It Will Be Exhilarating: Indie Capitalism and Design Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century

by Dan Provost, Tom Gerhardt

Studio Neat has been in business for two years. We have launched two successful Kickstarter projects, in turn paving the way for a new era of independent hardware manufacturing, and recently entered the software world with our first iPhone app. We have learned a lot in a short period of time, and wanted to share this information with the world. So we wrote a book.

This book was written to offer guidance and inspiration for those charting a similar path, and covers topics such as running a small business, creating hardware products independently, launching a Kickstarter project, and tips for promoting your products. Everything is told through the lens of our own experience.

It Will Be Exhilarating is a short read that will provide the needed kick to start making stuff. There isn't a better time than now.

“There is no recipe for passion, no 5-step guide to making your idea real, but there is good, solid advice, and this book is filled with it.”
– Clay Shirky, author, Here Comes Everybody

“It Will Be Exhilarating is both fun and informative. I was shocked at how transparent and thorough Studio Neat are at sharing the details of their journey. Moreover, the book reads quick so you can get back to building your next great idea, but now with a bit of extra inspiration and insight.”
– Shawn Blanc, shawnblanc.net

"Dan and Tom had a wild ride through the early days of this alternative to make stuff by finding an interested audience that funds the costs of bringing a dream to fruition. This book tells those lessons learned from two successive and successful Kickstarter projects and the first two years of bootstrapping their company. Studio Neat has a practical roadmap for taking something you love and potentially making it your livelihood."
– Glenn Fleishman, a freelance technology reporter who contributes to The Economist, Macworld, and BoingBoing

“Tom and Dan have created a hitchhikers guide to the black art that is successfully funding a Kickstarter project.”
– Ben Brooks, brooksreview.net

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Design, Entrepreneurship, Technology

95 pages, ebook

First published August 26, 2012

Reviews

[Jacopo · Rating 3 out of 5]

La scelta del voto per questo libro ha richiesto un po' di riflessioni. Senza dubbio è una lettura informativa, veloce, simpatica e che veicola ispirazione; una sorta di "breviario" per aspiranti startupper.

Pur non essendo nulla di estremamente rivelatorio avrebbe meritato tranquillamente almeno le 4 stelle, se non fosse per un piccolo particolare: è troppo circostanziato. È anche giusto che sia così, in fondo gli autori parlano della loro personalissima esperienza, ma il lettore che volesse assumere informazioni su come avviare un'attività senza per forza passare da campagne di crowdfunding, o magari partendo dall'idea di offrire un servizio anziché un prodotto, potrebbe rimanere un attimo deluso.

Nonostante questo piccolo neo è una lettura che mi sento di consigliare a chiunque fosse interessato all'argomento.

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed this book not as an entrepreneurship or Kickstarter guide but to know more about their authors, the people behind Studio Neat, as I like their products and wanted a look behind the scenes.

In that sense it is an interesting and easy read. Also I think the first chapter (Philosophy) is a good summary of best practices in design.

[Roy Kenagy]

RK CITED IN Kleon, Show Your Work

[Kc! Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good origin story and business advice for indie companies from Studio Neat.

[Sergiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book for business starters

This is a great book from Don and Tom storytelling the experience of their company first product start up from the idea to final product selling process. A lot of valuable information for those who's looking for some gotchas for manufacturing, marketing and selling steps of their own creations via Kickstarter.

[Daniel Sollero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more about kickstarter projects than anything else. It's not bad, only limited. Consider this book a complementary book to all the others about entrepeneurship that you've read in your life.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A to-the-point and light payload of advice on one successful method of using Kickstarter. You can tell the authors are still having fun and tinkering with their own processes and workflow. Lots of good ideas to think about.

[Michel Kwarteng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple straightforward solid

Simple straightforward solid, clear suggestions on how to get a product to market using new tools. The book and article recommendations are equally solid.

[Abdullah Alsubaie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great and nice book to read, highly recommend everyone who have an ambition to make a successful company to read it.

[Norm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, quick, informative read. Interesting to read about their specific process and method. Plus any book that is quoting Ron Swanson in the Chapter title page is okay in my eyes.

[Norbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical view about learnings building a company after a successful kick starter project.

Ideal for startups in the hardware business

[Arijit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and candid story about two guys and their effort to create minimal utilitarian hardware set in the age of 'indie capitalism'..

[Matt]

Very quick, insightful read on getting a business going...

[Gianfranco Lanzio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, clear, to the point.

Most of all: inspiring.

Buy it, then read it, then go and make stuff.

[Michael Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest, useful information.