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Confessions of a Unicorn Founder: Obsession, Greed, and the Brutal Truth Behind Chasing the Startup Dream
I could have been a millionaire with the push of a button. Just like that—mortgage, pension, college funds—all taken care of. But as the saying goes, I just couldn’t get enough. I had to have just a little bit more.
Rom Carmeli is living every entrepreneur’s investors are lining up to throw money at his every whim, top VCs are courting him left and right, and “Blinqq”—the startup he recently founded—is newly estimated in the Billions. With a “B.”
Which is surprising, considering he’s about five minutes away from finding himself cordially kicked out, alone, without a penny to his name.
Based on a true story, Confessions of a Unicorn Founder pulls back the curtain behind what it takes to build a successful startup, exposing the personal cost of wanting “just a little bit more.”
Ra’anan Cohen, a serial entrepreneur and CEO who built startups from scratch to IPO, rips through the “fake it till you make it” façade to reveal the dirt, burnout, and betrayals the startup world hides behind its glossy PR and polished LinkedIn posts.
The book that shook the Startup Nation, Confessions of a Unicorn Founder became a national bestseller in Israel’s high-stakes startup scene—now breaking onto the global stage for founders, dreamers, and anyone chasing something bigger.
Currently being developed for television.
Rom Carmeli is living every entrepreneur’s investors are lining up to throw money at his every whim, top VCs are courting him left and right, and “Blinqq”—the startup he recently founded—is newly estimated in the Billions. With a “B.”
Which is surprising, considering he’s about five minutes away from finding himself cordially kicked out, alone, without a penny to his name.
Based on a true story, Confessions of a Unicorn Founder pulls back the curtain behind what it takes to build a successful startup, exposing the personal cost of wanting “just a little bit more.”
Ra’anan Cohen, a serial entrepreneur and CEO who built startups from scratch to IPO, rips through the “fake it till you make it” façade to reveal the dirt, burnout, and betrayals the startup world hides behind its glossy PR and polished LinkedIn posts.
The book that shook the Startup Nation, Confessions of a Unicorn Founder became a national bestseller in Israel’s high-stakes startup scene—now breaking onto the global stage for founders, dreamers, and anyone chasing something bigger.
Currently being developed for television.
- GenresBusiness
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 15, 2026
About half way through this book, I was ready to just go through the motions of the second half - a typical story of the start-up rat race. A story of an entrepreneur, his dream and the struggle to attract and manage the venture capital firms that want in on the next big thing. But I got it wrong! The second half of the book reads like a corporate thriller with all sorts of corporate shenanigans taking place!
Growing a start-up is challenging, exhausting and often tedious work. Like so many things in life, you have to dot the i's and cross the t's. Rom Cohen explains all this, but there is a lot more to this story! Managing the growth of a unicorn is a different animal to a typical venture backed firm (I imagine - I have not had that luck!), the majority of which fail or generate nice returns for the financial backers, but not "change your life money" for employees (be sure to understand liquidation preferences!). A unicorn doesn't have to chase money, it chases him. And when a VC wants in, they won't take no for an answer. This sounds like a great problem to have, but the book tells the story of the downside of being a fast growing, in-demand company with a Board of strong willed investors with differing objectives.
Many venture capitalists like to think they do more than simply fund a business (and some do), but the book explains how VC firms look at valuation from their own fund raising perspective. It also makes the point that, at the end of the day, the cap table dictates who's boss. The founders may be the spark that lights the fire but the investors fan the flames. Founders need to understand that, notwithstanding any entreaties a VC may offer up about how great a partner they will be, the investors typically control the purse strings. No matter how successful the CEO may be, if you are on the wrong side of that equation, you will lose the fight. Blinqq was successful but that was not enough to save Cohen.
Cohen was able to orchestrate an exit that worked for him against great odds. He failed to do that in his first start-up and one of the morals of this story is to get the money while you can. What goes up can always go down! Another takeaway - always have a lawyer in the room.
Growing a start-up is challenging, exhausting and often tedious work. Like so many things in life, you have to dot the i's and cross the t's. Rom Cohen explains all this, but there is a lot more to this story! Managing the growth of a unicorn is a different animal to a typical venture backed firm (I imagine - I have not had that luck!), the majority of which fail or generate nice returns for the financial backers, but not "change your life money" for employees (be sure to understand liquidation preferences!). A unicorn doesn't have to chase money, it chases him. And when a VC wants in, they won't take no for an answer. This sounds like a great problem to have, but the book tells the story of the downside of being a fast growing, in-demand company with a Board of strong willed investors with differing objectives.
Many venture capitalists like to think they do more than simply fund a business (and some do), but the book explains how VC firms look at valuation from their own fund raising perspective. It also makes the point that, at the end of the day, the cap table dictates who's boss. The founders may be the spark that lights the fire but the investors fan the flames. Founders need to understand that, notwithstanding any entreaties a VC may offer up about how great a partner they will be, the investors typically control the purse strings. No matter how successful the CEO may be, if you are on the wrong side of that equation, you will lose the fight. Blinqq was successful but that was not enough to save Cohen.
Cohen was able to orchestrate an exit that worked for him against great odds. He failed to do that in his first start-up and one of the morals of this story is to get the money while you can. What goes up can always go down! Another takeaway - always have a lawyer in the room.
July 4, 2026
Avrei voluto dargli un voto più alto perché, dopotutto, il contenuto fa la differenza, non la fo...mafattiunbagno, la forma in un libro conta, e conta tanto quando si vede!
L'autobiografia professionale del protagonista, dai suoi esordi sul mercato con una compagnia dedicata ad unificare i sistemi operativi dei telefoni pre-Apple, fino alla fondazione di una startup dedicata alla logistica ed ambita da giganti come Walmart e Coca-Cola, è affascinante, scorre bene, trasmette tutte le vibe di un giovane CEO con gli attributi, un carattere di fuoco ed una potente propensione a fare il passo più lungo della gamba.
Da una parte, una figura ammirevole, dall'altra una che in un paio di casi vorresti prendere a ceffoni, anche se è il senno di poi a suggerire una simile azione.
Questo libro è la storia dei suoi successi, e di come egli sia riuscito a trasformare l'ennesimo disastro in una sconfitta che ha invece il sapore della libertà. Il suo punto di vista, in fondo, è un po' il nostro: l'entusiasmo, la determinazione, e il sincero e condivisibile disprezzo per gli investitori che preferiscono uccidere il sogno e la gallina dalle uova d'oro in nome di guadagni sicuri.
Ma parlavo della forma: quando un libro è impostato su frasi secche, interazioni asciutte, e ritmo adrenalinico, tu non mi puoi sbagliare tutti virgolettati. TUTTI, maronnaincoroneta! In certi punti mi veniva il mal di testa perché non riuscivo a separare i momenti di riflessione dal dialogo! E anche durante le conversazioni (predominanti al massimo, sembra una minuta di un libro verbale del CDA lunga 391 pagine), capire chi sta dicendo cosa l'è spesso un casino immondo.
E cionondimeno, il contesto lo si capisce, i personaggi si capiscono e si imparano cose sugli investimenti e gli investitori che vorresti investire.
L'autobiografia professionale del protagonista, dai suoi esordi sul mercato con una compagnia dedicata ad unificare i sistemi operativi dei telefoni pre-Apple, fino alla fondazione di una startup dedicata alla logistica ed ambita da giganti come Walmart e Coca-Cola, è affascinante, scorre bene, trasmette tutte le vibe di un giovane CEO con gli attributi, un carattere di fuoco ed una potente propensione a fare il passo più lungo della gamba.
Da una parte, una figura ammirevole, dall'altra una che in un paio di casi vorresti prendere a ceffoni, anche se è il senno di poi a suggerire una simile azione.
Questo libro è la storia dei suoi successi, e di come egli sia riuscito a trasformare l'ennesimo disastro in una sconfitta che ha invece il sapore della libertà. Il suo punto di vista, in fondo, è un po' il nostro: l'entusiasmo, la determinazione, e il sincero e condivisibile disprezzo per gli investitori che preferiscono uccidere il sogno e la gallina dalle uova d'oro in nome di guadagni sicuri.
Ma parlavo della forma: quando un libro è impostato su frasi secche, interazioni asciutte, e ritmo adrenalinico, tu non mi puoi sbagliare tutti virgolettati. TUTTI, maronnaincoroneta! In certi punti mi veniva il mal di testa perché non riuscivo a separare i momenti di riflessione dal dialogo! E anche durante le conversazioni (predominanti al massimo, sembra una minuta di un libro verbale del CDA lunga 391 pagine), capire chi sta dicendo cosa l'è spesso un casino immondo.
E cionondimeno, il contesto lo si capisce, i personaggi si capiscono e si imparano cose sugli investimenti e gli investitori che vorresti investire.
July 15, 2026
A fascinating and inspiring story
This book is a fascinating read that I simply could not put down. Yet, its true value lies in the powerful life tools and insights it delivers for facing difficult times. It is an essential guide for anyone looking to find strength and clarity in moments of crisis.
This book is a fascinating read that I simply could not put down. Yet, its true value lies in the powerful life tools and insights it delivers for facing difficult times. It is an essential guide for anyone looking to find strength and clarity in moments of crisis.
July 30, 2026
very well written interesting book
This is a good read for anyone in the IT sphere and / or VCs. Or really anyone interested in business. A real interesting look at behind the scenes of a CEO of a technology startup. Excellent book.
This is a good read for anyone in the IT sphere and / or VCs. Or really anyone interested in business. A real interesting look at behind the scenes of a CEO of a technology startup. Excellent book.
July 9, 2026
What an epic story. Especially the second half, the story gets so thrilling that I almost could not turn off the audiobook. Hope it turns into a movie one day.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews