Upstart Start-Ups!: How 34 Young Entrepreneurs Overcame Youth, Inexperience, and Lack of Money to Create Thriving Businesses

by Ron Lieber

You're young and ambitious, with a great idea for a new software program, downtown music 'zine, or a better-than-Snapple beverage--but how do you turn your dream concept into a thriving business?

Forget the ultra-conservative suits who scoffed when you brought your hot idea to their door! As Fortune magazine's Ron Lieber shows, you can actually turn your youth, inexperience, and lack of money to your advantage and capitalize on your assets to trump the corporate system, be your own boss, and turn your entrepreneurial vision into a reality.

Based on interviews with more than thirty young, independent entrepreneurs who have developed some of today's hottest--even revolutionary--companies and products, Upstart Start-Ups! provides essential tips and information that will enable you to get your own Nantucket Nectars or Magnetic Poetry off the ground. Check

The myths and realities you need to know about starting a business when you're under 30
How to generate your first "brainstorm" and how to act on a good idea
How to overcome the stigmas of youth and inexperience and make your age work to your advantage
How to develop a realistic business plan
Where and how to get the financial backing you need
How to establish credibility for your business or product with consumers
Models that have proved successful, and how to apply them to your own vision


Twenty-six-year-old Ron Lieber writes for Fortune magazine and is the coauthor of the New York Times business bestseller Taking Time Off.   He appears regularly on national television and radio to discuss career issues, corporate management, and his recent columns.

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 1998

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's nice about this book is that it's based in the real world. There are no "magic bullets" or other forms of snake oil being sold here. These are simply stories of people who are making their startups work for the time being. The book is honest that some parts of running a startup are terrible and that you'll probably have to struggle to get by. The tips are somewhat useful, but I think the overall message that "hustle" is a top priority is the real gold here.

[Krys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. A bit dated now, just ten years after the copyright. Only in the sense that a lot of these upstarts have changed business models (Altitunes and CDNow). The concepts seem very up to date and really useful.

[Alex Harsha-strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very general. Some of the concepts are useful like the marketing chapter. But he had way too many companies and I think struggled to make a book of it. At some point, you have to summarize the points instead of just listing what 10 companies did in each scenario

[Jun-Dai Bates-Kobashigawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best book I've found on the subject.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't take a lot... to start a business or write a book about starting a business. Some fun chapters and some terrible writing.

[Lori Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A should-read book on entrepreneurial success stories for the knowledge worker or aspiring entrepreneur.