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Startup Stories: Lessons Learned from a Startup's Launch, Grind, and Growth
#1 Amazon Best Seller in Entrepreneurship
This book is for anyone who has ever dreamed of starting something. Thinking about starting your own company? Curious about what startup life is really like? Looking to commiserate over the brutality that is the road called entrepreneurship? This book is for you.
In Startup Stories , serial entrepreneur Jordan Raynor gives an honest look at what it takes to launch a company, grind through startup life, and grow a business from the ground up. Using stories from his most recent endeavor (Citizinvestor – the largest crowdfunding platform for government projects in the U.S., currently valued at $3,500,000), Jordan shares a series of lessons that are critical for any entrepreneur to learn.
In this short book, you'll hear Jordan share stories
This won’t feel like another “how to” book. Raynor’s casual style will make you feel as if the two of you are swapping stories over your favorite cup of coffee. If you’ve ever been interested in starting something, you’ll want to start reading Startup Stories today.
An excerpt from Startup
In a few minutes, I was to take the stage following an amazing “fireside chat” with Chris Hughes, a Co-founder of Facebook and the leader of the Obama campaign’s historic “My Barack Obama” social network. If that wasn’t cool enough, the rest of the lineup of speakers at the event included the CEOs of The New York Times, The Guardian, and Tumblr; the CTO of Amazon.com; a General Partner of Andreessen Horowitz, and a former United States Senator.
And then there was me, Jordan Raynor, a Co- founder of a company no one could properly pronounce. To say I was out of my league would be an epic understatement. As a friend of mine said to me a few days before the speech, “Dude, I think you’re great and all, but you have no business being on that stage.”
My friend was right. So how did this happen?
Mostly through grace. In my short career as an entrepreneur, I have been blessed immeasurably with amazing opportunities I did not earn or deserve. But as I inched closer to the edge of my seat, ready to charge the podium, I couldn’t help but think that one of the reasons I was there was because the team at our young startup had decided to solve a real problem.
By focusing on a problem of such great importance, we have gained access to more amazing people and opportunities in two years than most people get in a lifetime. We have been invited to The White House to talk about what implications crowdfunding might have on the federal government; we were featured alongside a movie with Matt Damon; we were flown to France to address the Council of Europe; we had tea with the Lieutenant Governor of California. Even if Citizinvestor were to fail, the experiences we have had along the way would have made it all worthwhile. I believe these experiences are a direct result of us tackling a significant problem.
This book is for anyone who has ever dreamed of starting something. Thinking about starting your own company? Curious about what startup life is really like? Looking to commiserate over the brutality that is the road called entrepreneurship? This book is for you.
In Startup Stories , serial entrepreneur Jordan Raynor gives an honest look at what it takes to launch a company, grind through startup life, and grow a business from the ground up. Using stories from his most recent endeavor (Citizinvestor – the largest crowdfunding platform for government projects in the U.S., currently valued at $3,500,000), Jordan shares a series of lessons that are critical for any entrepreneur to learn.
In this short book, you'll hear Jordan share stories
This won’t feel like another “how to” book. Raynor’s casual style will make you feel as if the two of you are swapping stories over your favorite cup of coffee. If you’ve ever been interested in starting something, you’ll want to start reading Startup Stories today.
An excerpt from Startup
In a few minutes, I was to take the stage following an amazing “fireside chat” with Chris Hughes, a Co-founder of Facebook and the leader of the Obama campaign’s historic “My Barack Obama” social network. If that wasn’t cool enough, the rest of the lineup of speakers at the event included the CEOs of The New York Times, The Guardian, and Tumblr; the CTO of Amazon.com; a General Partner of Andreessen Horowitz, and a former United States Senator.
And then there was me, Jordan Raynor, a Co- founder of a company no one could properly pronounce. To say I was out of my league would be an epic understatement. As a friend of mine said to me a few days before the speech, “Dude, I think you’re great and all, but you have no business being on that stage.”
My friend was right. So how did this happen?
Mostly through grace. In my short career as an entrepreneur, I have been blessed immeasurably with amazing opportunities I did not earn or deserve. But as I inched closer to the edge of my seat, ready to charge the podium, I couldn’t help but think that one of the reasons I was there was because the team at our young startup had decided to solve a real problem.
By focusing on a problem of such great importance, we have gained access to more amazing people and opportunities in two years than most people get in a lifetime. We have been invited to The White House to talk about what implications crowdfunding might have on the federal government; we were featured alongside a movie with Matt Damon; we were flown to France to address the Council of Europe; we had tea with the Lieutenant Governor of California. Even if Citizinvestor were to fail, the experiences we have had along the way would have made it all worthwhile. I believe these experiences are a direct result of us tackling a significant problem.
- GenresBusinessLeadership
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2014
14 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Raynor
21 books1,433 followersJordan Raynor is a leading voice of the faith and work movement. Through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), the Mere Christians podcast, and his weekly devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on earth connect the gospel to their work.
In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own.
Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.
In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own.
Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 7, 2018
Excellent little book. I confess I'm the kind of person who doesn't enjoy the category of "short books on sale on Kindle". They're usually light on fundamentals and heavy on superficial stories without fair replicability, as well as carrying a lot of copy-paste from other business, leadership and self-help books. Well, Startup Stories surprised me. The book is short and was on sale for Kindle, but the author did a superb job of laying out the basic principles for the success of a startup in a clearly understandable manner even for non-business readers. It's full of stories like other similar books (it's not like the title doesn't warn you that), but always linking them to the core principle behind it. Very recommended.
June 20, 2014
Really enjoyed this book which uses stories to share important lessons about launching and growing a start-up. Definitely recommend checking it out.
July 13, 2014
Concise and personal writing about business always wins with me.
June 15, 2015
There are good lessons about building a company in this short book. Just read it.
January 10, 2020
I'm divided between 3 and 4 stars for this one.
The good is that the author is honest and mor or less tells the story as it is - how to survive and create a startup, with the main message being - be prepared to risk, have a story and solve a concrete problem.
The aspect I'm missing in this book is.. a bit more detail to be honest. I like the story of the book, the idea but towards the end it felt (at least to me) as being a bit rushed.
The good is that the author is honest and mor or less tells the story as it is - how to survive and create a startup, with the main message being - be prepared to risk, have a story and solve a concrete problem.
The aspect I'm missing in this book is.. a bit more detail to be honest. I like the story of the book, the idea but towards the end it felt (at least to me) as being a bit rushed.
October 5, 2019
کتاب جالبی بود برای کسی که تا به حال با این رنج کتاب نتونست ارتباط برقرار کنه ، ولی بقدری برام جذاب بود که اگه فرصت بیشتری داشتم شاید این همه طول نمیکشید خوندنش
البته گویا ترجمه فارسی هم وجود داره از این کتاب که من توی کتابفروشی ها ندیدم
البته گویا ترجمه فارسی هم وجود داره از این کتاب که من توی کتابفروشی ها ندیدم
November 26, 2019
Short, Informative Read
It’s a short read that’s worth reading. There are some good ideas to take with you when starting a business.
It’s a short read that’s worth reading. There are some good ideas to take with you when starting a business.
September 14, 2020
Ein guter Rundumschlag typischer Gründerfehler und Fallen. Echt gut und schnell zu lesen.
February 1, 2026
کتاب درباره تجربیات جوردن راینور، صاحب استارتاپ سیتیزن وستور(بزرگترین پلتفرم تأمین مالی جمعی برای پروژههای دولتی) هست که واقعیت شروع یک کسبوکار، رشد آن از صفر و سختیهای زندگی استارتاپی رو کاملاً واقعبینانه بیان کرده.
خوندنش رو پیشنهاد میکنم.
خوندنش رو پیشنهاد میکنم.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews