landscape. The finance world is in a massive state of flux. Changes are occurring at an increasing pace in all sectors, but few more intensely than the startup sphere. When the paradigm changes, your processes must change with it. This book shows you how startup funding works, with expert coaching toward the new rules on the field. Learn how the JOBS Act impacts the fundraising model Gain insight on startups from early stage to growth stage Find the money you need to get your venture going Craft your pitch and optimize the strategy Build momentum Identify the right investors Avoid the common mistakes Don't rely on the "how we did it" tales from superstar startups, as these stories are unique and applied to exceptional scenarios. The game has changed, and playing by the old rules only gets you left behind. Whether you're founding a startup or looking to invest, The Art of Startup Fundraising provides the up-to-the-minute guidance you need.

Raising Capital
Raising Capital

Author: David E. Vance

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2005-04-20

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 9780387253190

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Most small businesses cite lack of capital is a major constraint on growth. "Raising Capital" focuses on non-bank sources of capital since banks only lend to companies that fit a very narrow profile. The topics covered include: (i) capital sources entrepreneurs can tap when they are too small or unusual for banks, (ii) angel investors and venture capital, (iii) where to look for angels, venture capitalists and other capital sources, (iv) how to pitch your company and close the deal, (v) deal terms and issues that arise when negotiating a deal, (vi) going public through an IPO or little known small public offerings, (viii) asset based lenders, and (ix) other financing vehicles including: bond, commercial paper, PIPEs and securitization. The scope of the book ranges from capital for entrepreneurs who have little more than an idea, to capital for top rated companies.

Angel Investing
Angel Investing

Author: Joe Wallin

Publisher: Holloway, Inc.

Published: 2020-07-01

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1952120497

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Angel Investing: Start to Finish is the most comprehensive practical and legal guide written to help investors and entrepreneurs avoid making expensive mistakes. Angel investing can be fun, financially rewarding, and socially impactful. But it can also be a costly endeavor in terms of money, time, and missed opportunities. Through the successes, failures, and collective experience of the authors you’ll learn how to navigate the angel investment process to maximize your chances of success and manage downside risks as an investor or entrepreneur. You’ll learn how: - Lead investors evaluate deals - Lawyers think through term sheets - To keep perspective through losses and triumphs This book will also be of use to founders raising an angel round, who will be wise to learn how decisions are made on the other side of the table. No matter where you’re starting from, this book will give you the context to become a savvier thinker, a better negotiator, and a positive member of the angel investing and startup communities.

How Venture Capital Works
How Venture Capital Works

Author: Phillip Ryan

Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc

Published: 2012-07-01

Total Pages: 82

ISBN-13: 1448867959

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Explanations to the inner workings of one of the least understood, but arguably most important, areas of business finance is offered to readers in this engaging volume: venture capital. Venture capitalists provide necessary investment to seed (or startup) companies, but the startup is only the beginning, there is much more to be explored. These savvy investors help guide young entrepreneurs, who likely have little experience, to turn their businesses into the Googles, Facebooks, and Groupons of the world. This book explains the often-complex methods venture capitalists use to value companies and to get the most return on their investments, or ROI. This book is a must-have for any reader interested in the business world.

The Founder's Dilemmas
The Founder's Dilemmas

Author: Noam Wasserman

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2013-04

Total Pages: 490

ISBN-13: 0691158304

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The Founder's Dilemmas examines how early decisions by entrepreneurs can make or break a startup and its team. Drawing on a decade of research, including quantitative data on almost ten thousand founders as well as inside stories of founders like Evan Williams of Twitter and Tim Westergren of Pandora, Noam Wasserman reveals the common pitfalls founders face and how to avoid them.

Super Founders
Super Founders

Author: Ali Tamaseb

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 2021-05-18

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1541768418

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Super Founders uses a data-driven approach to understand what really differentiates billion-dollar startups from the rest—revealing that nearly everything we thought was true about them is false! Ali Tamaseb has spent thousands of hours manually amassing what may be the largest dataset ever collected on startups, comparing billion-dollar startups with those that failed to become one—30,000 data points on nearly every factor: number of competitors, market size, the founder’s age, his or her university’s ranking, quality of investors, fundraising time, and many, many more. And what he found looked far different than expected. Just to mention a few: Most unicorn founders had no industry experience; There's no disadvantage to being a solo founder or to being a non-technical CEO; Less than 15% went through any kind of accelerator program; Over half had strong competitors when starting--being first to market with an idea does not actually matter. You will also hear the stories of the early days of billion-dollar startups first-hand. The book includes exclusive interviews with the founders/investors of Zoom, Instacart, PayPal, Nest, Github, Flatiron Health, Kite Pharma, Facebook, Stripe, Airbnb, YouTube, LinkedIn, Lyft, DoorDash, Coinbase, and Square, venture capital investors like Elad Gil, Peter Thiel, Alfred Lin from Sequoia Capital and Keith Rabois of Founders Fund, as well as previously untold stories about the early days of ByteDance (TikTok), WhatsApp, Dropbox, Discord, DiDi, Flipkart, Instagram, Careem, Peloton, and SpaceX. Packed with counterintuitive insights and inside stories from people who have built massively successful companies, Super Founders is a paradigm-shifting and actionable guide for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone interested in what makes a startup successful.

Startup Success
Startup Success

Author: Gordon Daugherty

Publisher:

Published: 2019-09-23

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9781632992451

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You've got yourself a startup! But now where's the funding going to come from? In this day and age, creating a startup seems to be an easy process. After some meetings with an equally passionate cofounder, you discover you have a creative idea, the outline of a business plan, and a willingness to spend nights and weekends doing really hard work. But most startup founders have never run a company--much less had to secure funding to reach crucial milestones. If you don't get the funding you need, you may either make progress at a snail's pace, or you may have to give up altogether. With stakes this high, improving a startup founder's odds of fundraising successfully--even just a little--can make a huge difference in the outcome of a venture. In this informative and enlightening book, Gordon Daugherty demystifies the fundraising process that takes place during the early phases of a startup's evolution. Every founder cares about the valuation they will be able to negotiate with investors, and anyone who has attempted fundraising has encountered numerous debates about the valuation they're asking for. Startup Success dedicates a whole chapter to negotiating valuation, which, in the end, involves a serious combination of art and science to execute effectively. Daugherty's book serves as a valuable educational and planning tool for use before the fundraising campaign begins and a reference guide for interacting and negotiating with investors after things get underway. Startup Success is written in a logical sequence that follows the general life cycle of planning and executing a successful fundraising campaign. Actionable tips, tricks, and aha realizations will have readers dog-earing pages and highlighting passages for future reference. The author's own words tell it all: "I decided to write something different that best exploits the gray in my hair and the hard lessons I've learned." Any startup founder, advisor, or angel investor--regardless of their experience level--will come away with improved skills and an increased knowledge base. Gordon Daugherty is a seasoned business executive, entrepreneur, startup advisor, and investor. He has made more than 200 investments in early-stage companies as a venture fund manager and angel investor, and he has been involved in raising more than $80 million in growth and venture capital.