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All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line
If Owen Chase can't find a way to turn his company around in the next nine days, he'll be forced to shut it down and lay off all of his employees. He has incurred substantial debt and his marriage is on shaky ground.
Through pure happenstance, Owen finds himself pondering this problem while advancing steadily as a contestant at the World Series of Poker. His Las Vegas path quickly introduces him to Samantha, a beautiful and mysterious mentor with a revolutionary approach to entrepreneurship. Sam is a fountain of knowledge that may save his company, but her sexual advances might prove too much for Owen's struggling marriage.
All In Startup is more than just a novel about eschewing temptation and fighting to save a company. It is a lifeline for entrepreneurs who are thinking about launching a new idea or for those who have already started but can't seem to generate the traction they were expecting.
Entrepreneurs who achieve success in the new economy do so using a new "scientific method" of innovation. All In Startup demonstrates why four counterintuitive principles separate successful entrepreneurs from the wanna-preneurs who bounce from idea to idea, unable to generate real revenue.
You will likely get only one opportunity in your life to go "all in" in on an idea: to quit your job, talk your spouse into letting you drain the savings account, and follow your dream. All In Startup will prepare you for that "all in" moment and make sure that you push your chips into the middle only when the odds are in your favor. This book holds the keys to significantly de-risking your idea so that your success appears almost lucky.
Join Owen and Sam for this one-of-a-kind journey that will set you on the right path for when it's your turn to put everything on the line.
Through pure happenstance, Owen finds himself pondering this problem while advancing steadily as a contestant at the World Series of Poker. His Las Vegas path quickly introduces him to Samantha, a beautiful and mysterious mentor with a revolutionary approach to entrepreneurship. Sam is a fountain of knowledge that may save his company, but her sexual advances might prove too much for Owen's struggling marriage.
All In Startup is more than just a novel about eschewing temptation and fighting to save a company. It is a lifeline for entrepreneurs who are thinking about launching a new idea or for those who have already started but can't seem to generate the traction they were expecting.
Entrepreneurs who achieve success in the new economy do so using a new "scientific method" of innovation. All In Startup demonstrates why four counterintuitive principles separate successful entrepreneurs from the wanna-preneurs who bounce from idea to idea, unable to generate real revenue.
You will likely get only one opportunity in your life to go "all in" in on an idea: to quit your job, talk your spouse into letting you drain the savings account, and follow your dream. All In Startup will prepare you for that "all in" moment and make sure that you push your chips into the middle only when the odds are in your favor. This book holds the keys to significantly de-risking your idea so that your success appears almost lucky.
Join Owen and Sam for this one-of-a-kind journey that will set you on the right path for when it's your turn to put everything on the line.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
50 people are currently reading
564 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 8, 2016
I have just finished reading an exceptionally well written business book with a surprising fictional storyline. Diana Kander's book, all in startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything is on the Line, is presented to the reader as a fictional story about an individual that started his business on flawed assumptions. Her book covers four basic ideas: (1) Startups are about finding customers, not building products, (2) People don't buy products or services; they buy solutions to their problems, (3) Entrepreneurs are detectives, not fortunetellers, and (4) Successful entrepreneurs are luck makers, not risk takers. Just presenting these ideas to you as a reader doesn't give the true credit to how effective this learning experience can be. You need to read the story and live the experiences of this young man that started his company with his own assumptions that he had a product that people would automatically buy, and they didn't. I am going to be teaching a Business Plan class this fall and was bouncing my ideas off of a friend I had worked with while I was a SCORE volunteer. I requested that she review my PowerPoints, outlines, and class handouts as I respected her experiences gained through her years at Southeast Community College Entrepreneurship Center. She has just completed her 10 years at SCC and after a quick meeting after dropping off my material to her she loaned me this book to read while she reviewed my information. Sometimes we are blessed with amazing coincidences of good fortune to supplement our knowledge about a subject, and this was one of those times. This book has not changed my zeal to teach individuals the need for a Business Plan to support their new or existing business, but it definitely has changed my emphases on assumptions individuals have made regarding starting their new business. I will be meeting with my young friend, Brooke, again and know that my review will be beyond what I was thinking about originally. As she told me, this book has changed the way the The SCC Entrepreneurship Center coaches individuals starting a new business, and I can certainly see why. I have been in the field of accounting and management for 50 plus years, usually with established businesses, but the information gleaned from this amazing fictional based business book has taught this old dog some new tricks. I will be advising my clients and students these basic ideas, especially how an individual researches their assumptions before starting a new business that sells products or services. I will be recommending this book to them so that they can also glean positive information before jumping in over their head. Assumptions made without adequate research can be the road to disaster. Thank you Diana... and Brooke... for making this book available for me to read and enjoy...
August 9, 2020
Clever idea to represent a theory by telling a story :)
It reminds me of "Once upon a time... Life" which is good series for younger people presenting how things work.
It shows mistakes made by main character so we can learn from them instead of our own. And that can save a lot of time and money, which is one of the most important aspects of creating a business.
But for me it would be better if there were also some technical comments instead of explanations made by characters.
Anyway I recommend it as a good start point to anyone who is thinking about starting a new/first business.
It reminds me of "Once upon a time... Life" which is good series for younger people presenting how things work.
It shows mistakes made by main character so we can learn from them instead of our own. And that can save a lot of time and money, which is one of the most important aspects of creating a business.
But for me it would be better if there were also some technical comments instead of explanations made by characters.
Anyway I recommend it as a good start point to anyone who is thinking about starting a new/first business.
March 21, 2019
I learned a lot! One of the characters was named "Pitchford," which may tell you what you need to know about the quality of the novel as a novel and also is a kind of punny corporate humor I simply cannot abide.
July 10, 2020
A delightful reminder of The Goal, this book, too, tackles what seem like common-sensical ideas that are often (I use this word with certainty) overlooked- in a fluid fictionalised account of an entrepreneur trying to salvage his failing bike business.
February 14, 2024
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in startups/entrepreneurship! Very insightful information and an engaging story.
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March 17, 2026"All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line" by Diana Kander presents startup advice through an unusual format: a fictional story that doubles as a practical guide to entrepreneurship. The narrative follows Owen, a struggling founder whose business appears promising on the surface but fails to generate real results. Through his interactions with Sam, a sharp venture capitalist he meets during a poker tournament in Nevada, Owen begins to confront the flaws in his thinking about startups. Their conversations gradually reveal the principles that determine whether a business idea succeeds or fails. By blending storytelling with business lessons, the book demonstrates how founders can avoid common mistakes by focusing on customer discovery, validating assumptions, and building solutions that address genuine market needs rather than imagined ones.
At the beginning of the story, Owen’s company, ReBicycle, appears to be gaining traction. The business focuses on selling refurbished bicycles at competitive prices while promoting sustainability. Traffic to the company’s website has increased dramatically, and the concept seems logical from a business standpoint. However, despite impressive analytics, the company has not produced a single sale. Owen feels frustrated and confused because everything about his strategy appears reasonable. During a conversation at a poker tournament bar, Sam quickly identifies the core problem: Owen has mistaken attention for demand. Website visits and press mentions may look impressive in presentations, but they do not prove that customers actually want to buy the product. According to Sam, the true measure of a startup’s success is whether customers value the solution enough to pay for it.
Sam explains that many founders confuse building a product with building a business. Creating a product that seems innovative does not automatically lead to a sustainable company. A real business requires evidence that customers experience a problem intensely enough to change their behavior and spend money on a solution. Owen assumed that cyclists concerned about the environment would naturally prefer refurbished bikes, but he had never tested whether customers truly cared about this issue when making purchasing decisions. Without validating this assumption, his entire business model rested on speculation rather than evidence. Sam advises him that funding alone will not solve this problem. Investors cannot rescue a startup that lacks a genuine product-market fit.
As the story unfolds, Owen begins learning how to investigate customer behavior more effectively. Sam introduces him to the concept of customer discovery, a process that involves speaking directly with potential customers to understand their frustrations, needs, and decision-making processes. Instead of trying to persuade people to like his product, Owen must learn to listen. During these conversations, founders should avoid pitching ideas or guiding responses. Instead, they should ask open-ended questions that allow customers to describe their experiences in their own words. By doing so, entrepreneurs can uncover the real challenges customers face rather than the ones founders imagine.
Sam also emphasizes the importance of identifying problems that customers perceive as urgent or painful. Not every inconvenience represents a viable business opportunity. Many people complain about minor frustrations but do not care enough to seek solutions. For a startup to succeed, it must address what Sam describes as a 'migraine-level' problem rather than a mild irritation. Customers must feel strongly enough about the issue to search actively for alternatives or to invest money in solving it. Owen realizes that although cyclists sometimes complain about bike prices, the issue is not severe enough to drive them toward refurbished options. His company was trying to solve a problem that customers did not feel strongly about.
Determined to understand his market better, Owen begins conducting interviews with cyclists in bike shops and other environments. Through these conversations he learns that many potential customers hesitate to buy bicycles online. Their concerns revolve around practical issues such as proper fit, assembly, and the inability to test ride the bike before purchasing. This discovery highlights an important lesson: founders often define problems too narrowly, focusing on features of their own product instead of the broader experiences customers care about. By widening his perspective, Owen starts recognizing opportunities he had previously overlooked.
Throughout the narrative, poker serves as a metaphor for entrepreneurship. Just as successful poker players rely on careful observation and probability rather than intuition alone, successful entrepreneurs must test their assumptions before committing resources. Poker players analyze patterns in opponents’ behavior and adjust their strategies accordingly. Similarly, startup founders must gather data from customers and adapt their plans based on real evidence rather than personal beliefs. Sam repeatedly reminds Owen that relying on luck is dangerous in both poker and business. The goal is to structure decisions in ways that minimize dependence on unpredictable outcomes.
Another key lesson involves learning how to handle rejection and criticism. When Owen proposes various ideas for improving his company, Sam often dismisses them quickly. Although these responses initially frustrate him, they force him to reconsider his assumptions and refine his thinking. Sam explains that successful founders must be able to absorb negative feedback without becoming defensive. Instead of clinging to a flawed idea, they must treat criticism as valuable information that helps them move closer to a viable solution. This mindset allows entrepreneurs to pivot their strategies when necessary rather than persisting with approaches that do not work.
Sam shares her own experience to illustrate the importance of broad research. At one point she believed she had discovered a promising business opportunity involving breast pump vending machines in airports after hearing about her sister’s difficulty during travel. However, interviews with other mothers revealed that this specific problem was not widespread. By expanding her research, Sam eventually identified a broader issue: parents frequently struggled to find essential baby supplies while traveling. This insight led to the creation of vending machines stocked with diapers, wipes, and formula. The lesson for Owen is clear: entrepreneurs must investigate problems thoroughly before building solutions.
As Owen continues his search for meaningful opportunities, he encounters a city councilman responsible for launching a municipal bike-share program. The councilman explains that many cities struggle to purchase affordable bikes for these programs. Large manufacturers often ignore small municipal orders, while smaller suppliers lack consistent quality. This creates logistical difficulties for city governments trying to implement bike-sharing systems. Owen realizes that this issue represents a more urgent and specific problem than anything he had previously explored.
Although this discovery seems promising, Sam warns Owen not to rush into action. A new idea still requires careful validation. He must speak with multiple city officials responsible for similar programs to confirm whether the problem exists widely and whether they would pay for a solution. This process forces Owen to redefine his customer segment and investigate the issue systematically. He contacts several municipal bike-share coordinators and discovers that many cities face the same challenges. They struggle to source reliable bikes at reasonable prices and often assemble fleets using parts from different suppliers, which complicates maintenance and warranty issues.
Through these conversations, Owen identifies a genuine market opportunity. Cities want affordable, high-quality bikes that can be sourced easily and maintained efficiently. By using refurbished components and customizing designs for municipal fleets, Owen realizes he can create a solution tailored to this need. However, instead of building expensive prototypes immediately, he adopts a more cautious strategy. He first presents digital designs to potential customers, allowing them to review specifications and provide feedback before any manufacturing begins. This approach allows him to test demand quickly while minimizing costs and risks.
As Owen applies these principles, his company gradually transforms. ReBicycle evolves from an unfocused startup chasing attention into a business built around real customer needs. By working closely with municipal bike-share programs and incorporating their feedback into product development, Owen creates a model that addresses the precise challenges cities face. His success illustrates the book’s central idea: startups succeed when founders stop trying to persuade customers to want their ideas and instead build solutions based on what customers genuinely need.
In conclusion, "All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line" by Diana Kander uses a compelling narrative to illustrate the principles that guide successful entrepreneurship. Through Owen’s journey, readers learn that innovation alone does not create a thriving business. Founders must validate their assumptions, engage directly with customers, and identify problems that people are truly motivated to solve. The story emphasizes the importance of listening, testing ideas early, and adapting strategies based on real-world feedback. By demonstrating how careful customer discovery reduces uncertainty and increases the chances of success, the book shows that the most important skill for any entrepreneur is the ability to learn from the market before committing to a solution.
At the beginning of the story, Owen’s company, ReBicycle, appears to be gaining traction. The business focuses on selling refurbished bicycles at competitive prices while promoting sustainability. Traffic to the company’s website has increased dramatically, and the concept seems logical from a business standpoint. However, despite impressive analytics, the company has not produced a single sale. Owen feels frustrated and confused because everything about his strategy appears reasonable. During a conversation at a poker tournament bar, Sam quickly identifies the core problem: Owen has mistaken attention for demand. Website visits and press mentions may look impressive in presentations, but they do not prove that customers actually want to buy the product. According to Sam, the true measure of a startup’s success is whether customers value the solution enough to pay for it.
Sam explains that many founders confuse building a product with building a business. Creating a product that seems innovative does not automatically lead to a sustainable company. A real business requires evidence that customers experience a problem intensely enough to change their behavior and spend money on a solution. Owen assumed that cyclists concerned about the environment would naturally prefer refurbished bikes, but he had never tested whether customers truly cared about this issue when making purchasing decisions. Without validating this assumption, his entire business model rested on speculation rather than evidence. Sam advises him that funding alone will not solve this problem. Investors cannot rescue a startup that lacks a genuine product-market fit.
As the story unfolds, Owen begins learning how to investigate customer behavior more effectively. Sam introduces him to the concept of customer discovery, a process that involves speaking directly with potential customers to understand their frustrations, needs, and decision-making processes. Instead of trying to persuade people to like his product, Owen must learn to listen. During these conversations, founders should avoid pitching ideas or guiding responses. Instead, they should ask open-ended questions that allow customers to describe their experiences in their own words. By doing so, entrepreneurs can uncover the real challenges customers face rather than the ones founders imagine.
Sam also emphasizes the importance of identifying problems that customers perceive as urgent or painful. Not every inconvenience represents a viable business opportunity. Many people complain about minor frustrations but do not care enough to seek solutions. For a startup to succeed, it must address what Sam describes as a 'migraine-level' problem rather than a mild irritation. Customers must feel strongly enough about the issue to search actively for alternatives or to invest money in solving it. Owen realizes that although cyclists sometimes complain about bike prices, the issue is not severe enough to drive them toward refurbished options. His company was trying to solve a problem that customers did not feel strongly about.
Determined to understand his market better, Owen begins conducting interviews with cyclists in bike shops and other environments. Through these conversations he learns that many potential customers hesitate to buy bicycles online. Their concerns revolve around practical issues such as proper fit, assembly, and the inability to test ride the bike before purchasing. This discovery highlights an important lesson: founders often define problems too narrowly, focusing on features of their own product instead of the broader experiences customers care about. By widening his perspective, Owen starts recognizing opportunities he had previously overlooked.
Throughout the narrative, poker serves as a metaphor for entrepreneurship. Just as successful poker players rely on careful observation and probability rather than intuition alone, successful entrepreneurs must test their assumptions before committing resources. Poker players analyze patterns in opponents’ behavior and adjust their strategies accordingly. Similarly, startup founders must gather data from customers and adapt their plans based on real evidence rather than personal beliefs. Sam repeatedly reminds Owen that relying on luck is dangerous in both poker and business. The goal is to structure decisions in ways that minimize dependence on unpredictable outcomes.
Another key lesson involves learning how to handle rejection and criticism. When Owen proposes various ideas for improving his company, Sam often dismisses them quickly. Although these responses initially frustrate him, they force him to reconsider his assumptions and refine his thinking. Sam explains that successful founders must be able to absorb negative feedback without becoming defensive. Instead of clinging to a flawed idea, they must treat criticism as valuable information that helps them move closer to a viable solution. This mindset allows entrepreneurs to pivot their strategies when necessary rather than persisting with approaches that do not work.
Sam shares her own experience to illustrate the importance of broad research. At one point she believed she had discovered a promising business opportunity involving breast pump vending machines in airports after hearing about her sister’s difficulty during travel. However, interviews with other mothers revealed that this specific problem was not widespread. By expanding her research, Sam eventually identified a broader issue: parents frequently struggled to find essential baby supplies while traveling. This insight led to the creation of vending machines stocked with diapers, wipes, and formula. The lesson for Owen is clear: entrepreneurs must investigate problems thoroughly before building solutions.
As Owen continues his search for meaningful opportunities, he encounters a city councilman responsible for launching a municipal bike-share program. The councilman explains that many cities struggle to purchase affordable bikes for these programs. Large manufacturers often ignore small municipal orders, while smaller suppliers lack consistent quality. This creates logistical difficulties for city governments trying to implement bike-sharing systems. Owen realizes that this issue represents a more urgent and specific problem than anything he had previously explored.
Although this discovery seems promising, Sam warns Owen not to rush into action. A new idea still requires careful validation. He must speak with multiple city officials responsible for similar programs to confirm whether the problem exists widely and whether they would pay for a solution. This process forces Owen to redefine his customer segment and investigate the issue systematically. He contacts several municipal bike-share coordinators and discovers that many cities face the same challenges. They struggle to source reliable bikes at reasonable prices and often assemble fleets using parts from different suppliers, which complicates maintenance and warranty issues.
Through these conversations, Owen identifies a genuine market opportunity. Cities want affordable, high-quality bikes that can be sourced easily and maintained efficiently. By using refurbished components and customizing designs for municipal fleets, Owen realizes he can create a solution tailored to this need. However, instead of building expensive prototypes immediately, he adopts a more cautious strategy. He first presents digital designs to potential customers, allowing them to review specifications and provide feedback before any manufacturing begins. This approach allows him to test demand quickly while minimizing costs and risks.
As Owen applies these principles, his company gradually transforms. ReBicycle evolves from an unfocused startup chasing attention into a business built around real customer needs. By working closely with municipal bike-share programs and incorporating their feedback into product development, Owen creates a model that addresses the precise challenges cities face. His success illustrates the book’s central idea: startups succeed when founders stop trying to persuade customers to want their ideas and instead build solutions based on what customers genuinely need.
In conclusion, "All In Startup: Launching a New Idea When Everything Is on the Line" by Diana Kander uses a compelling narrative to illustrate the principles that guide successful entrepreneurship. Through Owen’s journey, readers learn that innovation alone does not create a thriving business. Founders must validate their assumptions, engage directly with customers, and identify problems that people are truly motivated to solve. The story emphasizes the importance of listening, testing ideas early, and adapting strategies based on real-world feedback. By demonstrating how careful customer discovery reduces uncertainty and increases the chances of success, the book shows that the most important skill for any entrepreneur is the ability to learn from the market before committing to a solution.
March 21, 2025
It's captivating, detailed, and good entrepreneurial advice that is made vivid by the setting.
I had hard time with the drama, though, pushed too many buttons for me to be able to pay the best attention to the actual message, sometimes.
I had hard time with the drama, though, pushed too many buttons for me to be able to pay the best attention to the actual message, sometimes.
March 5, 2024
Written in an easy and engaging narrative style with good entrepreneurial lessons embedded. The story is well done but the “lessons” are a bit repetitive at times. Definitely worth a read for anyone interested in startups and hammers a very essential method in how entrepreneurs should approach their endeavors
December 22, 2017
While I appreciate the effort in writing a novel instead of a dry instructions book, I found the moment in which the characters play poker (basically 50% of the book) rather dull. I understand why these are there, but I skipped most of them as they didn't give me any information and were rather corny. Also, the circumstances in which the main character finds himself are way too optimistic and would happen with a very small probability to someone else, making you feel like it all works out too well and everything just happens way too right compared to reality.
The book does have some good information, but nothing new if you have read The Lean Startup or Zero To One.
The book does have some good information, but nothing new if you have read The Lean Startup or Zero To One.
January 16, 2016
Page to page turned. 5 stars for the enjoyment. Eventhough I focused on charactors love story more than business content, I still got some useful concepts.
October 5, 2019
3.5⭐/5
although this was assigned reading for my graduate class, I will still review it all the same:
PROS:
1- presented as a narrative and not as a boring self-help kind of books
2- a quick read
3- the chapter titles give you a good idea what to expect (which is really helpful when moving back and forth)
4- the main idea(s) in each chapter is summarized and made Bold in every chapter; which is surprisingly useful for skimming and quick reminders
5- the story and the characters showed development and growth and were good to make the main ideas easy to recall and learn
6- would 100% recommend for anyone interested in starting up a business, or in Entrepreneurship.
7- it would be useful to avoid the common mistakes and ideologies, and expectations, and would tell you what to do along with some of the right strategies to do so.
8- I repeat: all of these are way easier to understand, grasp, and remember because of the narrative and the way the book is written and structured.
CONS:
1- A LOT OF REPETITION!
2- some paragraphs were very unnecessary
3- the book was mainly revolving around poker analogies, and to someone who knows nothing of it was quite irritating (you grasp the idea, but still)
4- some parts were solely about the game itself, which I found at times a waste of time, given that this book was supposed to be more informative than anything else.
although this was assigned reading for my graduate class, I will still review it all the same:
PROS:
1- presented as a narrative and not as a boring self-help kind of books
2- a quick read
3- the chapter titles give you a good idea what to expect (which is really helpful when moving back and forth)
4- the main idea(s) in each chapter is summarized and made Bold in every chapter; which is surprisingly useful for skimming and quick reminders
5- the story and the characters showed development and growth and were good to make the main ideas easy to recall and learn
6- would 100% recommend for anyone interested in starting up a business, or in Entrepreneurship.
7- it would be useful to avoid the common mistakes and ideologies, and expectations, and would tell you what to do along with some of the right strategies to do so.
8- I repeat: all of these are way easier to understand, grasp, and remember because of the narrative and the way the book is written and structured.
CONS:
1- A LOT OF REPETITION!
2- some paragraphs were very unnecessary
3- the book was mainly revolving around poker analogies, and to someone who knows nothing of it was quite irritating (you grasp the idea, but still)
4- some parts were solely about the game itself, which I found at times a waste of time, given that this book was supposed to be more informative than anything else.
August 7, 2017
A great lesson in a novel format
This book was actually for a class I'm taking while completing my graduate degree . What was most interesting this book, is the fact that there were lessons in each chapter and the fact that the book was written more like a novel versus a textbook. Each day I read the story about Owen and Sam pulled me in deeper and deeper; I looked forward to reading each day. If most textbooks were written in this format, I believe they would be more enjoyable. I give Diane Kander a huge thumbs up for excellent job writing this book. Great storyline and an equally great ending. Kudos to you Mrs. Kander for a job well done!
This book was actually for a class I'm taking while completing my graduate degree . What was most interesting this book, is the fact that there were lessons in each chapter and the fact that the book was written more like a novel versus a textbook. Each day I read the story about Owen and Sam pulled me in deeper and deeper; I looked forward to reading each day. If most textbooks were written in this format, I believe they would be more enjoyable. I give Diane Kander a huge thumbs up for excellent job writing this book. Great storyline and an equally great ending. Kudos to you Mrs. Kander for a job well done!
March 18, 2020
I came across "all in startup" on my quest to read/listen to at least 2 books per month. I love the concepts of products and/or companies should focus on (1) Solving major migraine problems oppose to minor headache inconveniences and (2) Using real life paying customer feedback and insight oppose to friends and family support. While I am not an entrepreneur, yet, I now evaluate opportunities and companies via the Migraine Lens. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to reading the next book.
January 4, 2021
Essential reading for entrepreneurs (would-be and actual)
This is a great book. Readable as a novel but with truly excellent advice. Entrepreneurship education is my speciality and I can assure anyone that the rules and principals put forward are absolutely spot-on, and as importantly highlight the areas where so many entrepreneurs get it wrong. Thanks Diane, this will be on my students essential reading list.
This is a great book. Readable as a novel but with truly excellent advice. Entrepreneurship education is my speciality and I can assure anyone that the rules and principals put forward are absolutely spot-on, and as importantly highlight the areas where so many entrepreneurs get it wrong. Thanks Diane, this will be on my students essential reading list.
March 7, 2023
My son is reading this for a college Entrepreneurship course and I decided to read it as well. What a brilliant way to engage readers, especially younger ones who tire of drab textbooks, by creating a fast-paced fiction and weaving the threads of business throughout. I would recommend this to anyone interested in understanding the basic tenets of starting a business as it will leave a useable and concrete foundation that young/old entrepreneurs can recall and put to practical use.
