Before You Start Up: How to Prepare to Make Your Startup Dream a Reality

by Pankaj Goyal

Are you “Wannabe” entrepreneur in school or college with big dreams in your eyes? “Friday-night-after-drinks” aspiring entrepreneur in your 20s/30s? “Ready-to-go” soon-to-be entrepreneur? “Already-on-the-train” entrepreneur? Loved ones of any of the above (wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, parents)? An aspiring VC/angel investor who has never built a business? This book has been especially written for you. If you've played sports, you already know how you prepare is as important as how you play. Starting up a business is no different—it needs preparation.This preparation is about understanding your “why”; about generating and testing business ideas; about building your founding team; about talking to your family; about taking care of your career and your finances. It is about getting mentally prepared to get started. This book will help you ask the right questions. It will guide you, steer you towards finding your answers. You are ambitious. You are a go-getter. You are destined to win. This book will help get you what you deserve.

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

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Dr Aditi Sheth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard hitting value for money book about Indian startups (more than 5 stars)

The Gut Punch (USP of this book):

You are dreaming of starting up, scaling up, success, millions of $ and marrying that dream girl after you're successful, rich and settled, then mummy comes and splashes you with cold water, you wake up to the reality but at the same time you're better prepared than you were before you slept last night.
This is the very crux of this book and it adds immense value, trust me on that!
Key concepts covered:
Start-up failures (big time/USP), Business idea generation and evaluation, choosing co-founder and your spousal relationship, exit from startup and what to look beyond 12 months

Read this book if….
We all have that senior who has aced the exam and knows the tricks, you consult him before exams, he scares you as hell but gives you pointers the day before the exams, you go give the exam and keep thinking yes usne yeh bola tha mje during the exam! You get scared but come out better prepared!
This is that book for your start up dreams!
The first half of the book will scare the daylights out of you, you might end up changing your plan or shelving it altogether if you read with open mind and honestly, but if you're still standing there, still willing to pursue your startup dream, you'll have better questions to ask yourself and countless others (since during the journey- others are going to ask anyway- starting with parents, your friends, that Sharmaji whose infamous ladka aces all the exams in life, has a beautiful wife and is always better than you in all regards!, your clients, your boss when you quit the job to startup and the dreaded VC/ Investors!!), reading this book- you'll be asked these questions when your life, time and relationships are not yet at stakes (hopefully)! It's not just less than 200 very readable pages, it's the thinking that results after reading them, will deliver the value for time and money you spend for the book and its immense to say the least. Consider this book as your vaccine against potential startup failure and you'll get the most off it.

Objective assessment of the book:

· Value for money: 10/10
· Cost: 150 t0 200 INR (PB), available on Kindle unlimited
· Length: 200 pages (PB)
· Time investment: Low ( can read in a single day/weekend easily 4 to 6 hours)
· Focus area in startup context: End-to end, practical and Indian
· Readability: High (10/10)
· Talks of real life experiences? : Yes (9/10)
· Teaches concept (s) in detailed with focus? : Introduces many relevant topics, not in detail
· Writing/ narration style: Very easy to read and understand, tough to face the realism it brings
· Would you want to read again and again?- Absolutely
· Practical in Indian context: Very relevant for Indian startups
· Concept heavy vs based on practical experiences/advises: Practical advises with introduction to concepts
· Prior startup specific knowledge/exp required?- No (anyone can read, everyone should read)
· Recommended for: Anyone who is interested in Indian start-ups or psychology of startups
What the readers are saying about this book?

Amazon (1443 reviews)- 4.3 stars out of 5
Goodreads (254 reviews)- 4.23 starts out of 5

Most common themes in these reviews:

1.Reality of starting up and Difficulties of entrepreneurship
2. Too dark, depressing
3. Mind games and mindset prior to entrepreneurship- the psychological game of business
4. Easy quick read with dark pages
5. "Reality check"
6. Audience categorization: Instance '18 years old' 'Friday night entrepreneurs', and '1 year old entrepreneurs'
7. Message is real and hard hitting
8. Basic struggles to become an entrepreneur
9. Best suits the people who are obscure about their startup plan
10. A lot of pragmatic advice


10 Takeaway msgs/ concepts/areas of focus/Learning points from this book-

1- Starting up is never easy (you will know this in your bones in first half of the book!)
2- Stages of startup cycle and general challenges of starting up
3- Psychology of startups-inner game, mindset and psychological game of entrepreneurship
4- How to choose your co-founder, The rule of 2 and why it matters
5- How to know your 'Why' and what knowing your why would do for you in dark times (USP)
6- Equity based business vs cash based business and why it matters
7- How to generate and evaluate a business idea (Very good information)
8- Various roles in a typical startup and why
9- How to distribute ownership based on what a co-founder brings to the table (Equity Split)
10- The final checklist before starting up

In the author's words (quotes from the book that capture spirit of this book):

1- "I want to start up. I have an idea. How should I go about it?" And each time my answer has been, "Are you sure? Do you even know what it means? How are you preparing for it?"
2- "As a founder, you will be the last one to be paid - after your employees, suppliers, investors - that is, if anything is left at the end."
3- "Founders are said to sleep like babies - waking up crying every few hours!"
4- "Do you remember the world's most successful man, "Sharma ji ka beta"? He haunted you in your school, college, job, and even your personal life. Once you decide to start up, he will be back, with a vengeance!"
5- "My biggest mistake as an entrepreneur was I did not know why I wanted to start up. The second was having the wrong co-founder."
6- "Your "Why?" is the key to a positive state of mind when you are running the entrepreneurial marathon. It keeps you motivated on a day-to-day basis. Your "Why?" will help you stick to the fight when you are hit the hardest. Knowing your "Why?" will help you make the difficult decisions in your entrepreneurial journey. Your "Why?" will eventually serve as the motivation for your employees, providing a bigger purpose and goal for their work."
7- "In the age of the Gold Rush, it was not the gold diggers, but the tool providers who made real money."
8- "Hundreds of new "intentions" to start up are launched every Friday evening over drinks. Most of them fizzle out by Monday morning when the office routine strikes."
9- "Also, being the founder or the CEO does not mean you will have no bosses. There are always bosses. In reality, you come last. Your employee can leave you and move to another company within a day. Your investors can scream at you for results. Your customers will make you wait for hours outside their offices. However, it is very important to note here that full independence is a myth."
10- "If you are chasing money, go where it is. Cash is your best friend and your deadliest enemy. If the business runs out of cash, it is as good as dead."
11- "Understand the competition. If your identified problem is real, chances are someone is already solving it. If you believe there is no competition, either you have not thought hard enough, or researched hard enough . . . or your problem statement is not real. As you identify the competition, you will also understand how crowded the market place is, and how can you win in that space."
12- "The ultimate feedback is when you ask your customer to take out the wallet and pay for your product."
13- "You can change everything in a startup later - the product, services, employees, or even the idea itself - but you cannot change the founding team."
14- "The Rule of 2": two skill sets core to its existence. It can be product development plus sales, subject matter experience plus sales, subject matter expertise plus operations, or any other combination. Keeping in mind the "Rule of 2", which are the two skills without which you cannot even start your business? Between your co-founder and you, are you strong on those two skills?"
15- "A "fair" split of equity should be a composite of multiple factors: idea, work distribution, cash investment, time commitment, and in some cases, relevant experience."
16- "Hiring is the #1 problem for most startups. You compete with well-funded startups, high paying banking jobs, high flying consulting jobs, and secure corporate jobs."
17- "Don't buy a Ferrari when you can get away with a Maruti. Don't buy a Maruti, if you can get away with cabs. Don't cab it if you can use public transport. No need for office space in expensive locations, expensive furniture, or expensive equipment. Avoid unnecessary pizza parties, picnics, and eating at upscale restaurants. Each small expense adds up."

The bottom-line:
How to get the best out of this book: "Before you startup"

It's a very readable, hard hitting book. You can finish even in one go (4 to 6 hours) or over a weekend. Be tough, brave and consider this book and questions it asks as the audit of your startup dreams and read again and again, across various stages of your startup journey! If you're a total novice to Indian context of startups or startups as a whole, this book is an excellent starting point, your very first book on the subject!

Very important: a request from heart
I really want to know your kind opinion about this review: did you find the review useful? Was it worth your time? Did it add value? Did this review make you want to read the book? What would you have done better to make this review better?
I want your honest opinions, please add your comments below or reach out to me in LinkedIn/medium/Goodreads msgs with your feedback :)

[Readers Cosmos · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you fall in the range of being an individual who is to start up a business but are confused or somebody who has started a business recently. The book gets you face to face with the most critical questions you should ask yourself, the aspects you must consider in this phase. The writer explains every point he makes with exemplary cases which makes it an authentic and an interesting read.

Many books inspire you to create business and many teach you how to, the important questions that remain to be addressed are "Why, What and When" of the business and this book fills that lacunae. If you want a spreadsheet that helps you evaluate your decision of starting up, grab this book right away.

For a detailed review: my link text

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone wants to start a company. Open the doors, get your funding, then exit with a ton of cash. It may sound easy, but nothing can be further from the truth.

You will face many obstacles as a founder. Overcoming these obstacles doesn’t mean your startup will be a success, but it does put you on the right road.

For your business to succeed on your terms, it’s essential that you set a clear plan, conduct proper research and build on your destiny as you go.

If you're studying and have a dream to startup or want to become a successful entrepreneur then this book is for you.

This book is not just a guide rather a book of personal experiences by the author.

I'm adding this book to one of my favourites books on start-ups. A lot of examples and innovative ways shared by the author to start a business at a low cost and still make a great living. I keep coming back to this book for inspiration.

Simply a must for anyone who wants to turn their passion project into a viable business run on their own terms. Whatever stage of the journey you’re at, there are tonnes of practical tips to uplevel your progress, as well as inspiring ‘real world’ case analyses from those who have gone before. I would like to thank author Pankaj Goyal for providing hope to those who really want to do something very out of the box things in their life.

#𝗾𝗼𝘁𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸?
#𝗾𝗼𝘁𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 ?

[Pratik Jadhav · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book mainly offers the knowledge about what preparations are needed before entering the market. There are many wonderful experiences shared by the Author of his own life, or of other successful Entrepreneurs. These experiences give a practical perception and are very informative.

Author Pankaj Goyal explains in the book that the only perfect way to begin your start-up journey is to do it with proper preparations. He touches many important topics like- How to evaluate a business idea, The Financial Hurdles, Recruitment problems, How Young Employees can be hired, etc. Practical solutions provided by the author for every start-up problem gave me some insights which I had not even thought of.
Like most of the start-up based books, This one doesn't simply offer definitions of difficult terms. It makes difficult topics simpler to understand and offers practical examples. Almost every topic is covered about Start-up. This book is perfect tool to begin your start-up journey with. A bible for all the young entrepreneurs.

[CA Ram Melam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book "Before You Start-Up" very useful. I am a practicing chartered accountant and also an associate member of the ICMAI and ICSI. I am also an advocate. I'm a mentor at the Maarg portal.

I am also mentoring a few start-up entrepreneurs. I am planning to scale up my consultancy. Hence I purchased this book. It exactly replaces the gaps I have to fill up. This book is the foundation for mind mapping. It serves as an acid test before beginning the journey.

Budding entrepreneurs shall read this book before entering the entrepreneurship journey.

I am also writing a book on the Start-Up journey on different parameters. Great learning. Thanks to the author - Pankaj Goyal.

In case anyone needs clarity on this review, please write me at rampavankumar@yahoo.com

[Anurag Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An elder brother is telling you the things you should know before starting up. This book will prepare your mindset you need along with factual information about any Company.

[Avishek Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consise and to the point; sometimes very negative

[Ishaan Kochhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Before You Startup," Pankaj Goyal delivers a succinct yet impactful guide for those venturing into entrepreneurship. With clear insights and a direct writing style, Goyal provides practical advice, making it an efficient and valuable read. This concise resource is highly recommended for individuals looking to navigate the intricacies of starting a business.

[Aman Mittal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The debut novel of Pankaj Goyal, Before You Start Up is about preparing for the life of an entrepreneur. This book offers insight on more than having an idea, evaluating it, the financial hurdle, and other pragmatic steps of launching your own product or a service company. It is a business book that I recommend especially to someone who might have doubts in their mind about the journey.

Doubts are not at all like holes in the brain cells. They are an essential part of a critical thinking process. But they often lead to low creativity levels. I urge not to dwell in them much. Instead, read this book. The first 50 pages of this book are highly critical. The author/entrepreneur himself starts by telling his own journey, a brief period of three years of his own product. All over the book, he has used quotes and cites text from the book that is already bestsellers and popular in the business world as well as with readers. He refers to the to his story in between the chapters. But that is not the reason I want you to read this book.

This book offers a lot of pragmatic advice that is important to observe if not implement all of it. I suggest you take his advice and his personal experience as his own point of view but at the same time you will find things useful. The world is full of them. You have your own and that is very necessary. No one has succeeded in their life by walking the track already exists. It is not a linear track for anyone.

The topics this book puts emphasis on are the generation of an idea, evaluating it, finding a co-founder, but most important one I found is understanding your "why". It is all about your "why". Everything starts and end at the "why" part. Best chapter of the book I would say.

Rest, as I said, his opinions are his own, I do not agree with his three-year breakup analogy of running a startup. You cannot judge a company or a product with that. What if it fails in the fourth year? He sounds too harsh in first pages of the book which in my opinion could have been anatomizing over the book instead of appearing all at once with more reasoning and understanding of the reader, especially, the first time readers. Here, at this point, the author assumes, the reader is already familiar with the sense of a topic. What if he is not?

3.5 out of 5

[Chetan Chopra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one by Pankaj Goyal is a dummies guide for entrepreneurs that lives up to its name. This is not your usual 'How to' success story guide that people write to after they have built a successful company or an empire. A start up already adorns the shining pages of their CV. Instead this one is written by an entrepreneur who failed.
The author tells learning from his own three year stint as an entrepreneur. He is a well read and discerning individual who gives up his lucrative consulting job at a top firm abroad and comes back to Delhi to try his hand at a start up. It does well in the first year but the company begin to lose track in the critical second year and eventually he has to shut shop in the third. What this book tells you is to prepare well before you start up. The book is divided into seven chapters. The author takes his story as a reference point and keeps telling us the difference between 'what we usually do' and 'what should be done' at every stage of your journey. Relevant quotes and examples from successful entrepreneurs are also provided every time a new line of thought is discussed. A gamut of examples are taken from from some of the cult books on start up like 'The Lean Start Up' and 'The Hard Thing about Hard Things' with an intention to give the reader a holistic view of a thought. It also has some interesting frameworks like invented by the author himself like 'How to choose a co-founder' and '5 things you surely need' when you start up. The introduction chapter itself sets the base where all myths are busted and all your dreams shatter when the author shows the mirror to you. If you have an idea brewing in your mind and are a budding entrepreneur, the chapter will almost break you down. But this is very necessary to make the reader aware of what is to come next and more than that, make them realize that taking the plunge is probably the most important decision they will take in their professional life.
Apart from start up tips, the book delves deep into the psyche of a start up founder and what goes into their mind at each stage of the start up. Finally it tells you that life doesn't end if you fail at your start up and there is always something brighter waiting for you on the other side of the tunnel.

[Ayush Lakhotia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book which shares key pointers regarding "Why Startup". It specifies that one should have a clear why before diving in alongwith other few advices. This why will help go through the lows of the journey. Being patient is one of the most important skill which an entrepreneur must have. Writer also recommends to have your family close in this journey and also recommends to have the tough conversation regarding equity and vesting period with your co-founder, right at the beginning, of the journey.

Overall, a good short read of 3 hours.

[Thirumurugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000 times worth to read for aspiring entrepreneurs.

One book every budding entrepreneurs have to read. I have read so many startup related books.But this one summarized the hard truth about starting up and most importantly it encouraged me more than discouragement about starting my own.

[Axay Pithava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read many books on start up, entrepreneur journey ...this was the best for following reasons
(1) real and indian context - it's not about ideas for start up - it is about making you prepare for high and lows start up journey well in advance
(2) the closest to reality of any start up/entrepreneur journey
(3) very structured and covered all aspects of start up journey

[Pramit Singhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and thought provoking. The best part is that it's a very honest conversation which is brief and to the point. Not very complex jargon but a simple and easily understandable points around startup journey.

[Swati · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a very useful book to read before jumping into the entrepreneurship bandwagon.

[Sanyam Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books, I have read so far. To thr face, straight forwarded and something that I was looking for. Must read for all the entrepreneurs, or wannapreneurs!

[BooksMyInspiration · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book. Evaluates the pros and cons of entrepreneurship very well. A must-read before you pursue any passion full time or plan to quit your full-time job.

[Akanksha Agarwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a little stretched. Somewhere in between the book I could not fully understand and follow the author. Some parts felt too rigid in this ever changing world.

[Sameer Gudhate · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Before You Start Up: How to Prepare to Make Your Startup Dream a Reality," Pankaj Goyal extends a guiding hand to those at various stages of the entrepreneurial journey. With a direct and relatable approach, the author addresses a diverse audience ranging from ambitious students to aspiring entrepreneurs, and even those on the verge of launching their startups.

Goyal's book underscores the significance of preparation in the entrepreneurial world. Drawing parallels with sports, he emphasizes the importance of understanding one's "why," nurturing business ideas, forming a founding team, communicating with loved ones, and tending to financial and career aspects. The book serves as a comprehensive roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to ask the right questions and providing guidance to unearth the answers.

Goyal employs a straightforward writing style that feels like a heart-to-heart conversation. His language is accessible, and he seamlessly connects with readers from various walks of life. The book avoids jargon, making it suitable for both novice and experienced readers.

While the book is not fiction, it metaphorically introduces readers to different entrepreneurial personas. It delves into the minds of the "wannabe" entrepreneur, the "Friday-night-after-drinks" dreamer, the "Ready-to-go" planner, the "Already-on-the-train" executor, and even the loved ones and aspiring investors orbiting these roles.

The book follows a logical structure, starting with the crucial aspect of understanding one's "why" and advancing through topics such as ideation, team formation, family communication, and financial preparation. Goyal's progressive approach effectively guides readers along the entrepreneurial journey.

The overarching theme centres on preparation and self-awareness as pivotal elements in achieving startup success. The book champions the idea that entrepreneurship requires a strong foundation of understanding, planning, and executing.

Goyal's relatable tone and real-life examples evoke a sense of camaraderie with readers. The emotional impact lies in the empowerment it offers to individuals aspiring to turn their dreams into viable startups.

"Before You Start Up" excels in its ability to demystify entrepreneurship for a diverse audience. The book's practical insights, relatable anecdotes, and step-by-step guidance make it a valuable resource. As a non-fiction work, the book's metaphorical framing may be a bit misleading for those expecting a fictional narrative.

Pankaj Goyal's book is a beacon for aspiring entrepreneurs, providing them with a holistic view of what it takes to transform a startup dream into reality. The author's conversational style and comprehensive approach make this an invaluable companion for anyone embarking on the entrepreneurial journey.

"Before You Start Up: How to Prepare to Make Your Startup Dream a Reality" serves as a practical and motivational guide for individuals of all ages and backgrounds who harbor entrepreneurial aspirations. Pankaj Goyal's book is not only about laying the groundwork for a startup; it's also about cultivating a mindset that maximizes the chances of success.

[Alceste · Rating 4 out of 5]

The debut novel of Pankaj Goyal, Before You Start Up is about preparing for the life of an entrepreneur. This book offers insight on more than having an idea, evaluating it, the financial hurdle, and other pragmatic steps of launching your own product or a service company. It is a business book that I recommend especially to someone who might have doubts in their mind about the journey.

Doubts are not at all like holes in the brain cells. They are an essential part of a critical thinking process. But they often lead to low creativity levels. I urge not to dwell in them much. Instead, read this book. The first 50 pages of this book are highly critical. The author/entrepreneur himself starts by telling his own journey, a brief period of three years of his own product. All over the book, he has used quotes and cites text from the book that is already bestsellers and popular in the business world as well as with readers. He refers to the to his story in between the chapters. But that is not the reason I want you to read this book.

This book offers a lot of pragmatic advice that is important to observe if not implement all of it. I suggest you take his advice and his personal experience as his own point of view but at the same time you will find things useful. The world is full of them. You have your own and that is very necessary. No one has succeeded in their life by walking the track already exists. It is not a linear track for anyone.

The topics this book puts emphasis on are the generation of an idea, evaluating it, finding a co-founder, but most important one I found is understanding your "why". It is all about your "why". Everything starts and end at the "why" part. Best chapter of the book I would say.

Rest, as I said, his opinions are his own, I do not agree with his three-year breakup analogy of running a startup. You cannot judge a company or a product with that. What if it fails in the fourth year? He sounds too harsh in first pages of the book which in my opinion could have been anatomizing over the book instead of appearing all at once with more reasoning and understanding of the reader, especially, the first time readers. Here, at this point, the author assumes, the reader is already familiar with the sense of a topic. What if he is not?

3.5 out of 5

[Debamita Sutar · Rating 5 out of 5]

India has experienced a huge boom in the number of startups starting from 452 in 2016 to 84,012 in 2022. It’s a huge number. The successful startups are also instilling hope in young kids that they can have their own startup (truth be told, even I dream of having my own startup). Despite we all are well versed with the difficulties that an entrepreneur faces, it's just not having their own startup, it is about how the company is going to compete with the market giants and make a space for themselves.

The book “Before You Startup” talks about different situations you would face while you start your own company, the steps you would have to take, and the case studies of founders who faced adversities. It simply prepares you for the cruel world, where you have very little control, a slow and hostile world. It gives answers to some very basic questions, i.e. how to generate, & evaluate ideas. Moreover, it addresses a very important aspect of finding your cofounder, it is one of the most important decisions.

An excerpt from the book says “You can’t prepare for everything- so enjoy the ride. When you are starting up, if you have one good day in a week, you are doing well. Over time it has been a process of increasing the good days and predicting the bad days”. If you want to start your own company, you are not only the founder, but you are also the CFO, CTO, CMO, etc. One thing you need to keep in mind is even if you are working as all of them, you cannot fully work like them, so stop trying to be everything and fulfill every role, instead take your time to enjoy, and appreciate your journey.

All-in-all it will help you in your entrepreneurial journey.

[Rashid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A MUST READ FOR TODAY'S - WANNABE ENTREPRENEURS

The book will take you through the journey of Start-up and will prepare you with all the necessary if & buts before starting your own venture. It actually wants you to showcase the reality of starting up and Difficulty it will bring to you and your personal life(since we only hear about success stories and no one talk about that 9 out 10 start-up fail).

First, 75 pages were more of a horror movie which gives you all possible reason for not starting any new venture (because we just think it's cool to do so without having any preparation at all).

Major points he talked about:

1.) Why - Understanding the Why ? (why we want to start a new business),
2.) Business Idea Generation - what are the ways to get new business Ideas.
3.) How to choose your co-founder - What all we keep in mind before going into a partnership (even if we know our co-founder for years, this was well explained and made some sense as well)
4.) It also takes about few entrepreneurs in between (by sharing their experiences)

Books being used to quote:
1.) Zero to one - Peter Thiel
2.) The hard thing about Hard things - B Horowitz
3.) The 4 Hour Work Week - T Ferriss

What the book is not about

1.) How to raise fund
2.) How to start-up with your business Idea - The way forward.
3.) If you raise money - what are the ways for valuation (for your company)
4.) Bootstrap, Seed Funding, Bridge funding, Series Funding.

I recommend this book to everyone reading this review.

[Natarajan Mahalingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are probably hundreds or so books out there on how to startup, how to manage your startup, processes and methodologies and approaches, but Pankaj Goyal's Before you start up, addresses a critical gap in the startup literature world - how to think before you actually startup! Based on his own learning experience from startup days, Pankaj has succinctly brought out the areas that a wannabe entrepreneur needs to delve deep into before even starting up. Right from mindset shifts to planning and questioning oneself on the why, what, and how of the idea that one wants to pursue, this short book is a gem that I think I'll keep coming back to over the next weeks and months.

Written in plain, straight forward and easy to understand language, the book contains both vulnerable thoughts from the author himself as well as quotes and stories from other entrepreneurs in the Indian ecosystem to corroborate the concepts and discussions in the book. Across 6 key chapters, each allocated to one critical topic on the journey to kickstarting an idea/product, the author has provided both a roadmap and a checklist that every entrepreneur in whatever stage of the journey they are in, can benefit from. An informative and insightful read into a real-life journey on the entrepreneurship spectrum by Pankaj Goyal!

[Rajesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really have to give credit to Pankaj Goyal who did the great job of how we felt and experienced his startup journey. I personally had attepted twice to start some local business twice and have to fall back due to various practical challenges. Once thing I felt was absence of my fuller self (both physically and mentally) was the reason to wind it down and not because of market feasibility. Lesson I learn from this book is that before you step in and think 1000 times and once in never look back and give all yourself (being cognizance of risk & reward).

A must read book for startup enthusiast and who wanted to build their own empire

[Yathish Dhavala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book can serve as a nice little cheat sheet for entrepreneurs. But it doesn't draw on enough examples (and the author has had only 1 start up experience) - so it comes off as a lot of funda or gyan. There are many small nuggets of sagely advise sprinkled all over the book which I'm sure will be found useful for people involved in entreprenurial ecosystem. It's a pretty good book if you haven't read any other books on start ups yet. Don't pick up this book expecting to find a lot of original advise.

[Praveen Sen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entry level for beginners, aspiring entrepreneurs who wanted to step in to the startup world. This book helps you in overall view of a startup journey like how's it going to affect you, what makes you drive?, How can you keep the motivation up?, What are all the struggles?, Why do you want to startup?, It answers all these questions and helps you prepare in advance before you enter in to the startup world.

[Vinita Punjabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 360 degree pragmatic view of an entrepreneurial life that will distort your glamorized billion dollar idea.

To the point reality check.

" Founders are said to
sleep like babies—waking up crying every few hours"..!

this sums up everything.

failures are not being reported.
distressed moments don't make it to social media.
prepare before you leap.
the ground is solid enough to break your bones.

[Swapna Nikale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book doesn't teach you on how to become entrepreneur or how to establish a startup. It is a red flag on what all hurdles you should endure when you want to establish a startup. A quite short book with great ideas shared in brief.

**Tip to author:** A bit of editing and language styling would have made this book a professionalism

**My detail review can be seen in my YouTube:** https://youtu.be/MXYSJHKvQJ4?si=ST3tl...

[Parth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall - I like the book and how real it is.

Although there is significant negative connotation to it, it does talk about very real things, but talks very little about what happens if things go right!

I don’t want you to paint a beautiful picture all together, but as you know starting up is a risk, big one; sometimes with a sense of broad reality, it is good to have optimism sowed into the messaging :)

Cheers ~ P

[Bhargav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the usually ‘all positive attitude’ book! Many business books represent the same thing just with a different perspective. Though, before you startup is a bit different and interesting.
It will give you practical coverage of some ‘what if’ questions before making the decisions. Will suggest it to the people who are looking forward to becoming an entrepreneur at any age!