The Startup Playbook: Founder-to-Founder Advice From Two Startup Veterans

by Will Herman, Will Herman, Brad Feld (Foreword)

Get the real guidance you need to create and build your first startup company from founders who have been there many times before. Our goal with The Startup Playbook, is to get real accessible wisdom on how to build a successful startup into the hands of as many entrepreneurs as possible. The 1st edition SOLD OUT and its popularity led to a major publisher picking up the 2nd edition. But we realized we had different goals. We wanted to aggressively price the book to make it available to everyone and the publisher wanted to maximize their revenue. So, we took the book back, updated it and are now pricing it so that there are no barriers between you and success. Also check out the audiobook version on Amazon/Audible. The Startup Playbook is our personal, how-to guide for building your startup from the ground up. In it, you’ll find a collection of the major lessons and shortcuts we’ve learned that will shift the odds in your favor. We’re sharing our tips, secrets, and advice in a frank, founder-to-founder discussion with you. We make no bones about our bias. We’re on your side, the founder’s side. There is no doubt that venture capitalists, investors, and accelerators/incubators have great value in the startup ecosystem, but this book isn’t about their points of view. We’ll tell you where our interests as founders diverge from those on the other side of the table—investors, bankers, advisors, board members, and others—and what to do when that happens. Between us, we’ve started over a dozen high-tech software companies, raised over $500 million in investment capital, acquired over thirty-five companies, had three of our startups go public, sold six of them, and we made billions of dollars for shareholders. We’ve also advised and mentored over two hundred companies and actively worked with venture capitalists (VCs), incubators, and accelerators to help launch many other new startups. We’ve had plenty of failures, too. And we’ve probably learned more from those than from the successes. We share those lessons as well. The Startup Playbook is full of advice and guidance from entrepreneurs who have been in the role of the founder many times. We want to share our hard-earned knowledge with you to make success easier for you to achieve.

Genres: Business, Startup, Entrepreneurship, Nonfiction, Self Help, Technology, Reference

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2018

Reviews

[Nicholas Schreiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for Apprenuers

Really enjoyed this book, it’s exactly what I needed and exactly what it says it is. Valuable lesson from their own experiences

[Slav Ivanov · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the authors are undoubtedly experienced entrepreneurs, the book is dry, repetitive and uninspired. Actually, I used it at times to put myself to sleep. The advise given is common knowledge.

[Rona Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy-to-read, all encompassing roadmap of how to take your idea from inception to completion and succeed. I've used it in teaching entrepreneurship classes and found its straightforward approach easily accessible for students. It covers so much in a way that is comprehensive yet comprehendible. Highly recommend for those who need a crash course on how to create a startup, raise funds, understand the marketplace and branding, create a pitch deck, what investors look for, etc. It's also good for those of us to use a primer to remind us when we have to start all over again with a new idea.

[Melinda M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Startup Playbook: Founder-to-Founder Advice From Two Startup Veterans by Rajat Bhargava is an interesting read whether you are just getting into business or experienced. It is a good mix of practice advice and inspiration without being false sounding. THe veterans of startup share the good and the bad that they have experienced. It is a little dry but the information is useful.
I recieved a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Dnim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of great advice and a nice reading although I am not sure when I will ever start a company.
As I have no clue of this area, I felt that the definitions of terms were very helpful and easily explained. Some of them though appear just after being used in previous chapters, nevertheless the authors state the chapters can be read in random order - that in my opinion would be more difficult. Still wish the funding sources, investors, could be better explained.
* I received the copy through a Giveway.

[Darius Vilimas · Rating 5 out of 5]

In depth blueprint for every entrepreneur

This book is for everyone who is interested in building a startup. This means this book has many useful information for anyone from seasoned founder to anyone who is interested in building a company, but hasn't started yet. Really recommend and super useful.

[Sean Charnock]

Raj Rajat Bhargava is a personal friend and he and I have spent hours & hours talking business, startups, people, etc. This book that he has written with Will is much more realistic about startups, rather than the traditional Ra/Ra, "you can do it" type books. The glorious stories of those who have made it tend to diminish the more common challenges faced by startups as they try to navigate the path to success. Having a book that helps guide your thought process on timing of events, pitfalls/people to avoid and all of the other various traps along the startup path, gives those who take this guidance a fighting chance to beat the startup odds. Congrats to Raj and Will on the book and I look forward to finishing the book in quick time.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better startup books I’ve read. Good mix of inspiration and practical advice. A product without a market is just a fun idea.

[Dr. Tathagat Varma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a virtual treasure trove of information...a must-have field book for a newbie entrepreneur. Written in great details, there is literally no aspect of building a new business that doesn't get covered.

However...I would have expected much more practical experience sharing, personal anecdotes, industry war stories, etc. Without it, the book tends to be a bit dry, rather boring and quite pedantic. I also fear that for those same reasons, the book might not be well-received by the target audience...they might find it too much in the trenches, and sadly, when they are more battle-scarred and in a better position to consume it, they might not need it :)

In any case, a good read if you have just started in the game...

[Firdaus Aris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Startup Playbook by Rajat Bhargava and Will Herman is a helpful guide for new entrepreneurs or anyone considering jumping into the startup world. It offers practical advice and real-world insights that give a clear picture of what to expect when starting a business. The book covers important aspects like building a solid team, understanding the right metrics, and navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. While it’s not a magic formula for success, it provides useful tips and frameworks that can help new founders make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls. If you're thinking of taking the plunge, this book is a worthwhile resource to have on your shelf.

[Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book so much!

This is an amazing, well writing book that seeks to teach from experience. Only wish I came across it sooner. It should be required reading in high school at minimum when individuals are preparing for adulthood (college, career, etc). Thank you!

[Elmer Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read For Startups

Will and Rajat not only tell their stories about their experience with their startups but also share a lot of valuable tips. Loved the book and highly recommend it to all my founder friends.

[Duong Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

practical. simple great.

[Ivica Stankovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for young people

[Rodolfo Andino · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the name sugest this is a playbook. meant to be used as a playbook. for someone who want to be a founder or understand how startups works. it's amazing, simple and straight to the point.

[Varun Kulkarni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful
Very well detailed explanation. The authors’ experience surely reflects in each part.

[Đỗ Sỹ Quý · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book, and I really enjoyed reading it. Recommend you to buy it.

[Jake Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

For beginners. Didn't learn much. Skipped several chapters