July 27, 2023
A narrative business book. This one is about a guy whose online bike business is failing. While attending a poker tournament, he meets a successful startup founder who coaches him on how to get his business back on track. Highly recommended for anyone just getting started in tech or with their own business. The book is largely about discovering a customer's problem through interviews. I'll be recommending this one a lot to my students. It's a great overview on the subject.
July 28, 2024
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book and was initially skeptical after the first few chapters. To my surprise this book is insightful and entertaining at the same time. The cleaver use of fictional storytelling to educate key startup advises is innovative and left a lasting impression on me. The story was actually interesting, although a bit much a times. I would recommend it as a fun read.
July 5, 2017
I found this book extremely entertaining and easy to listen to in Audible. It's the most exciting business book I've ever read. The fact that it puts entrepreneurship knowledge in a personal life context makes it so much more fun and easy to digest. Each chapter title is something any wanna-be entrepreneur should write down in a PostIt and stick it on the wall.
November 19, 2020
What a great idea to write a story that sums up rules of a start up :) I enjoyed the book and I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read for me, because the book was written in a very interesting way. Because it was a story, I will remember the advices in it more than from a regular business book. Thank you Diana! :)
March 2, 2022
I appreciate the thought behind writing a fictional story to illustrate the concepts of creating a business, but in the execution, it just doesn't work very well.
The ideas are solid, but this book would have been better with describing them in a nonfiction piece and utilizing examples rather than a full scale novel.
The ideas are solid, but this book would have been better with describing them in a nonfiction piece and utilizing examples rather than a full scale novel.
March 2, 2023
Had to read this for a Entrepreneurship class
What I liked about it:
-Interesting plot
-Teaches you important start-up concepts while making it interesting
-Enjoyed the poker analogies used to help explain some of the concepts
What is didn’t like about it:
-Can get a little repetitive with some of the concepts being taught
What I liked about it:
-Interesting plot
-Teaches you important start-up concepts while making it interesting
-Enjoyed the poker analogies used to help explain some of the concepts
What is didn’t like about it:
-Can get a little repetitive with some of the concepts being taught
September 26, 2017
Surprisingly one of the best books I have ever read on startups. Read it when I was 20 in college and getting into the scene.
This book teaches valuable lessons and is told through fiction narrative. Massively educational and recommended for every entr classroom.
This book teaches valuable lessons and is told through fiction narrative. Massively educational and recommended for every entr classroom.
February 7, 2020
It's been a long time since I finished a book within a day from picking it up. I liked the storytelling way of teaching that this book follows to keep it entertaining and enlightening at the same time! Not a dull moment. Loved it page to page!
June 28, 2022
Startup + poker + Vegas + romance + Lean... Sounds good?
An interesting book with some helpful tips for starting your own business. I really enjoyed reading it. I liked the analogy of poker and business - minmizing the risk when you have bad cards and taking a risk when you have the strong ones.
Only three stars though. I treat it as a business bok but I was more interested in the poker tournament story of the main character than the business company plot.
An interesting book with some helpful tips for starting your own business. I really enjoyed reading it. I liked the analogy of poker and business - minmizing the risk when you have bad cards and taking a risk when you have the strong ones.
Only three stars though. I treat it as a business bok but I was more interested in the poker tournament story of the main character than the business company plot.
March 5, 2024
I read this book for an Entrepreneurship class but actually really enjoyed it. It tells a fictional story of a man who realizes his startup is never going to be successful and the way that he fixes it. I enjoyed it and liked that it was formatted as a novel rather than a textbook.
July 2, 2017
Great business book, entertaining and edifying.
January 5, 2018
The story is just a gimmick and is too stereotypical at times. Real advice content could have been summarized in a couple of pages.
I liked the poker analogy though.
I liked the poker analogy though.
June 12, 2019
Although I cringed at the storyline a bit, one has to take into account that this is no artsy novel but actually a business book presented in a popular form. As such it is very good.
August 13, 2019
If I could rate this a 10 out of 5, I would. This is easily the best business / startup book I have ever read. Read it, just read it, it's so good.
November 8, 2019
Truly a one of a kind book. I've never read a fictional book about business. I love the way she told a story while highlighting the keys to being a successful entrepreneur.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews